Styling Inspiration To Match Our Ditsy Print Wedding Stationery

On the last day of January .. wow didn't that go quickly! ... I'm delighted to provide you with styling ideas to match our Ditsy Print range of Wedding Stationery! Ditsy Print is a vintage style invitation using a small floral fabric and gingham ribbon, and is perfect for a country style wedding or a wedding with a cute vintage theme. 

Full details of the range can be found on our website http://www.knotsandkisses.co.uk/.

Below are some ideas for how to style your wedding with the Ditsy Print range. It looks great with cute fabric bunting and pretty cottage garden style florals. I especially love the idea of using it alongside a garden tea party style wedding with pretty informal table settings and cream teas on the lawn! I'd style tables with old vintage teapots and jugs, cake stands piled with scones and cupcakes  and seed packet favours.

flowers from http://www.leafycouture.co.uk/ ; bunting and sign http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/

dress and table images from google; rose hair decoration from http://www.houseofistria.com/

flowers from http://www.fairynuff-flowers.co.uk/ ; dress vintage ; cake stand http://www.outoflove.co.uk/



Stunning Vintage Style Jewellery For Your Wedding

I am delighted to introduce to you on this weeks Supplier Spotlight some amazing bridal accessories and jewellery from 'Wedding and Baby'. I absolutely love Louise's work as it had the real vintage feel that I love when it comes to weddings, and goes amazingly well with lots of our wedding stationery .. especially the Bejewelled range below, which can be found on our website http://www.knotsandkisses.co.uk/

Wedding and Baby launched in Jan 2009 and is now gaining recognition from wedding industry experts for providing a range of vintage inspired headbands, combs, tiaras and jewellery. Wedding and Baby was also shortlisted in The Bridal Magazine Awards for Best Accessory supplier of the year 2010.

In the beginning, Louise Graham decided to build her business by working with extremely talented designers to establish her business. This decision was purely due to her time commitments being limited as she cared for her young son. However as a Product designer to trade (having graduated from Napier University Edinburgh with a BSc Hons in Industrial Design) it wasn’t long before Louise’s creativity was bursting to get hands on again – so she launched her own range of tiaras, headbands and jewellery in Sept 2009. Around this time she also gained recognition for X – Factor contestants which resulted in her designs being worn to the premiere of Shrek 3D in June 2010.

Within a year and a half in business Wedding and Baby have launched a wholesale option, allowing the designs to be available to try on in bridal boutiques throughout the country. Already within a month of setting this up Louise has stockists eager to stock her designs.

Louise focuses on vintage inspired pieces with a twist. Her work is renowned for being more than just a wear once accessory. In fact many of her designs can be converted into a brooch and worn again. As well as the website, Louise offers appointments in Scotland as well as phone consultations for bespoke orders

The Spring/Summer 2011 collection is causing a stir with the media. As always Vintage is the essence of the collection, although this season sees more fabric and feathers. You can be sure to see Louise’s designs gracing Bridal magazines and Wedding T.V programmes throughout 2011.

What makes Wedding and Baby so unique is that Louise becomes part of the style team. She instinctively uses her design qualifications to create a headpiece that will suit the bride, the dress and the ceremony. Cuddles are a regular occurrence from brides who are blown away by their breath taking bridal accessories.

What’s more Louise keeps in touch with most brides long after the big day and is always delighted to see the baby photo’s that follow!

You can contact Louise via the website http://www.weddingandbaby.co.uk/  or twitter @weddingandbaby



Why Wedding Stationery and Other Things!

I've been blogging for a few months now ... and I realised I haven't really introduced myself or Knots & Kisses properly! I thought my readers may like to know who I am , why I set up Knots & Kisses and what we do here. So here goes ... I apologise if I bore anyone!

So this is me! As you can see above I hate having my photo taken! I'm originally from a village called Kingsbury, near Birmingham but I moved down to the lovely town of Epsom in Surrey in 1996 to study a degree in Fashion Promotion & Illustration, and haven't moved back 'up north', as my friends put it, since.

I'm now based in Essex, after meeting my lovely Other Half at the Isle Of Wight Festival in 2006.

I am obsessed with all things vintage ... old metal coffee shop signs, vintage jewellery, 1920's corsets, antlers ... pretty much anything. This has always inspired my artwork and has gone on to inspire the wedding stationery here at Knots & Kisses.

I worked for many years as a Visual Merchandiser in various high street stores, but always felt I was wasting my life a little bit and my creative talents. So in 2005, after a family tragedy, I decided to go travelling on my own for a year ... and visited Australia and South East Asia. When I got back I took a 'normal' job for a while but soon realised that what I needed to do was set up my own business.

I had previously styled and designed my sister's wedding, producing handmade invitations, thank you cards, menus ... it was a country style wedding based on thistles and lavender, and I handpainted pebbles for peoples place cards and wrapped raffia and lavender around the napkins for the tables.
I had also helped a few work colleagues by making their wedding stationery while I was a Visual Merchandiser, and for some reason I was passionate about Wedding Design!

In 2009 a friend asked me to help her with her wedding stationery and this was the catalyst for me quitting work and setting up Knots & Kisses full time. Her wedding was in a theatre and was very dramatic so I designed pockets to fit theatre ticket style invitations in, and also produced a handpainted art deco style table plan for them.

I'm happy to say Knots & Kisses is going from strength to strength, and I absolutely love handmaking peoples wedding stationery. There is nothing better than working with a couple to produce a look for their special day, and then receiving a letter afterwards saying what an amazing day they had and how pleased they were with the stationery!

We know have a 7 ranges on the website www.knotsandkisses.co.uk , plus a new range in the pipeline very soon. Plus we obviously also offer a bespoke service .. in which I'm still exceptionally flexible in what I can create! If you want bunting or favour labels to match your stationery .. or pebbles as placecards .. then that of course can be accommodated. I'm passionate about getting the whole look of a wedding just right.



Styling Ideas to Match Our Antique Rose Wedding Stationery

I'm carrying on with my new regular feature on Mondays, and sharing with you some styling inspiration for your wedding that would match with one of our stationery ranges. Often people see a range of stationery they like but don't really know whether it will fit in with the feel of wedding they were going for. Hopefully these mood boards will help!

Todays styling is based on our Antique Rose range of stationery, which comes in two colours Dusky Pink or Antique Gold. I tried to give the range a real romantic vintage feel, so it works fantastically well with vintage jewellery, old gold mirrors and pale blush roses. If you style this range with pretty feminine touches but with the faded dusky colours it stops everything from becoming too sugary and really becomes quite stylish!
I especially love the old candelabra on the tables below and the pale blush colour of the dress.

Credits : top to bottom, left to right

Clutch Bag - www.vintageamethyst.co.uk ; Room setting - www.theknot.com

Floral Candelabra - www.leafycouture.co.uk ; Cake - www.cottonandcrumbs.co.uk

Floral arrangement - www.marthastewart.com ; Bardot headband - http://www.chezbec.com/



Introducing Stunning Wedding Flowers by Blush Floral Design!

I am very excited today to introduce to you the amazing wedding flowers from Blush Floral Design!
They do amazing and beautiful bouquets, buttonholes and floral arrangements for your wedding. I especially love some of the floral bouquets below as I think they would go perfectly with Knots & Kisses Vintage style wedding stationery .. especially our Country Garden and Ditsy Print ranges. I've included some of the images of these ranges alongside Blush's stunning work so you can get an idea of styling ideas.

Bex Morgan, the founder and owner of Blush, trained at Merrist Wood Agricultural College and has worked in floral design for several years.

Our Ditsy Print range available at http://www.knotsandkisses.co.uk/



Blush is a family run company based in Surrey. Bex is the daughter half of the team and Mum Beth is the other. They work from a little studio in their garden. They have been in business since the start of 2009 and so far have appeared in the 'Wedding Flowers' magazine four times and 'Wedding' magazine twice! Last month they featured on the fabulous wedding blog 'Love My Dress' and were also shortlisted for the 'Bridal Magazine' awards in the category of 'Best Wedding Newcomer 2010'.

Our Country Garden Range available at http://www.knotsandkisses.co.uk/

 
They cover most of Surrey and Hampshire, but are always willing to travel for a wedding! They are also expanding this year by offering a Blush everyday flower service where you can now order Blush flowers for your home too.

Photographs by Luna Pics and Naomi Kenton.

You can contact the lovely team at Blush via their website http://www.designedbyblush.com/ or email rebecca@designedbyblush.com 

How To Word Your Wedding Stationery ?

Today I'd like to help put all those Bride & Grooms out there who find it difficult to word their wedding invitations.
Here at Knots & Kisses Wedding Stationery we always take the view that it is entirely up to the couple as to what wording they want on their wedding stationery! These days wedding stationery is becoming more and more individual and so generally we will ask you when you book to send us an email with the full wording you want on your wedding invitations.
However many couples still find it difficult to know what to put on their stationery ... so here's a few bits of advice for you!

Wedding Invitations are usually sent from the person/s who are hosting the event. Traditionally this has been the parents of the bride. However these days things can often be more complicated, with many parents divorced or remarried, and couples now often host their own wedding.
Here are a couple of examples of how you can go about wording your stationery ....

With the parents hosting ....

Mr and Mrs Jackson

request the pleasure of the company of

.........................................................................................

at the celebration of the marriage

of their daughter Kerry to Mr Simon Brown

on Saturday 4th August 2010

at 1 o’clock pm

at Coombe Abbey, Binley, Warwickshire

R.S.V.P by 4th July to ljackson@yahoo.co.uk

or 12 Leaf Lane, Binley, Warwickshire, CV10 3LG

 

With the couple hosting ....

 

Caroline & Richard

request the pleasure of the company of

.........................................................................................

on the occasion of their marriage

on Saturday 15th August 2010

at 1.00pm

at St Clare’s Church, Wightmere,

and afterwards at Wightmere Hall

R.S.V.P by 15th June to

12 Briars Cottage, Leaf Lane,

Wightmere, LE24 9DG

 

Of course there are many more options, and if these wordings don't fit in with your situation let us know and we can help you with suitable wording. And if you want something completely different let us know .. we've had bespoke stationery in the form of a theatre ticket before!

There are many other things you may want to include on your wedding stationery as well. For example Dress code, times for your guests to leave, whether or not you are inviting children ... even that you want your guests to bring their wellies as the weddings on a farm!

If you do find that there is too much you need to put on your actual invitation there is always the option of an information card which we can fit in with your stationery, along with an RSVP card.

 

In the end though remember its your day and you can say whatever you want on your invitations!

Wedding Cakes To Make Your Day Amazing!

I don't normally do a blog post on Tuesdays but I just had to share with you the gorgeous cake creations from Vanilla Cake Shop! They are definitely truly special cakes for your special day, and, with a lovely vintage feel to them, would go perfectly with our stationery ranges here at Knots and Kisses.

The lovely Samia, who runs Vanilla Cake Shop answered a few questions for me ....
How did Vanilla Cake Shop begin ?



It all started when I was doing research for my own wedding cake and I was so inspired. The sugar flowers and intricate piping details just took my breath away. With a creative background in Graphic Design and my passion for baking cakes I knew this had to be my calling. In 2007 we moved to Surrey from Yorkshire and I knew this would be a good time to pursue my passion for cake decorating. I took a course from the best in the industry and practiced my skills to perfection.

What type of cakes do you make?


I make Wedding and Celebration cakes, Cake pops, Cookie favours and I am now introducing the wonderful Whoopee pies. Offering intricate piping, exquisite handcrafted flowers and all finished with close attention to detail.

Flavours include:
Vanilla Bean sponge – Madagascar vanilla buttercream and Raspberry curd
Rich chocolate sponge – Belgian dark or white chocolate ganache
Red velvet cake – Cream cheese frosting
Carrot cake – Cream cheese frosting
Lemon cake – Lemon buttercream and Lemon curd
Orange cake – Chocolate buttercream and Marmalade
Madeira sponge cake
Marble cake

Where do you source your ingredients?



Ingredients used are of high quality and organic where possible.
Eggs are free range and sourced from a reputable local farm. Curds and fillings are home made and some supplied by Fortnum and Masons.

What do you think the trend for wedding cakes in 2011 will be?


Cake trends tend to follow the latest fashion in bridal wear and accessories.
We cannot forget the exciting up coming royal wedding and therefore I believe the trend for 2011 is going to be a royal affair. Incorporating elite cake designs with very regal and majestic colours such as white, sapphire blue and ivory. White roses, Calla lilies complimented with intricate piping will add a feel of romance and luxury to the cake.
Vintage has been very popular and I believe will still be in the picture. With very elegant soft colours, sugar lace and piping all incorporating satin ribbons adorned with antique brooches.
The bright colours for 2011 will be bright orange, purple or plum tones, hot pink and royal blue. I believe if these colours are used in moderation with a modern twist, it would make for a fantastic wedding cake suitable for the upcoming summer months.
There will always be a demand for pale, delicate colours for wedding cakes. A palette of pastel blushes, white, ivory, corals and light pinks decorated with sugar or fresh flowers suits a romantic theme and marries well with a traditional wedding cake design.

Top tips for choosing your wedding cake?


Wedding cake is an extremely important component in your special day and therefore must not be overlooked. All of my cakes have been put centre stage in the reception hall and therefore becomes a focal point.

You must decide on a budget and theme of your cake and then find a cake decorator who will meet your requirements. You will be able to tell a lot about a cake decorator by doing your research and visiting their website.

You should always book a consultation to taste your favourite flavours and discuss your ideas.

Good cake decorators will have display cakes showcased to inspire you during your consultation. Be sure to ask home based cake decorators if they have passed a health and hygiene course and had their kitchen inspected, they should show you paper work.

You can contact Vanilla Cake Shop via their website http://www.vanillacakeshop.co.uk/ , via twitter @Vanillacakeshop or via facebook : Vanilla Cake Shop

Styling ideas for our Damask Range of Wedding Stationery!

A new week and I wanted to share with you one of our most popular designs .. the 'Damask' range. One of the colour schemes it comes in is a gorgeous red and teal combination, which is becoming increasingly popular for couples wanting something a bit more colourful than the traditional pastels at their wedding.

The great thing about the Damask range is it can also easily be adapted to your colour scheme .. I recently did a version of it in beautiful plums and purples for a winter wedding and it worked beautifully!

Below are just some of the ideas that work really well when styling your wedding to match the Damask range. It works brilliantly with a fun retro theme ... think sweet buffets, retro glass jars full of your favours, and lots of 1950's styling and bridesmaids dresses! I especially love the idea of turning up to your wedding on a old red London bus!



cakes by www.cakebysugar.com

bridesmaids image courtesy of www.besthudsonvalleyweddingever.com

rose bouquet image courtesy of www.claudeschneider.com

sweet jars image courtesy of www.theknot.com

You can find all the details of our Damask range on the website at www.knotsandkisses.co.uk.

Style Your Wedding With Vintage China!

Anyone who knows me or has read the blog before may have cottoned on to the fact that I'm a bit obsessed with all things Vintage. In fact many of our wedding stationery ranges are inspired by Vintage themes.
I especially adore vintage china .. so I'm really indulging myself today by introducing the gorgeous company 'Vintage Simplicity' on our Friday Supplier Spotlight! I think the china would go beautifully with our Country Garden and Ditsy Print ranges of stationery below ... which are perfect styled with that 'tea party' and bunting look.

 Ditsy Print Invitation available on our website www.knotsandkisses.co.uk

Country Garden Invitation available on our website www.knotsandkisses.co.uk



Based in South West London, Vintage Simplicity was born in 2010 out of a ‘passion for all things vintage’.

Having spent most of her Twenties in a professional background in the City of London, founder – Kerry Smith – decided that her thirties and beyond was all about developing her passion for others to share.

Collected for over a decade, her eclectic mix of vintage china and accessories can help create wonderful events that reflect bygone eras of sophistication, elegance and style - where ladies chatted over china tea cup’s, table cloths were laid and bunting hung ready to party.

The Company takes pride in it’s collection of unique china & accessories. All of the collection that is hired, is sourced in the UK, handpicked by Kerry and is only chosen if it is deemed to be of the highest quality.

Vintage Simplicity can also provide a bespoke styling service to ensure that each event has a truly vintage look. With an eye for 1920’s to 1950’s detailing, Kerry will set up your event and provide the finishing touches so that it looks sensational.

CONTACT DETAILS

www.vintagesimplicity.co.uk

e: kerry@vintagesimplicity.co.uk

T: 07925 673683

Twitter: @vschinahire

Facebook: Vintage Simplicity

Gorgeous Cupcakes!

Now I've featured the lovely Tempting Cake before ... but I just had to share with you the pictures the lovely Emily sent me of their new cupcakes. Would be stunning for a beautiful Garden Party syle wedding, with lots of beautiful bunting and florals! Contact http://www.temptingcake.com/ for more information.

Fabulous Jewellery To Match Our Wedding Stationery!

I just love introducing new suppliers ... and although I'll still be doing my usual Supplier Spotlight on Friday, I couldn't help but share a couple of gems I've found this week!
The first one really is a gem! Sarah at http://www.tiny-gems.co.uk/ produces some fantastic handcrafted work.
I'll let her describe it for you ....

"Hemisphere Handcrafted Jewellery is available to buy at www.tiny-gems.co.uk My name is Sarah Marks and I design and make jewellery and tiaras with high quality materials while keeping them affordable. I love creating something new with broken and damaged vintage pieces. Re working them into something that is wearable today, and allowing it to be re loved and not lie in someone’s jewellery box feeling sorry for it self.

We have lots of different styles available on our website from fun and quirky scrabble rings to high quality Swarovski Jewellery, there really is something for all ages and all styles and tastes. I love nothing better than working closely with my customers to adapt my jewellery to fit their individual styles and welcome all suggestions so please don’t be shy to ask."

Sarah has a couple of pieces that I think would match prefectly with some of our wedding stationery!
First to match our Vintage Cameo range are these gorgeous cameo rings!

 http://www.tiny-gems.co.uk/ gorgeous cameo rings

Our fabulous Vintage Cameo range at  http://www.knotsandkisses.co.uk/

 
And I also love this beautiful tiara which would look stunning with our Bejewelled range.
 

http://www.tiny-jems.co.uk/ stunning tiaras

Our gorgeous Bejewelled range available at http://www.knotsandkisses.co.uk/

Budgets and Handmade Wedding Stationery!

I'm constantly being asked by clients and friends how much people should budget for their wedding stationery?

It's an especially pertinent question in today's economic climate as more and more couples look to save money when it comes to their wedding. I think it's because of this that many people automatically assume they can't afford handmade wedding stationery ... but it doesn't have to be expensive!
You're probably saying ... 'Oh well she would say that!' as Knots & Kisses produces handmade stationery, but honestly I do believe that it's true.
I like to work on having a good relationship with my couples, and this means I can work tightly to whatever budget they set. If they like a particular design, but it just doesn't fit in with their price range. I'll work hard to come up with something in the same style that will. You just don't get that with pre printed, mass produced stationery!

I also often advise people about being budget conscious when ordering their stationery. Lots of people will over order. You only need one invitation per family or household remember, and guests will often share Orders of Service in church ... so you don't necessarily need to order one per day guest.
As a guideline your stationery should be approximately 3-4% of your overall wedding budget.

People shouldn't feel nervous about asking us to bring a design they like within budget. It's what we're here for and that's the great thing about handmade stationery, we can always work something out to suit you!
Remember handmade means flexibility ... and someone on the other end of the phone who can help you with any changes!

Launching Our New English Eccentrics Wedding Stationery!!!

So here it is our new English Eccentrics range!

I love Vintage themes, as you can probably tell from my other ranges on the Knots and Kisses website, and have been inspired over the last few months to carry on with this inspiration but take it in a different direction.
Some of my favourite things have wound their way into this design .. including Victoriana, circus flyers and traditional English tweed and satins ... and the result has been the new English Eccentrics range!

The range also comes with a range of reception stationery, including these cute placecard tags, which can be tied around your napkins or alternatively a glass bottle filled with favours for your guest!

The range is perfect for a country wedding, a festival wedding and, with the tweed and plum, a winter wedding! It could easily be styled with long trestle tables, antique teapots and glass jars .. or with lots of deep plum coloured satins, fake fur and vintage jewellery.
Grooms would look fabulous in country tweed with a plum tie and Brides could channel the vintage pink lace for inspiration. Below are just a few of the styling ideas I've had to match this trend .. but to be honest it's whatever you think . the key word is Eccentric!

Of course if the colours don't match exactly with your ideas for you wedding we can work with you to make them match perfectly! I can see the range working easily as well with cream lace and a french blue or dusky pink coloured ribbon, or we can match your ribbon colour to a swatch of your bridesmaid dress fabric!
Please ring me if you'd like to discuss more option on Nikki 07976625201 or email me at info@knotsandkisses.co.uk.

Today is the first day the range will be on the website and available to order so please take a look at the full details on http://www.knotsandkisses.co.uk/