How To Have A Child Friendly Wedding from Guest Blogger Lady Amy Wedding Design

Good morning peeps and happy Wednesday.

Did you all have a lovely long weekend? I hope so, the weather was fairly kind to us in the Cotswolds.. I took Noah to Weston Super Mare on Monday, as you can only imagine it was a nightmare and uber busy, but fabulous and great fun all the same haha!! With donkey rides and ice creams, fish and chips and sand, Noah had a ball ;)
This week I wanted to share with you my thoughts and ideas on how to involve the little ones in your special day. As a Mummy, its very important to me that....

The chosen venue for our wedding will be completely child friendly. So, not only Noah and Mia can have a fabulous day too but Wayne and I would be able to truly relax and be safe in the knowledge that Noah and Mia were safe in their surroundings. I.e there were no ponds, main roads etc etc
If your child is happy then you can relax. So here are a few of my favourite ideas for entertainment and convenience for a child at a wedding.. I hope you like them x

A great tip is to use educational entertainment such as colours / shapes / drawing / words / spelling and messy things.. Children love learning and love doing. Anything from play doh to fishing up ducks from a small paddling pool.
Bouncy Castles can also be fun, or even just some outdoor games such as child Cricket, Football and Softball. Children love dancing, so we will definitely be incorporating some awesome music for our little guests, some funky nursery rhymes and Disney tracks are always a hit haha!!

Enjoy my child friendly wedding inspiration mood board =)

Credits

http://www.perfectday.co.za/blog/category/decor-inspiration/P2

http://sarahritchieweddingreadings.blogspot.com/2010/05/from-velveteen-rabbit.html

http://www.aisledash.com/2010/10/07/wedding-theme-carnival/

http://www.inthetreehouse.co.uk/category/blog/page/2/

http://www.warble-entertainment.com/entertainers/childrens-entertainers/

http://www.wedding-inspiration.com/wedding-planning/children-at-weddings-the-how-to-guide/

WEDDING COMPETITION !


I am currently running a fabulous and priceless competition, for all those brides to be out there who would love some professional guidance for free and a stress free and perfect wedding day. Please take a look at this link for more details
Best of Luck!
http://www.gumtree.com/p/business-services/wedding-competition/86874787

Gorgeous Sage Green & Pink Wedding Styling & Stationery!

Hope everyone's having a lovely bank holiday weekend! I've been working on a lovely adaptation of my new Rose Cottage range. The couple loved the range but wanted to change the colours and stamps slightly to better suit their wedding them of Sage Green & Pink.
I've created a more autumnal version with the sage green which is more in keeping with the original Rose Cottage invitation but I also created the invitation below which has a much more summery feel.
If you would like to adapt any of my existing designs for invitations please don't hesitate to get in contact ... I love altering designs to suit the couple I'm working with! You can find all my ranges and contact details on the website http://www.knotsandkisses.co.uk/

To go with this new version of the Rose Cottage range I've come up with some more Sage & Pink styling ideas to match below. I'm thinking gorgeous English Cottage Garden and Marquee weddings with lots of pretty pastel bunting and cream jugs of pink peonies and roses. The brown paper detailing on the stationery range can also be incorporated into your styling and reception stationery to give a slightly more rustic and relaxed look.



Credits

Dresses : www.coast-stores.co.uk

Cakes : www.cottonandcrumbs.co.uk

Cushions and Bunting : www.notonthehighstreet.com 

Have a fabulous week everyone ... and just an advance warning, Knots & Kisses will be on holiday from this Friday 3rd September till Monday 12th September. Any enquiries will be dealt with as a matter of urgency on my return on the Monday morning

Nikki x

Beautiful Wedding Venue in Essex!

Its been a while since I've featured a Wedding Venue on the blog, so I'm delighted to be able to feature the gorgeous Braxted Park today .. especially as its so local to me in Essex.
Its a beautiful location if you are after that quintessentially English Manor House & Country Garden wedding, and would make a stunning backdrop for photos!

Braxted Park is a beautiful wedding venue, set in an elegant Queen Anne manor house situated in the picturesque surroundings of the walled gardens, in the heart of the Essex countryside. The stunning country house is a fully licensed wedding venue offering a variety of different sized rooms within the main house, with capacity for wedding parties of between 50 to 300 guests. Braxted Park also caters for a wide variety of cultural requirements and often hosts weddings for a range of cultures such as Greek, Jewish, Asian and Caribbean weddings, as well as traditional church weddings and civil ceremonies.
There are only a few wedding venues in the UK that have the added luxury of having a church on site, and Braxted Park is one of them. The local parish church, All Saints, Great Braxted, is located within the grounds of the Estate offering couples the option of having their dream church wedding but also the ability of holding your entire wedding in one location.

Braxted Park pride themselves for their outstanding reputation for providing a high level of service and enjoying helping guide couple through the process of holding their wedding in the local church. The venue is also fully equipped with licensed bar facilities, staging, dance floor area and even overnight accommodation, with luxurious rooms located on the grounds of the estate. Allowing not only the bride and groom accommodation in the beautiful garden cottage bridal suite, but also some of their family and friends as there are an additional eight rooms, all with en-suites, available too.
When couples choose to get married at Braxted Park they have exclusive use of the venue for the entire day and the choice of an extensive range of in-house services such as bay trees, chair covers, chocolate fountains, Pavilion themes and interior design schemes.

For more information about the Braxted Park wedding venue visit: 
http://www.braxtedparkweddings.co.uk/
Braxted Park Estate Witham Essex CM8 3EN
Tel: +44 (0) 1621 892305
Fax: +44 (0) 1621 892840
Email: office@braxtedparkweddings.co.uk

White Vintage Chic Wedding Inspiration

Good morning and happy Wednesday peeps.. How are you all? Thank you for dropping by my guest post this week. I hope you have all had a fabulous week? Its been rather gorgeous and sunny, which is such a delightful way to end our summer and the days begin to shorten.
I wanted to share with you this morning, a variety of wedding suppliers which I simply adore and use for my own weddings. Suppliers which are all fairly local to the Cotswolds, who pride themselves on the quality and service they all offer brides and grooms and are also incredibly passionate about the wedding industry and their jobs.
I have put together this very beautiful and elegant, yet incredibly simple mood board today, using gorgeous whites. Less is more!!

I love the simplicity of it, Its almost like fairy dust. Using a variety of materials and textures you can create depth and warmth. Its just a case of careful placement and imagination e.g. Fresh fluffy white flowers and shiny silk white bridesmaids dresses are a great contrast

Credits

Wedding Details - Vintage Amethyst
Accessories - House Of Istria
Dress - Danielle White Rose Bridal Chipping Camden
Cake - Micheala Cake sweet cake
Shoes - Rachel Simpson
Flowers - The Bay Tree - Chipping Camden
Lewin Loves - Bridal Book
Umbrella -
http://www.chanticleerbrides.co.uk/shop.php?cPath=30_37 Charticleer
Veil - Stephanie Williams Photography

I hope you have enjoyed this elegant post

best wishes
Lauren
x

Keep It Simple With Cream & Ivory Wedding Styling

Hello! Hope everyone's had a lovely weekend ... I for one am ready to start a new week of weddings and wedding talk!
Today on my regular Monday Wedding Styling Post I wanted to take a look at keeping your colour scheme simple at your Wedding. Don't get me wrong I'm a massive fan of a splash of colour! One day I'll show you photos of my humble abode which will go to prove this .... but not everyone is, and keeping a neutral palette of creams and ivorys at a Wedding can look utterly stunning!
I think these bespoke stationery designs I did for a client a few months ago would go perfectly with the neutral theme ...

I think you can do this pale colour palette one of two ways ... either all out glamour with beautiful big cream roses and lace and pearl detailing, or, my favourite, something a little more relaxed and rustic. Which is the styling option I've gone for today and tried to show you below. Add in a little green foliage along the way to keep some contrast and this works really well.

Credits

http://www.vintageamethyst.co.uk

http://www.weddingofmydreams.co.uk

http://www.waitrose.com

http://www.notonthehighstreet.com

Heart and Horseshoes Photography

Introducing Alison O'Sullivan Wedding Photography

It's not often I have wedding photographers on the blog ... mainly because I like to concentrate on styling ideas for you for your big day, although I would love to feature more photographers work so you can see some real weddings on the blog.

However on today's Supplier Spotlight I'm delighted to introduce to you the lovely Alison from Alison O'Sullivan Photography. I love Alison's work ... the photo of the Bride & Groom kissing by the gate is my favourite, I think these photos have a lovely vintage feel to them.

I'll let Alison tell you a bit more about herself ....

"Hi I’m Alison, and I have been a Wedding Photographer for over ten years I specialise in Contemporary Wedding Photography with a fresh and relaxed feel capturing the day as it unfolds with all the real emotions of your Wedding Day. There is nothing more rewarding than presenting a couple with the true memories of their special day for them to enjoy together forever."

You can see more of Alison's work and contact her via her website

www.alisonosullivanphotography.co.uk

She also has her own blog http://alisonosullivanphotography.blogspot.com

Guest Post From Lady Amy Design All About Wedding Shoes!

Hi All ... Can I just say first before I hand over to the lovely Lauren ... A big congratulations to her on her engagement last week! If you haven't seen it already pop over to her blog as there's a picture of the gorgeous and rather sparkly engagement ring!
Right over to Lauren ....

Good morning peeps and happy Wednesday!

I feel very content and happy this week, after a few days holiday'ing =) It's as if I'm floating about in the lovely wedding world. The wedding industry is in full swing and as another wedding approaches me this weekend, I do my usual take time out for a little blog writing and research.

This week I would like to share with you some beautiful and unique wedding shoes, which I found during some Internet surfing. I love surfing the net finding fabulous treasures, designers and inspiration.
Today, I have chosen to share a range of beautiful shoes from traditional cream elegance, a rainbow of fabrics and colour or something a touch more cutesy, glitzy and twinkly to something heavily inspired by vintage chic and whimsical beauty. 'A pair of fabulous shoes can make your outfit and create a whole theme / concept'

I recently featured Rachel Simpsons shoes in a Cotswolds bridal shoot which I directed. I am very much looking forward to sharing these images with you all soon, once the images are ready and edited .

I love Rachel Simpson bridal shoes. They suit almost every brides budget ;) and they are so pretty and inter-changeable with accessories and colours. http://rachelsimpsonshoes.co.uk/ Tilly and Marilyn being 2 of my faves.. Have a look at Rachel's website for an entire gallery of wonderful designs.

I hope you enjoy these beautiful wedding shoes...

Credits

http://www.queensandbowl.com/blog/tag/1930s/page/2/

http://www.glitzy-n-glamorous.com/lacey-vintage-inspired-wedding-bridal-shoes-p-757.html

http://weddingdirectory-uk.co.uk/

http://www.onestylishbride.com/tag/wedding-shoes/

http://thenaturalweddingcompany.wordpress.com/category/wedding-dresses-2/

http://www.glitzy-n-glamorous.com/lacey-vintage-inspired-wedding-bridal-shoes-p-757.html

http://www.folksy.com/items/740289

http://www.basia-zarzycka.com/239/bridal-shoes/commissions/shoe-decoration-service.html

http://www.mywedding.com/blog/wedding-basics/fashion/shoes/comfy-vintage-inspired-shoes-from-hey-lady/

http://www.basia-zarzycka.com/239/bridal-shoes/commissions/shoe-decoration-service.html

http://www.folksy.com/items/740289

Best wishes

Lauren

x



Wooden Inspiration & Ideas For Your Wedding!

I had the pleasure last week of working on a Bespoke Guest Book for a lovely customer who is getting married in September. They wanted a more rustic style for their wedding and so I got out my soldering iron and some wood and put together a lovely wooden guest book tied with string...

This has inspired me to come up with a few styling ideas using wood for this weeks blog. You can use wood as your main theme or easily incorporate elements of it into a colour scheme for a bit more of a rustic look ... I personally think it looks beautiful with pale pinks and light greens.



Fabulous Dessert Tables For Your Wedding Day!

I'm a massive fan of the current vogue for Dessert Tables at Weddings at the moment. They are a great alternative to a single wedding cake .. or keep the Wedding Cake and have a dessert table instead of a sit down dessert course at your wedding breakfast!

Today's Supplier Spotlight focus's on the gorgeous dessert tables from the lovely Emily at Tempting Cakes.
I've been a fan of Emily's work with wedding cakes and cupcakes for a while now, so was delighted to find out she'd started doing these stunning dessert tables!
I'll let Emily tell you more about it ....

"Our Tempting Tables feature a selection of our delicious cakes, cupcakes and cookies stylishly presented alongside the finest handmade chocolates, sweeties and dessert canapés.   Already a big trend in the US and rising in popularity here, dessert tables are ideal for weddings, birthday and corporate events.

Usually a client comes to us with a cake on their shopping list. But often they’ll add some hand-iced cookies for the guests to take home, some cupcakes for the children at their celebration and the resulting styled display is a capsule cake bar. With a view to inspiring our clients further and with dessert tables becoming more popular, adding Tempting Tables to our offering was a natural progression. Our Tempting Tables are a collection of Tempting Cake‘s signature cakes, cupcakes and hand-iced cookies, along with the finest hand-made chocolates, delicious dessert canapés, fresh fruit and sweeties all beautifully styled. They make the perfect choice for weddings but would be equally at home at a birthday, corporate event, christening or barbecue as they allow guests to mingle as well as providing a talking point for your occasion. The options are limited only by your imagination and our creativity!"

Wow! Aren't these just beautiful ... I'm loving Emily's work and also the fantastic photography .. taken by the wonderful Liesl Cheney.
You can find lots more information about Tempting Tables on the website http://www.temptingcake.com/

My Perfect Venues For an English Country Garden Wedding!

My guest blogger Miss Lady Amy is away for the week today so .. inspired by some lovely sunshine in my own garden this afternoon ... I've decided to look at some gorgeous English Country Garden style wedding venues for you.
Here are my favourites! ....

The first venue is the gorgeous Gants Mill in Somerset ... I came across this venue a while back and just think the setting is so beautiful and picturesque! Your photos will look amazing amongst their gorgeous flower gardens and you can get married in the lovely gazebo and have a reception in a marquee.
Visit www.gantsmill.co.uk for more information

The next venue is the lovely Slaugham Place in Sussex.

The dramatic, four-hundred-year-old, listed, Grade II* ruins of Slaugham Place, a great Elizabethan manor house, have been restored under the supervision of English Heritage an provide a fantastic wedding venue as the ancient ruins are surrounded by twelve acres of grounds including formal gardens, bridges, a river and wonderful old trees... perfect for a marquee wedding reception ( this venue isn't licensed for civil ceremonies).

Find more information at http://www.wedding-venues.co.uk/article.asp?id=1602

 Alternatively check out the gorgeous http://www.millbrookestate.co.uk/ in Devon ... perfect setting for a gorgeous country garden wedding... I love the beautiful wooden seating area and pavilion for civil ceremonies!

 

 
And finally for those of you a little further north ... There is the fabulous Holdsworth House near Halifax. You can get married in one of the gorgeous rooms or in the historic garden gazebo in part of the gorgeous gardens.... visit http://www.holdsworthhouse.co.uk/index.php/weddings/
 

 
I hope this has given you a few ideas for your wedding venue.
Visit the blog again on Friday as I've got some fabulous ideas for your wedding cake and dessert tables!
 
Nikki x