The current back to school vibe always makes me feel a little sad and melancholy. It’s the end of the summer and the seasons are beginning to change. It is back to work and back to reality, after a summer of fun. The lyrics of ‘Zorbing’ by Stornoway sum up what this time of year makes me think about
Conkers shining on the ground, The air is cooler. And I feel like I just started Uni.
But the exciting news from Pantone® ahead of New York Fashion Week about the Spring 2019 colours has certainly lifted my mood.
We’ll be seeing red next spring if the latest trend predictions from Pantone® this week are anything to go by.
The colours for next Spring certainly make a huge bold statement. They are rich, vibrant and indulgent yet not over powering. They are like a ray of golden light on a colourful kaleidoscope.
Autumnal evolution
You’d be forgiven in thinking that this is the fall report and not the spring one. There seems to be quite a lot of crossover with the current Fall/Winter 2018/19 colour palette with some rich earthy tones, though by Spring 2019 we will have lost the purples (and the Colour of the Year), neons and silver grey.
It is great to see such earthy colours featuring in Spring 2019 and hardly a pastel shade in there! These are all great transitional colours to take us in and out of seasons.
Confident red
The abundance of red related colours is over whelming and runs in to the oranges, yellows and pinks too. This set of colours are empowering, confident, bold, uplifting, fun, playful, cheerful and joyful. Plus I can’t fail to see the energy, passion and excitement that these colours evoke.
My best friend always advises to wear red to an interview or an important date (even if it’s just your underwear!) so that you feel strong and confident. There will be lots around next Spring to feel like you can rule the world.
Foliage and succulents
That warm feeling is translated in the addition of the deep greens that conjure up a terrarium full of succulents and foliage. Continuing that sense of bringing nature inside.
Spring 2019 colours
The top twelve colours for Spring 2019 are:
Fiesta PANTONE 17-1564
Jester Red PANTONE 19-1862
Turmeric PANTONE 15-1264
Living Coral PANTONE 16-1546
Pink Peacock PANTONE 18-2045
Pepper Stem PANTONE 17-0542
Aspen Gold PANTONE 13-0850
Princess Blue PANTONE 19-4150
Toffee PANTONE 18-1031
Mango Mojito PANTONE 15-0960
Terrarium Moss PANTONE 18-0416
Sweet Lilac PANTONE 14-2808
Spring 2019 extra colours from LFW
Plus a couple of paler substitutes of yellow (instead of Aspen Gold) and pink (instead of Sweet Lilac) from London Fashion Week round off the colours for Spring 2019:
Lemon Verbena PANTONE 12-0742
Pressed Rose PANTONE 15-1619
Neutral basics
Pantone® have also updated the Classic Colour Palette. These are a group of neutrals that are core basics in the form of a taupe, navy blue, cream and brown.
The bonus classic neutral colours for Spring 2019 are:
Soybean PANTONE 13-0919
Eclipse PANTONE 19-3810
Sweet Corn PANTONE 11-0106
Brown Granite PANTONE 19-0805
Colour themes
It’ll be great to see how couples incorporate these colours in to their weddings later this year. I can see how the classic neutrals will play a big part in coupling up with some of the more vibrant choices.
Pantone® is the world-renowned authority on colour and the Pantone® Color of the Year is always really influential in any popular colour themes in fashion, interior design and weddings.
casual blues for a rustic barn wedding complete with denim stationery – embroidered denim rather than a traditional paper suite: menus on napkins, name place sleeves around milk bottle glasses, table plan labels hung on Portuguese laurels plants
See more images in our gallery and the amazing local suppliers who came together to make this shoot possible in this blog post.
As well as general wedding planning chat, this week there’s a wedding traditions quiz (just for fun!) Tweet your replies (answers at the end of #UKWedLunch)
Here we go… QUESTION 1: What did brides from the east often shave off for their wedding? #UKWedLunch
QUESTION 2: What do Swedish people traditionally do any time the bride and groom leave the table? #UKWedLunch
QUESTION 3: What do German newlyweds have to do in front of their guests? #UKWedLunch
QUESTION 4: An old Scottish wedding tradition is to do what to a bride on the eve of her wedding?#UKWedLunch
QUESTION 5: In English folklore, it is good luck if a bride meets this person on the way to the wedding #UKWedLunch
QUESTION 6: What is placed on top of a wedding cake in Bermuda? #UKWedLunch
Hope you’ve had fun! Here are the answers: A1= eyebrows, A2= kiss, A3= saw a log in half, A4= wash her feet, A5= chimney sweep , A6= cedar sapling #UKWedLunch
Absolutely delighted to share this year’s wedding fashion report from Lyst, a global fashion search platform where you can search thousands of online fashion stores at once, bringing together 5 million products from 12,000 of the world’s leading brands in one place. From emerging trends to worldwide fashion movements, Lyst is a unique source of global fashion intelligence.
Analysing search and sales data across 12,000 online stores and designers, global fashion search platform Lyst has compiled these 5 key insights about how brides are shopping for wedding outfits online this year:
1. Brides are breaking from tradition in a year of female empowerment
Searches for bridal jumpsuits and bridal suits have increased by 113% in the last year
Searches for wedding dresses including the words ‘backless’, ‘sexy’ or ‘nude’ have doubled year on year
But modest dresses are popular too; ‘long sleeve’ and ‘high neck’ styles have seen a combined 47% increase in views year on year
2. Wedding dresses are getting cheaper
Last April the average price of a wedding dress on Lyst was £832, 25% lower than in 2016. This year it has decreased a further 5% and is currently £790
Wedding dresses from Topshop, Coast and ASOS are the most wanted cheaper options, along with contemporary brands Needle and Thread and Reformation
3. The Meghan Effect is a big deal for bridal brands
Brands that Meghan Markle could wear on her big day have seen significant increases in wedding dress searches; Erdem (+43%), Ralph & Russo (+82%), Misha Nonoo (+79%), Roland Mouret (+38%)
4. 2018’s weddings will be the most colourful yet
Searches for coloured bridal dresses are becoming more popular. White is still the number one most wanted option, followed by rose, yellow and red
Searches for ‘black bridal dresses’ have increased 18% year on year
5. 1920s bridal accessories are having a moment
Sales of hair clips and headpieces have risen 39% in the last year. Simone Rocha is currently the most searched for brand
Brides are five times more likely to opt for jewel encrusted or coloured shoes with their wedding dress than cream or white
There are 24% more feathered bridal products on Lyst than this time last year
The Top 5 most influential celebrity weddings of the last year Lyst looked at spikes in search and sales of some of the last year’s most talked about celebrity weddings to analyse which brides really set the trends:
1. Pippa Middleton married James Matthews, 20th May 2017 (Wedding dress by Giles Deacon)
Giles Deacon saw the largest spike in searches of any wedding dress designer, with search increasing 148% in May
2. Serena Williams married Alexis Ohanian, 16th November 2017 (Wedding dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. Wedding dress 2 and 3 by Versace, with bejewelled Nike sneakers)
Serena had 3 designer wedding dresses, but it was her bejewelled Nike Cortez sneakers that got the world talking; searches for Nike Cortez increased 8% that week
3. Emily Ratajkowski married Sebastian Bear-McClard, 23rd February 2018 (Suit by Zara)
Searches for Zara suits increased 58% week on week following Emily’s super Instagrammable marriage to Sebastian Bear-McClard in February. Searches for mustard yellow across all categories also saw a boost
4. Miranda Kerr married Evan Spiegel, 27th May 2017 (Maria Grazia Chiuri for Dior)
It was Miranda’s Stephen Jones headpiece that caught brides’ attention in Australia, prompting a 43% increase in AU searches for bridal headpieces
5. Chanel Iman married Sterling Shepard, 3 March 2018 (Zuhair Murad)
The Victoria’s Secret model tied the knot earlier this month, and her embellished cape led to a 29% increase in demand for lace capelets in the US
There’s no doubt about it, social media has changed (and continues to shape the way) we communicate, our relationships, our society and culture. It is a part of our every day lives and so it’s no wonder that you’ll want to think about the role that social media will play on your wedding day too.
About a third of the world uses some sort of social media. And the age of technology that we live in has meant that we are rarely uncontactable. There is a sense of urgency in our communicating and the need to share. Social media has enabled us to publish and share our lives not only with our nearest and dearest but to a wider audience too. We can share events, connect with people and it certainly has made the world feel like a smaller place.
I believe that social media has also made the news more relevant and accessible to more people, as well as personalising and interacting with announcements.
We are now living in the moment (all be it a digital one) with a need for things to be instant and live. We are also becoming more visual in our communications and video is the king of social media right now.
Whether you are going to embrace social media or shun it for your wedding, here are my top ten tips and modern day etiquette suggestions to make the most of social media on your special day.
Top tips for social media at your wedding day:
Make sure you keep things personal – perhaps tell your closest family and friends in person before changing your status on social media or posting an engagement ring photo.
Don’t rely on social media for all your wedding communications – think about your guest list as it may cover people from a variety of generations and technological abilities. Not everyone will have access or regular use of social media. A physical invitation will mean everyone on your list gets the same message.
Don’t overshare on social media – keep an element of surprise beforehand. Also you don’t want to make any of your social media followers feel left out if they haven’t been invited to your big day.
If you feel like going tech free then have an unplugged wedding – just make sure you set expectations with your guests early on.
Create a hashtag or a personalised Snapchat filter – share the # on your invitations, order of service and on signs around the reception. Then collect images on a social media wall at the reception or an online wedding album.
Use Facebook live or Periscope – for those guests that can’t make it (or live far away) consider streaming your wedding live so that they can still experience the day.
Give a selfie stick as wedding favours – instead of the old disposable cameras on each table at the reception, give guests a selfie stick or a list of photos to try and capture.
Etiquette tip – guests should wait until after the bride or groom have posted anything before putting up shots of the happy couple.
Keep a traditional photographer – nothing beats professional photographs! And guests, please make sure that you don’t block the photographer on the day. The couple want to see your faces not your phones when they look back on their photographs. Chose a moment in the ceremony when guests can take their own photos.
Enjoy the moment – above all remember to live the day and not just be recording events. Put the phone down for one day and make the most of having all the people you love in one room at the same time to celebrate your special day.
I’m pleased we didn’t have to wait as long as last year for the Pantone® announcement of the Fall/Winter colours to look out for in 2018. In fact, it even took me a bit by surprise!
With the fashion week season just kicking off (this month is New York, London, Milan and then Paris) we start to think about those autumnal months.
And it seems that Pantone® are back in their stride, as we return to a top ten of colours (rather than a dozen that we saw for spring 2018). Plus I’m pleased to see the report continuing to be predictions again rather than a counting colours exercise from the catwalks.
It’s great to see an increase and update to the bonus colours that act as neutrals and core basics too.
Bonfire night warmth
I love this collection of bold colours that will trend in Autumn. They certainly pack a punch and make a huge statement.
Alongside some typical, rich autumnal colours, there’s some great accompanying vibrant shades that sit nicely alongside the colour of the year, Ultra Violet.
You can feel the warmth of the reds, orange, yellow and brown colours radiating out like the flames of a bonfire on Guy Fawkes night with Red Pear, Valiant Poppy, Ceylon Yellow, Martini Olive, Russet Orange (and Meerkat from the neutrals).
Peacock blooms
The dark, jewel colours (of Nebulas Blue, Ultra Violet and Quetzal Green) are fitting for my prediction of peacock inspired weddings this year. With the deep teal of Quetzal Green even named after a striking colourful bird.
Many of the names of the colours in this season seem so evocative and conjuror up images of space, sky, sea and land. With the interstellar cloud of dust of Nebulas Blue, Ultra Violet (the colour of the year tipped to suggest the mysteries of the cosmos), the cold, dark North Atlantic water of the Sargasso Sea and the expanse of poppies in Flanders Field reminiscent of Remembrance Day.
I’d love to have the job of thinking up the names of the colours – any one for a cocktail to accompany Martini Olive?!
Winter transition
With the start of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang today, it’s lovely to see some icy counterparts to take us in to winter with Crocus Petal (a paler version of Ultra Violet) and Limelight (a lighter version of Ceylon Yellow). They’ll make good transition colours to next spring too.
Fall 2018 colours
The top ten colours for Fall 2018 are:
PANTONE 19-1536 Red Pear
PANTONE 18-1549 Valiant Poppy
PANTONE 18-4048 Nebulas Blue
PANTONE 15-0850 Ceylon Yellow
PANTONE 18-0625 Martini Olive
PANTONE 16-1255 Russet Orange
PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet
PANTONE 15-3520 Crocus Petal
PANTONE 12-0740 Limelight
PANTONE 18-5025 Quetzal Green
Fall 2018 extra colours from LFW
Plus a couple of additional pops of pink from London Fashion Week round off the colours for Fall 2018:
PANTONE 15-1515 Mellow Rose
PANTONE 18-2045 Pink Peacock
Neutral basics
Pantone® have also created a Fall 2018 Classic Colour Palette. These are a group of neutrals that are core basics in the form of navy, white, beige, grey and brown.
You could wrap yourself up in these warm neutral colours. This is hygge at its best – with a great addition of Meerkat brown – so comforting, warm and cosy.
The bonus classic neutral colours for Fall 2018 are:
PANTONE 19-4031 Sargasso Blue
PANTONE 11-4801 Tofu
PANTONE 14-1116 Almond Buff
PANTONE 14-4107 Quiet Grey
PANTONE 16-1438 Meerkat
Colour themes
It’ll be great to see how couples incorporate these colours in to their weddings later this year.
Pantone® is the world-renowned authority on colour and the Pantone® Color of the Year is always really influential in any popular colour themes in fashion, interior design and weddings.
Inspired by Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne (published in 1864, featuring an expedition to Iceland with exploration through volcanic tunnels), this modern winter barn wedding shows the stunning hidden interior of volcanic rock in the form of slick agate and timeless marble. Planned and designed by Hanami Dream and beautifully captured by Squib Photography.
Acres of gentle, ethereal and floaty tulle were placed wonderfully alongside tactile sheep skin rugs and the tendrils of delicate air plants (a wonderful evolution on the succulent trend) in glass suspended baubles.
The industrial style lighting pairs wonderfully with relaxed seating, exuding hygge with its intimate vibe. Set in a tucked-away Gloucestershire barn with year-round warmth thanks to its solar panel and biomass generated underfloor heating.
An impressive moongate wreath backdrop surrounds the cool blue 1700s barn door, with hints of blue featured in all the details, using the Pantone Spring 2018 colours of grey, blue and lilac, alongside gold and white accents.
Plus, this wedding continues the quest of Hanami Dream to present novel alternatives to paper wedding stationery – this time with name places on geode slices, along with modern script style calligraphy in gold.
Oxleaze Barn was a great location for this wedding – beautifully renovated with some stunning original features, yet adapted efficiently to provide a comfortable space. It offers year-round weddings which made it perfect to showcase a winter wedding. Tucked away in rolling countryside, with a landscaped courtyard and firepit, along with access to a phenomenal private garden. The ladies got ready in the spacious Artist’s Studio before making their way across the courtyard and into the wonderfully warm barn.
The ceremony took place on one side of the barn with rustic willow chandeliers hanging above the guests (from Oakwood Events). From each chandelier clear baubles hung down, all holding their own delicate air plant.
The aisle was lined with Chiavari chairs covered with chiffon vertical drops (from Everything Covered), then tied up simply and elegantly with a few stems of dried lavender (courtesy of Enchanted Floristry).
This led to the impressive moongate (by Enchanted Floristry) which was adorned with moss, an amazing asymmetric floral display and bedecked with lavish succulents and stunning air plants.
The flowers, berries and silver green foliage were echoed around the room in the table displays, buttonhole and bouquets (all by Enchanted Floristry) which filled the room with a beautiful fragrance of eucalyptus. Florals included avalanche white roses, asparagus fern, brunia berry, eucalyptus silver dollar, eucalyptus small-leaf gum, eucalyptus baby blue, dusty miller, dried lavender, leather leaf, birch twigs (sprayed white), eryngium, sea holly and thistles. But the stars of the show were all the wonderful air-plants dotted around the barn (supplied by www.andysairplants.co.uk).
The bride was dressed to impress in a mix and match bridal gown by Lilly with its dual layered style to combine an intricate, beaded tulle overlay with an elegant satin slip-dress underneath. She was escorted by her attendant in an exquisite powder blue prom dress which fitted the colour theme flawlessly. (Both dresses from Fairytale Occasions.)
Their make up used shimmering iridescent colours to echo the ethereal vibe and the hair was captured in a cascading braid (exquisitely executed by Blushing Brides Hair and Make Up).
Standing spectacularly tall was the four-tiered marble cake (with different tier heights) embellished with edible gold leaf (which really enhanced the grain of the marble) and a dramatic sugar flower cascade. The cake was festooned with replica air plants, ivory roses, succulents, brunia berries, thistles and dusty miller leaves which complemented the dusky green/grey marble perfectly and mirrored the real flowers seamlessly. Another masterpiece courtesy of The Pretty Cake Company.
The other half of the barn was laid for a banquet style wedding reception, complete with grey galley shade loft-style chandeliers (from Oakwood Events) above solid wooden tables and benches (crafted by Cotswold Event Solutions) lined up in front of the roaring open fire. The beautiful heart cut outs in the tables echoed the ceremony thrones and, for extra comfort, sheep skin rugs (from The Witney Blanket Hall) were placed over the benches for a luxurious feel.
Wedding stationery (designed by Emerald Paper Design) embraced the geode style with a watercolour invitation with gold accents, an information card, an RSVP card and an RSVP envelope all tied together with gold thread and a little monogrammed tag. The menu was in the same style as the invitation with exquisite gold calligraphy.
Guests could find their tables by referring to the geode style table plan tabs with gold accents mounted on a rustic pale blue barn door. At the table, the geode style watercolour place names had gold edging and modern calligraphy to represent slices of agate. (All by Emerald Paper Design.)
Down the centre of the tables ran swathes of pale blue organza table runners (from Everything Covered) for a light and airy feel. Topped with exquisite floral displays (by Enchanted Floristry), along with modern gold cutlery, plain clear champagne coupé glasses, plain clear glass candlesticks with 32cm tapered white candles, along with blue glass bottle vases and glass salt bowls (all from Vintage Gold China) giving a simple, striking and delicate tablescape.
The gorgeous ladies wore stylish jewellery (by We Three Kings) including an 18ct yellow gold, tear drop pearl and half carat, old cut diamond earrings with a matching pendant by the bride. The wedding ring was 18ct yellow gold with scattered, flush set diamonds. Whilst the bridesmaid wore an 18ct yellow gold pendant with three, coloured, fine quality sapphires and a selection of 18ct yellow gold and coloured sapphires stacking rings.
The magnificent expanse of the picturesque garden provided a fantastic backdrop (including a great maze-like area) and the evergreen emphasised how wonderful the outside space is regardless of the season.
It’s the little details that bring any event to life and this was made possible by the wonderful local suppliers who provided their time, services, venue and products for free. Together we have showcased the amazing talent that our part of the UK has to offer the wedding industry.
Inspired by Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne, this modern winter barn wedding shows the stunning hidden interior of volcanic rock in the form of slick agate and timeless marble. Acres of gentle, ethereal and floaty tulle were placed wonderfully alongside tactile sheep skin rugs and the tendrils of delicate air plants (a wonderful evolution on the succulent trend) in glass suspended baubles.
It’s the little details that bring any event to life and this was made possible by the wonderful local suppliers who provided their time, services, venue and products for free. Together we have showcased the amazing talent that our part of the UK has to offer the wedding industry.
Thanks to all these wonderful suppliers #keepitlocal
I’m Steven, a full time professional photographer who set up Squib Photography in 2002 and is lucky enough to photograph some beautiful weddings in the Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds. I also cover pretty much the rest of the UK and have even been lucky enough to be booked to cover some destinations recently overseas.
After completing my studies at Oxford Brookes University I started Squib Photography and have photographed in excess of 450 weddings to date. I like to provide a professional, yet flexible service offering a mixture of formal and reportage photography to perfectly capture the atmosphere of a wedding day.
Every wedding is important to me and I will strive to tell the story of the day using natural light and little posing as possible. I do so in a relaxed, informal way so the couple can enjoy those special moments and leave me to document that for them.
I am always open to new ideas, input from couples and understand that every wedding day is very different, so will always work carefully with them to make sure you receive a personalized, bespoke service.
At Oxleaze Barn we endeavour to offer a venue and service that is relaxed, friendly and flexible. Oxleaze is a family run business located on a working farm surrounded by Cotswold countryside. The Barn is a beautifully renovated grain store dating back to 1702. Whilst we have maintained its original features which give it such rustic charm, we have adapted it to run as an efficient event space.
We only have one wedding a weekend to ensure you have the time to decorate and enjoy your day without feeling rushed. The Watering Hole manage the bar exclusively and can offer a variety of drinks packages and a cash bar to suit your requirements. We have a list of recommended suppliers with whom we work closely, but you are not obliged to use them, and can choose your own caterer.
Oxleaze Barn comprises of The Barn and The Milling Barn. The ceremony and the wedding breakfast take place in The Barn. The Milling Barn is available for the drinks reception and dancing. The Barn opens onto a stunning landscaped courtyard and fire pit, with a wide garden gate available for late night street food vans.
Blushing Brides Hair and Makeup, Hair and Makeup Artists are based in Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds.
With Blushing Brides you make one booking and get two artists working for you, two artists with individual skills, ideas and experience.
We are firm believers that with specialists who have honed their individual skills over many years you get a superior experience, the look you have always wanted and better value for money.
Lauren (Makeup Artist) and Laura (Hair Stylist) have many years experience working for brides and bridal parties, we bring all this to help you achieve the most beautiful look for your special day. Far better, we believe, than one person pushing themselves to do both.
Emerald Paper Design is a wedding stationery and modern calligraphy studio based in Cheltenham, UK. We specialise in bespoke watercolours, illustrations and calligraphy to create stationery you and your guests will love. Whether you are looking for something modern, something floral, or something completely different, we can help create something with an individual touch.
Enchanted Floristry is an innovative, bespoke high quality floral designer. Highly talented, incredibly passionate and driven by a complete love of flowers. Along with training by top floristry schools and an impressive array of qualifications, is her eye for detail and creative new ideas.
Operating out of a beautiful Shepherd’s hut and workshop in rural Oxfordshire, Enchanted Floristry creates and produces incredible customised floral designs with the WOW factor for weddings.
Their impressive moongate, a freestanding 2 metre high wreath, provides a spectacular backdrop for your ceremony and can be dressed to suit the theme, season and colours of your wedding.
Chiffon Vertical Drops for Chivari chairs and Organza Table Runners.
Ellie Tanner is a venue stylist who started out in the industry in 2005 with chocolate fountains and soon found her passion for beautiful wedding decor. She has built up many years of experience working with many various venues around the South West, transforming venues into memorable and stunning weddings and providing excellent customer service to couples.
Our quaint little bridal boutique is based in Highworth, Swindon, Wiltshire and we currently stock designer wedding dresses, prom dresses & a full accessory collection.
We aim to make the whole experience of finding and purchasing your dream dress relaxed and stress free, whether it be a wedding or prom dress. We offer a friendly service in a relaxed atmosphere for all our customers and operate an appointment system to ensure that everyone receives an exclusive one-to-one service to help build your dream look.
Oakwood Events supplies stunning lighting for stylish couples. We design and install lighting schemes for barn weddings using fairy lights, festoon lights, bare bulbs, paper lanterns, chandeliers, drapes, uplighting, bunting and dance floor lighting.
Lighting is a unique addition to your wedding and can be used to highlight features like beams or stone walls, change the atmosphere between day and night or make a colour or design statement to match your theme. We pride ourselves on top quality design, professional installation and amazing features; explore our Pinterest boards for inspiration and to see how our lighting adds wow factor to barn weddings.
The Pretty Cake Company offers a friendly, personal and bespoke wedding cake design service to produce breath taking wedding cakes that will be remembered for years to come. Our aim is to produce a wedding cake that is individual to the bride and groom – always focusing on the attention to detail that makes all the difference. We have over 10 years of experience in designing and creating wedding cakes and work closely with numerous prestigious wedding venues in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and The Cotswolds. We will work with you and take your ideas and inspirations in order to create a truly memorable wedding cake. We pride ourselves on using the finest quality and freshest ingredients available.
Unlike many other cake companies, we now specialise only in wedding cakes, as this is our true passion. Now we are able to focus on keeping up to date with current bridal trends and ensuring that our clients receive expert advice in the wedding cake field.
Clients are guaranteed a friendly, efficient service where quality is never compromised. Consultations by appointment only. We are based in Minster Lovell, Witney, West Oxfordshire and can deliver to a wide area.
The Watering Hole Events offers a range of superb mobile bars, including the latest edition – the ‘Edison Light’ bar – creating the perfect atmosphere for any event. We have a wealth of experience in the industry, with our event cocktail bars and staff attending a multitude of functions, including: weddings, corporate functions, and milestone birthday parties all across the UK – particularly focussed around Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Birmingham.
A range of your favourite cocktails can be chosen, along with real ales, cider and lager on tap. We can also arrange your daytime drinks package, which includes welcome drinks as your guests arrive, a toast drink and table wine, chilled and served, until the evening cash or free-bar opens.
Our event teams recycle all bar waste, from glass bottles to plastic cups, at every event. So you can continue to enjoy your party with a “green” conscience. Every event is unique, exclusive and exciting, so we believe that every bar service should reflect just that!
We Three Kings was established by Bill and Nicola Maddocksin 1995 and is situated in a 17th Century listed building in the Cotswold market town of Witney, Oxfordshire. The gallery workshop in Bridge Street is where Bill and Nicola Maddocks design and make beautiful pieces of jewellery at the bench. They offer a specialist jewellery service, their bespoke designs allow them to tailor the design and materials to suit your style and budget.
Working closely with other specialist trades enables them to offer hand engraving and an assortment of other services including CAD, casting, plating and stone cutting of the highest quality. We Three Kings also offer to service and repair your jewellery whether it is a general check-up or complete overhaul.
Bill is a goldsmith working in residence within the gallery and is happy to discuss design ideas. Appointments are free and you are not committing yourself until you are happy with the design and the price. After that a deposit is required if you decide to have the piece made up. It takes approximately six to eight weeks after designing to create the finished piece.
They work in gold, silver and platinum and can source practically any stones you require from the highest quality diamonds to semi-precious stones and beads. It is also possible to remodel existing pieces of jewellery. Bill can melt and reuse old gold if it has a sentimental value and old stones can be cleaned and reused to create a new unique piece.
They make jewellery for all types of occasions and appreciate it can sometimes be difficult for customers to be confident when having a piece made as a surprise so they offer a service where you can present a sketch in a box allowing the design and materials to evolve so the final piece is exactly what you want. Another option is to choose a stone which can be given in a presentation box and you can come in and design the piece together.
Cutlery, glasses, candlesticks, candles, glass bowls – Vintage Gold China
Vintage Gold China is a boutique vintage china and gold cutlery hire company based in Gloucestershire. We specialise in hiring elegant, fine china, bronze candlesticks and genuine vintage gold cutlery. From small tea parties, village hall get-togethers, hen party evenings, showy dinner parties, wedding breakfast or celebrating your golden wedding anniversary, Vintage Gold China will help you create the perfect, glamourous vintage setting.
With access to our beautiful collection of elegant tableware consisting of quality vintage English fine bone china, French porcelain, vintage bronze gold cutlery, Victorian style glass dessert plates, bronze and glass candlesticks and many styles of votive – you will find all the tableware accessories you need to tastefully style your event. We can also supply luxury table linens from our sister company, Table to Dine For.
We supply to events in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Avon and Wiltshire areas. For weddings, parties and events, contact us for your tailored quote.
Witney Blanket Hall was built in 1721 by the Company of Blanket Makers. For over 120 years, every blanket woven in the town came to the Hall to be weighed and measured, and upstairs in the Great Room the Company set the Rules for the Trade. After 1845 the New Mills established their own measuring, and the redundant Blanket Hall became variously a Brewery, a Lemonade Factory, Engineering Shop, Office of births marriages and deaths, Dancing School, and latterly, a distinctive gentleman’s house. During most of its history, the Hall is also where many of the town’s Public Meetings took place, the death of Kings solemnly commemorated and the birth of Princes celebrated with great feasts. In the 18th Century, the Hall housed the town’s Fire Pump. In 2015, the Hall reopened its doors to reveal this illustrious past and offer woollen blankets and throws, coffee pies and assemblies, both commercial and cultural. Visitors are always welcome and are invited to come and find out more about the infamous Witney Blankets.
The Pie Shop offers its famous pies and platters, as well as tea, coffee and cakes. We are licenced so wine and Blanket Hall Beer are always available. The Hall can also be open outside hours by arrangement and is often available for hire by Companies and Societies.
Take a look at a behind the scenes look at the briefs that were given to these fabulous suppliers and how the Journey to the Centre of the Earth theme came to life with their designs and products.
Inspired by Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne, this modern winter barn wedding shows the stunning hidden interior of volcanic rock in the form of slick agate and timeless marble. Acres of gentle, ethereal and floaty tulle were placed wonderfully alongside tactile sheep skin rugs and the tendrils of delicate air plants (a wonderful evolution on the succulent trend) in glass suspended baubles.
See more images in our gallery and the amazing local suppliers who came together to make this shoot possible in this blog post.
There’s no doubt about it, social media has changed (and continues to shape the way) we communicate, our relationships, our society and culture. It is a part of our every day lives and so it’s no wonder that you’ll want to think about the role that social media will play on your wedding day too.
About a third of the world uses some sort of social media. And the age of technology that we live in has meant that we are rarely uncontactable. There is a sense of urgency in our communicating and the need to share. Social media has enabled us to publish and share our lives not only with our nearest and dearest but to a wider audience too. We can share events, connect with people and it certainly has made the world feel like a smaller place.
Whether you are going to embrace social media or shun it for your wedding, here are my top ten tips and modern day etiquette suggestions to make the most of social media on your special day.
