The Wedding Diary: Vintage Marquees

'Vintage Marquees' is the most adorable & unique Wiltshire based company specializing in the hire of traditional wooden pole marquees with some gorgeous shabby chic accessories! On my hunt for a tent for our garden party wedding, I found them and fell in love with their charm.

Sadly Caroline couldn't supply a marquee for our wedding date - due to hot demand. I must admit I almost gave up looking any further, but after chatting to Caroline who is so enthusiastic about her marquees I just knew I had to continue my hunt.

They have gorgeous vintage style tents with wooden poles, old hemp rope Pavilions, Big Tops & a new Marquee about to join the collection called Belle!!!

They even have the most adorable mini marquee - well a 'fishing tent' called Joey. Just perfect to entertain the children whilst the adults party. Caroline can even supply picnic rugs, wooden toys & games with Croquet sets too!

For more information pop over to vintagemarquees.co.uk or get in touch with Caroline (on 07921810396 or at carolinepenny@hotmail.co.uk)

The Power of Ink

Here at The Hummingbird Card Company we are delighted to be asked by countless couples to embellish their invitations and stationery with calligraphic details and we offer a range of options featuring this exquisite art – all produced by ourselves in the studio, which we are quite proud of!

Calligraphy is a beautiful form of handwriting that many couples like to feature on their wedding stationery, adding a delicate, refined and more traditional touch. The word in itself reads beautifully, apt indeed as it originates from the Greek terms Kallos (meaning beautiful) and Graphe (meaning writing) - hence beautiful writing.

From favour tags and place cards through to invitations and matching envelopes, we will happily get the ink out! Prices range from just 75p for place cards and £1.00 for favour tags (each) through to £3.45 for invitations (each). Calligraphic elements can be created from as little as 65p per name/word though to £1.20 for three names.

If you are as bowled over as us with the intricacy of the letters, then drop us a line on 01530 411 905 or have a look at our website.

Hummingbird is having a wedding!

Hummingbird is having a wedding!

I'm getting married!!!

So after all these years of creating stationery for other couples weddings the pressure is on to create something stunning for my own! I've started (what seems like the mammoth task of) trying to arrange 'Our Big Day.' Being in the industry, a designer & a complete control freak makes me nervously excited about the whole event!

After chatting my ideas over with the girls in the Studio, I've decided to share any thoughts, finds & desires I have with you all over the next few months.

Elizabeth Taylor - Style Icon

Elizabeth Taylor - Style Icon

Like Audrey Hepburn in her little black dress, Elizabeth Taylor is one of the very few women who can claim to be a true style icon. We loved both these women and the image of Elizabeth in her white satin & lace slip in 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' has always stayed with me as the most fashionable & iconic film footage of all time!

In the 50’s she was voted the Most Beautiful Women in the World and her style has influenced every decade since. Her wardrobe, an absolute treasure trove of diamonds, rich furs and bejewelled Dior commission couture, will inspire designers to come especially for today’s Premiere & Red Carpet celebrities. She was the epitome of Hollywood glamour with her celluloid magic & smouldering, hypnotic looks. The beauty industry must be forever in her debt, no one quite wore the amount of black eyeliner better than Taylor!

Her own life was probably her greatest role, with multiple marriages, adoptions, jewels, booze and breakdowns, but her on/off love affair with Richard Burton was her most poignant. On one trip back to England when she & Richard moved into a London house, she bought two adorable poodles. This was the start of our family love for the little dog when my Dad bought my Mum her first poodle for her 21^st birthday, influenced by Elizabeth. And I confess to having my own now!

Fashion designers all over the world are forever in the debt of her image and no doubt designers such as Dolce & Gabbana will pay homage to her style with new collections.

We just loved her!

Here comes the sun.....

Here comes the sun…little darling!!

The sun is shining at last, and as we enter Spring and the flowers are just starting to bud and bloom, what better time to showcase our new colour for the Summer.

We are loving the FRESH YELLOW HUES that are coming through. They compliment the spring flowers beautifully – think daffodils, narcissus, crocus and snowdrops for February and March weddings…with a fresh white palette and a pop of yellow! For summer weddings we love the idea of daisys…old jamjars filled with huge bunches of freshly picked daisies of all sizes. Simple, timeless and perfect!

These would look wonderful with our NEW LASER-CUT BUNTING, old tressle tables and mismatched chairs, for a summer garden wedding. We also love the idea of using vintage white embroidered table linens to create a lovely unfussy style!

Shown above is our Butterfly Laser-cut Invitation from our boutique collection. Shown here in alabster textured card, with a sorbet inlay and diamante decorations.

These colours cant help but make you feel warm and happy, and full of sunshine!

Beautifully cake from Gail Watson – of New York City

Lovely inspiration over at Martha Stewart Weddings

We love this spring bouquet from the fantastic Matthew Dickinson

For further inspiration check out these beautiful mood boards from our favourite site for inspiration: Snippet & Ink Just stunning.

We love the vintage linen table cloths, and little twists of lemon in the champagne glasses to pick up the colour theme!

Tea Towel Treats!

Husband and wife team Ben and Karen are the creative genius behind a fabulous brand we recently discovered…The Original Wedding Tea Towel Company

We are always admirers of fresh ideas and inspiration for our brides-to-be and the fabulously fun designs combined with the novelty of the idea make these commemorative tea towels a firm favourite of ours and a brilliant way to remember the big day.

But don’t take our word for it, head over to The Original Wedding Tea Towel Company website.

High time for tea!

Brides looking for a vintage inspired wedding, will absolutely love the fabulous nostalgia evoked by Vintage Tea Sets. We recently discovered this delightfully elegant company and have been thinking of afternoon tea ever since!

Vintage Tea Sets offer the very finest tea sets for hire along with the styling of antique and vintage tableware dating from 1820s through to 1950s. In addition to their vintage crockery hire, they also offer a fabulous bespoke catering service, designed to meet individual requirements and all in the name of era-inspired celebration.

Simply beautiful, we are sure you will agree. Have a look at the Vintage Tea Sets website for further details.

Our Secret Cake Fantasy!

Maisie Fantaisie wedding cakes lovingly tease the taste buds and have been growing steadily in popularity all over the UK, and in some of the most prestigious venues in the country. We’re not surprised really; the designs are exquisite and the taste is a delicious velvety surprise that just makes you want more! Light sponges and rich chocolate cakes are just some of the delights and each of her recipes use only the purest and highest quality ingredients, so they not only look and taste good, but are good!

Maisie Fantaisie was formed by May Clee-Cadman in 2003 as the ideal outlet to develop and share her passion for baking and sugar-craft. Today, she is one of London’s leading cake makers. In addition to working with all the top bridal publications, these stunning cakes have even made their way to their own cookery books and features on a number of UK television channels. Very tasty indeed!

Have a look at the Maisie Fantaisie website for more tasty discoveries!

The Camera never lies!

Brides-to-be looking for a beautifully bespoke album of memories from their big day may wish to pay photographer Rachel Spivey a visit.

Her contemporary and informal style has been proving a hit for years, famous for capturing the warmth and emotions of the occasion. Rachel avoids the usual full-scale photo shoot concept, opting for a more discreet level of coverage and the result is relaxed, natural and full of expression.

We are sure you agree that her work is simply exquisite. Have a look at the website for more inspiration...

All of a purr....!

When you hear the words "truffle in a box", the first thing that springs to mind is definitely chocolate, unless you are at Hummingbird that is, where Truffle is rather surprisingly a cat! Yes, here he is, our cute new studio companion, looking cute as ever and very snug in his...box. They say cats and birds don't mix, but Truffle loves Hummingbird - could well be a match made in heaven!

Emmy Shoes

Shoesensational! Wedding Shoes by Emmy

We confess…we’re a little in love with the sparkly shoes and accessories created by Emmy Shoes.

The brand are famous for their exquisitely designed, beautifully feminine and princess-worthy shoes, offering a wide variety of shapes, heel heights, materials and detailing that can be tailored to suit each bride. The result is a unique, custom-made shoe that will dazzle throughout the day and into dawn.

Emmy Shoes deliver quality, unique styles, plenty of choice and most of all they are comfortable, which gets our vote every time! The materials too are beautiful, from leathers and suedes to the more traditional satin.

Emmy Scarterfield is the innovative designer behind this great brand. She has worked for many of the most influential fashion houses in Italy and the UK including Giorgio Armani, Bottega Veneta, Pringle and Mulberry.

Have a peep at the Emmy Shoes website, they say your shoes say a lot about you after all…

Also available are hair accessories to co-ordinate!

Fingerprint Memory Tree & Guest Books

Cherished memories in finger print!

Brides-to-be who are looking for a really special way for their guests to be remembered will love the beautifully designed Finger Tree guest book from USA-based designer brand BLEU DE TOI. We have just found this on arts and crafts site Etsy and were really impressed with how interactive, creative and pretty these Fingerprint Memory trees and guest books are.

Hand drawn on high quality paper and even custom made to order, this little gem will definitely help capture wonderful memories of the ‘big day'. Have a look at the Etsy site for the Finger Tree and all the other gorgeous products from this inspirational brand.

Guest books can be personalised for any occasion

Choose from a choice of ink colours to coordiante with the colour theme of your day.

Buy all these products here: BLEU DE TOI