A Medieval Yorkshire Wedding

Hello out there, its been a bit busy here so I'm just a bit behind with my blog posts, I'm sorry. But this one is worth the wait, I promise. This weeks wedding was amazing, I loved it and loved doing it!
Just look at these smiles!

The bride, Rosie, is my friend's eldest daughter so I really wanted the day to be perfect. I always want the day to be perfect, but somehow knowing Rosie made it even more so and I was praying for good weather and good things. Rosie wanted a medieval styled wedding day, something classy and elegant yet simple. She chose the white rose of Yorkshire with ivy and greenery for her flowers. The venue was Oakwell Hall at Birstall, just outside Leeds, and the gorgeous old barn buildings were perfect for her theme. 

My first job was to count flowers. Rosie wanted an old fashioned trailing bouquet for herself, plus 4 grown up bridesmaids and 3 small bridesmaids. Oh and a small rose and green head band for herself. Plus 18 single rose buttonholes.

Then there were 11 lots of long thin table flowers for the tresel tables, extra flowers for decorating the cake table and the table plan frame. And a bit of something for my lovely old mangle, which was just going to stand there and look pretty. I worked it out to 2500 roses, loads and loads of ivy and lots of other greenery. These were ordered a month before the date.

This is what they look like when they come, well, not quite, they come wrapped in cellophane in bunches of 10. I unwrap them, cut the stems, feed them and take the lower leaves off and then stand them in buckets of water so they can rest a it after their journey. All the roses need their thorns removing too, we can't have a drop of blood from a thorn on the wedding dress! Many of these roses would have travelled from Africa so by the time they get to me they need a rest before I can work on them. I order them well in advance and usually collect them on a Wednesday for a Saturday wedding, this gives them time to open up a bit and be at their prettiest on the big day.

These looked perfect, nice hard heads with no droopy bits!

So, on the day!

It looked amazing!

The long thin tresel tables were perfect for this sort of design.

Strings of battery fairy lights just gave that bit of something extra and looked amazing for the night 'do'!

The wedding ceremony itself took place in the far end of the barn and extra flowers decorated the Regisrar's table 

The chairs were a bit boring, as you can see above before we dressed them, but white covers and gold sashes with a lace overlay transformed them.
Chair covers are really boring but can transform the look of a venue so quickly.

Rosie looked amazing! So beautiful but also glowing, she looked so happy!

The bridesmaids all wore dark green and carried simple had tied posies of roses.

The younger bridesmaids wore gorgeous cream dresses with smaller versions of the big girls flowers.

The bride arriving with her dad

The big bridesmaids leading the little ones




The bride and groom looking fab

Inside we had a few extra bits of deco, just to make the walk in a bit pretty.

This lovely old mangle always makes people smile.

Standing next to the cake table with my lovely post box and another jar of roses, Rosie and Ady's wedding cake was spectacular!

A naked cake.

It was gorgeous and Rosie's grand mother had made the cake topper years before so a really lovely touch on the day.

My antique frame and vintage easel was used for the table plan and this was also given the flower treatment with some roses and ivy.

But actually nothing about my decorations or flowers is what made this day.
What made this day was the people.
These two were made for each other and this was a real celebration.
The cake was ace, the car was amazing and my flowers, well, I was a bit pleased with them too.



But this wedding was ace for other reasons.

The bride's dad in his purple top hat



The kids




The bigger kids



and something even really great pictures cant capture, the absolute happiness and atmosphere in that room.
This was a magical wedding and it was an absolute honour to have been a part of it!

Congratulations Rosie and Ady xxxx



PS Thank you to Rosie and Ady for the use of some of their pictures, some are mine but some are not, so thanks very much xx

Getting ready for Harrogate Christmas Market

Harrogate Christmas Market starts on Thursday and I'm finally almost ready.

Oranges are being strung into garlands. 

Yet more wreaths have been made.

Candelabra have been decorated.

Bath Bombs ordered and coming tomorrow - bit last min.com this one!

Lanterns filled with candles and decorated.

Plants have been planted.

Christmas trees have been made.

More Christmas trees have been stitched.

Gift sets are being made up shortly - honest!

Price tickets have been tied on.

And then I just need to find my baskets, carrier bags, scissors and hanging hooks. 

Carpet to walk on, a flask (or two) for tea, warm clothes, a hat, my ugly Uggs.

Some change for customers (I will need this - I hope)

OMG I'll never be ready!!!

Going to do a bit more now, but here are some more wreaths .....

Wedding Fair at Lakeside Restaurant & Bar, Heckmondwike

Hi, this post is from the Wedding Fair at Ponderosa, now known as the Lakeside Restaurant & Bar at Heckmondwike. I really like this venue, I did a couple of weddings here last year and the venue is perfect as it lends itself to any style of dressing.

Simple table decoration

with lovely crystal birds.

A top table idea.

A new take on the Martini glass with mini glasses

Rustic tables with a frame for table numbers or photos

Classic and timeless candelabra

Stunning crystal waterfall disply

Pearl cluster bride's posy bouquet

Our table today

And chairs, chairs are a big thing, the chairs here are lovely so if they suit your colour scheme why bother with chair covers?

This one just has a hessian and lace sash.

Double organza sashes, tied at the side

Navy blue striped organza sash, tied centre back

I like this, its very elegant

These are just a selection of what we can do, lots more are available.

Take care, Karen x

Christmas is coming!

I can't believe it but Harrogate Christmas Market is less than 2 weeks away!

I have spent the last few weeks making wreaths, choosing ribbons, baubles, decorating twiggy hearts and sewing Christmas trees with bells on!

This is a large size mesh wreath in red and gold decorated with berries and ribbons.

Can be used year after year and is weatherproof!

This one is a large size hessian wreath decorated with baubles, ribbons and a large angel.

This wreath can be used inside or outside, it would stand normal weather but would need a little shelter in a major down pour! Will last years with just a little care.

And finally (for now) this is a large hessian wreath decorated with ribbons, berries, a dotty heart and NOEL letters. This one is probably best inside and will last forever.

Harrogate Christmas Market is on from 19th to 22nd November taking up the Montpellier Quarter, come and see us, its a fabulous market, lots to see, lots to eat, lots to drink, Santa, reindeer and loads of lovely stalls - including us!

A Wedding in Italy

This post is about my favourite wedding this year, in fact my favourite wedding since my daughter got married 3 years ago. In August my son Dan married his fiance Jen in Malcesine on the edge of Lake Garda in Italy. And it was fabulous. I know I am a little bit biased, but it was really lovely, it still makes me teary and goose bumpy thinking about it, I loved every minute.

This is my son waiting for his bride on the terrace of the castle, not a bit nervous!

This is him again, in between his two Best Men. 

These three have been friends since school and he couldn't pick between them. 

I can remember when the one on the left had hair and the one on the right had less! 

Great lads, all three.

And then she arrived, God she looked gorgeous, absolutely stunning.

The serious bit, in Italian and English. Ian and I had front row seats.

And that was it, all done, married!

It was very lovely.

After the ceremony we had champagne and canapes on the lower terrace.

And the formal photos.

And the less formal ones - I know I've got my eyes closed, but I love this pic.

Then we all went to the castle gates to throw our confetti.

All the locals and holiday makers clapped and cheered, it really was perfect.

They got into their tuc-tuc and drove to the bar for drinks before going on to the reception.

And we all followed on foot (it wasn't far). 

It was so nice as everyone clapped as they passed, it made me teary.

We had an hour to chill and chat. It was happy, relaxed and nice.

We had the upstairs bar over looking the harbour until the boat arrived to take us to the reception further down the lake.

There was more champagne on the boat.

And just a bit of romance

And then on to the reception with amazing food

and a bit more champagne

And a bit more romance.

I loved it, every second was just perfect, one of the best days of my life.

And thats it, they are now married and happy and I know he has the right girl. 

She is everything I could have wanted for him, he's a lucky boy.

On a more formal note, if you fancy a wedding in Malcesine, Dan & Jan used an English wedding planner who lives and works out there. She was fantastic, message me for her details.

Karen x