I can never resist a junk shop or flea market. This is despite the fact that after a good few years of collecting, there surely cant be anything I haven’t already got or that I really need. As a result of this, what I regard to be a wonderful addiction, I have incorporated these gorgeous finds into our weddings at Sweet Days and Roses.

We adore treasures such as vintage china tea cups and saucers who’s often delicate rosie pattern has faded over time. We love to fill these charming little cups with the prettiest of Roses, daisies, wildflowers and other charming blooms which bring these gorgeous little treasures back to life beautifully.

Gorgeous old tin planters and baths are also a wonderful addition to the vintage wedding. These planted up at a Spring or Summer Wedding with Spring bulbs or full bloom roses, peonies, cow parsley, sweet peas and trailing ivy are just delightful to see.

Vintage enamel jugs as centre pieces are a wonderful way to incorporate that old fashioned charm into your wedding day as well as gorgeous favours made from vintage pretty fabric, antique linens and old buttons.

Gorgeous old vintage books on romance, poetry and wild flowers make a wonderful wedding display especially when accompanied with pretty vases of flowers tied with ribbon or antique lace.

A wonderful way to display your vintage favours so that your wedding guests can help themselves is to put them into old draws from an old antique chest of drawers. If they have lovely handles but are a dark mahagony or oak paint them in gorgeous chalky paints and line with pretty vintage inspired wall papers or pretty scented draw liners. Elements such as these are so individual and lovely to look at. These placed on a lovely little table covered in antique linen or pretty fabric makes a lovely focal area that your wedding guests will be drawn to.

Alternatively if you are considering having a sweet/candy bar at your wedding then use these drawers as a different way to diplay your sweets in. Paint cutlery dividers  and place the sweets and candy into the different compartments. Add a few lovely silver plated scoops and gorgeous stripy paper sweet bags and your wedding guests will be in sweety heaven.

For making your wedding evening twinkle, vintage hurricane lamps hanging from trees are a lovely addition and you can pretty much guarantee finding these at flea markets or junk shops. Another frequent find are old photo frames which are wonderful as they are or paint them and fill with lovely old photos of the Bride and Groom when they were children. Better still members of the bridal party such as parents or grand parents on their wedding day. These black and white photos are often lovely and tell a story all to themselves.

Pretty vintage glassware is another lovely addition to the wedding design theme. You can find some really pretty coloured glass, like cranberry pink or aqua green which look wonderful if filled with a similar choice of coloured flower.

The list for vintage wedding finds are endless.

The beauty of vintage chic incorporated into your wedding theme is that it sits beautifully with elegant, modern, contemporary pieces. Mix it with oh so smart plates, glass and cutlery and you will see that they all blend in together wonderfully.

Sweet Days and Roses wonderful attention to detail with their design and styling skills allows you to have a beautiful, modern 21st century wedding whilst incorporating  elegant vintage style, charm and beauty.

Julie Lovegrove is a wonderful female photographer who has the most fabulous and individual Company called Reveal Portraits.

This fabulous “Boudoir” style company offers all ladies, including Brides to be, the wonderful opportunity to have their photograph taken in a beautiful, sophisticated and tasteful way … With or Without clothes….

“You may have often liked the idea of having some beautiful, artistic, or boudoir photos taken, but never plucked up the courage, or allowed yourself to spend the money or time.
However, there is a well known saying – ‘It’s the things you don’t do that you regret, more than the things you do’.

There’s often a reason why someone will finally make the decision to just go for it – such as the following:

You’re getting married and this would make a perfect and truly intimate gift for your future husband to unwrap on your wedding day

You have a ‘milestone’ birthday to mark.

Perhaps you want a very special; Birthday/Christmas/Valentines or Anniversary gift for your partner?

You may have recently lost some weight and are feeling great.

Blooming in pregnancy is often a fabulous time to capture your and nature’s beauty and you want a tasteful record of your amazing body.

You may have a very special evening dress or prom dress, or perhaps you just simply want to prove to yourself that you can look absolutely amazing”

Whatever the reason, you won’t regret doing it – now could just be the right time to contact Julie.

Our stand looked really pretty with all of our gorgeous vintage linen and antique floral fabric favours. Everyone loves these as they are so pretty and are made up of some gorgeous “by-gone” era beautiful bits such as old mother of pearl buttons and antique gorgeous lace. Their scent is utterly lovely also as all are filled with good quality English Lavender.

Our gorgeous photo albumn which showed off a number of our gorgeous weddings was on the table along side pretty boxes filled with our gorgeous cards and information on all of our Sweet Days and Roses Services. I had recently had some wonderful boards made up which had images of our work on them and I framed these in some gorgeous vintage frames that I found in a wonderful “junk” shop in Gloucestershire… I then painted these in some gorgeous Farrow and Ball chalky paints and teamed with my stunning vintage chic easel the whole stand was a knock out.

We are doing a number of fayres in the coming months. We are so looking forward to having our gorgeous stand at the Tatton Park Wedding Show in January which will be definitely one fayre not to miss…full of gorgeous stands brimming with beautiful idea’s and products.

On the day of the Fayres we are in fact offering a 10% discount on all of our Services should you book with us on the day.
We had a great, fun time and it is just so nice to meet such a lovely amount of people and to see all the other very talented people who are out there in the wonderful world of weddings.

So you’re having a vintage wedding and you’re putting together a beautiful day reflecting bygone eras of style, elegance and sophistication. Every tiny detail has been accounted for but what about those all-important wedding gifts? Wouldn’t it be lovely to continue the vintage theme and encourage your guests to treat you to vintage presents?

Well, it’s quite difficult sourcing bespoke places both online and offline where all your guests can easily purchase gifts and some of the high street retailers simply do not have enough vintage-style gifts to satisfy the vintage bride and gr0om. Well, I’ve got some ideas on how to have the perfect vintage wedding gift list.

First of all, you’ve got the option of reputable wedding list websites, such as The Vintage Wedding List. Based in London, the company supplies all sorts of vintage treasures from maps, books and kitchenware to pictures, prints and vases. I particularly love the vintage telephones, glass jars and beautiful cushions. You can put your gift list together online and your guests can easily choose something for you at the click of a button. Perfect.

Or you could try something like Not on the High Street, as they have their own Weddings section that includes a ‘gift list’ where your guests can purchase things online. Although not as specifically vintage, the website does offer a huge selection of vintage-inspired gifts for home and for the happy couple. I love the vintage prints and decorative accessories like driftwood heart wreaths and vintage wall hangings.

If all else fails, ask your guests for vintage-inspired gifts in your wedding invitations. Point out particular shops or boutiques that you both love like Laura Ashley or John Lewis and you won’t go wrong.

For those of you who love home made jams and jellies this diary insert I have written is just for you.

Not only are jams and jellies utterly delicious but they also make the most wonderful individual Wedding favours and gifts for your guests and loved ones. Gorgeous tasting jam never fails to please.

Now is the perfect time of year to make these gorgeously tasty treats and in doing so you will feel really rather pleased with yourself and so very rewarded.

In the hedgerows this time of year Blackberries are abundant. Crab Apple Trees are laden also this time of year and very soon there will be Wild Sloes on the Blackthorn Trees. If you are lucky enough to have your own garden orchard, then this time of year will see you with a surplus of plums, pears, quinces and apples.

If you don’t have your own fruit trees then try visiting your local pick-your-own farm. This is far cheaper than going via the big boy supermarkets, is great fun and is also a wonderful way in supporting your local farmer. Pick-your-own- Strawberries are great fun to pick…just try not too eat them all before you get home.

After picking or purchasing all of this gorgeously healthy and often pretty fruit retreat to the kitchen, put on your favourite music and spend a relaxing and rewarding afternoon chopping, simmering and potting up in pretty glass jam jars the fruits of your pickings.

The potting up stage is so enjoyable and this is where you can make your wonderful Wedding Jam Jar Favours and Gifts so very individual to you.

Scour haberdashery shops for gorgeous ginghams, gorgeous chintzy floral materials or plain linens. Better still Antique shops often have gorgeous remnants of vintage fabric or Charity Shops are a fabulous source of pretty materials. Second Hand  children’s clothes are perfect for cutting up as they are often made out of pretty designs. On line auction houses are another great way to buy pieces of vintage fabric…there is a world of choice out there. Cut your fabric into larger-than-the-lid round circles. This enables you to cover the lids and tie onto the jars with either garden string or pretty ribbon.

In your finest hand writing write the name of the jam and if you have room your guests name onto old vintage style luggage labels and secure this onto the jar using the string or ribbon.

What is so perfect about these favours, especially if your wedding is next year, is that once made you can keep them stored away somewhere cool and dry and they do in fact get tastier with age….they aren’t called “Preserves” for nothing.

Jams and Jellies really do make the most lovely pretty and deliciously tasty wedding favours and gifts…one that both your male and female wedding guests will just love and appreciate.

Alternatively, Sweet Days and Roses is able to provide Jam Jar favours and gifts. Have a look on our Favours and Gifts page on the website.

So next time you are off on a lovely country walk take time to have a look at your lovely hedgerow and what it offers you for free and you’ll be surprised by what you see in it, and if you can be organised before you go remember to take a trug or container for putting the delicious berries or fruit in that you pick along the way.

Autumn is one of the most beautiful seasons in which to get married. With milder temperatures and gorgeous autumn colours, it’s no wonder so many couples choose to tie the knot between September and November.

In terms of wedding design, there’s so much to take inspiration from. You could consider the great outdoors and introduce rich autumn colours into your theme. And you could spoil your guests with heart-warming food and drink to suit the cooler months.

Here are our ideas on how to plan an autumn wedding:

Wedding Venue

Autumn in the UK is often still warm and sunny, so don’t rule out an outdoor event. It’s just worth having contingencies in place, should the weather turn cold or wet. A traditional country hotel with gorgeous grounds would be ideal or you could consider getting married abroad where the sunshine is guaranteed and prices tend to be cheaper at this time of year.

Colour Theme

In terms of colours, there’s so much to take inspiration from at this time of year. We love rich red, gold, copper, crimson and forest green – everything you’d associate with autumn. The idea is to compliment the season and take on a richer and warmer palette.

Invitations

Drawing on the season, we suggest hints of nature in the design of your stationery, such as sycamore leaves, acorns and pressed flowers. There should be a hint of your colour theme as well, to give guests an idea of how your wedding will take shape.

Outfits

When choosing a dress, simple cream and ivory is always best for this time of year. Remember the season might be too cold for a strapless number, although gorgeous accessories like wraps, shawls or fake-fur boleros will help to keep you and your bridesmaids warm. Continue your chosen colour theme throughout your bridal party and consider complimentary gold accessories, in keeping with the season.

Flowers

Autumn flowers come in all shapes and sizes and there’s no shortage of options for your bouquets, buttonholes and decorations. Garden roses and hydrangeas are available at this time of year and can be complimented with Senecio, Rubus, Sages, Eucalyptus, Ivy and Rosemary. We also love Dahlia which comes in so many different forms and colours, including pinks, lilacs and purples.

Favours

Treat your guests to seasonal favours such as sachets of potpourri containing autumn scents. You could also offer homemade jam, preserves or chutney, decorating each jam jar with gorgeous, vintage fabric and ribbon. What about some pretty flower bulbs for your guests to plant, so they bloom next spring – representing your happy future together as husband and wife.

Decorations

When decorating your wedding breakfast tables, scatter pretty gold confetti in shapes of leaves and spray pine cones gold to use them as place name holders. You could also incorporate hints of nature in your favours, wedding cake and other stationery, such as menus and order of service booklets.

Food & Drink

Heart-warming food and drinks are always best for this time of year. What about a welcoming drink of mulled, spiced wine or warm apple cider? And for food you could have something like pumpkin soup for starters; beef or ham hock for mains and some sort of berry desert or cheese platter to finish. For your evening do, you could host a hog roast.

If you’d like some help with your wedding theme, let professional wedding planners like Sweet Days and Roses do everything for you. We can design and plan your entire wedding, ensuring your day looks beautiful and runs perfectly. Simply give us a call on 01745 823751 or email janey@sweetdaysandroses.co.uk.

It was started by a woman called Annabel in November 2009 as an outlet for writing about the many beautiful things she likes to spend time scouring the internet for, and that she discovers on her personal travels.

Well it certainly is a treasure trove of vintage wedding inspiration. From glamorous and vintage style bridal wear, to original and re-constructed vintage jewellery, vintage wedding gift list providers, photography and much, much more. You can find lots of vintage ideas and inspiration at Love My Dress.

Planning a wedding is extremely stressful for any bride, when you consider all the different factors. It’s like arranging the biggest ceremony and celebration you’ll ever have, with all of the most important people in your life.

There’s so much pressure for everything to be perfect, for everyone, it’s no wonder many brides buckle under the strain. And it’s no surprise we’ve seen so many brides turn to planning services like we offer.

We take all of the worry away, work to the budget you have and, because we’re impartial, help reach sensible compromises that make everyone happy when there are any disagreements between the main wedding party and family.

To have a stress-free wedding, here are our top tips:

Budget, Budget, Budget

Money is believed to be the biggest cause of stress for weddings. So before you do anything else, create a budget spreadsheet using something like Excel. Write out exactly how much you’re prepared to spend on each aspect of your wedding and try to stay within budget. Keep track of your finances and you can’t go wrong.

Lists are Life Savers

Get organised and write a job list, preferably using a Word document on your computer that you can constantly update and change. Once you’ve sorted one task, you can tick it off your list and feel fantastic that you’re making good progress. Writing lists will also help you to stay in control, significantly reducing your stress levels.

Good Time Management

It’s an obvious tip, but leaving everything to the last minute will only turn into a nightmare. It’s best to start planning at least six months prior to your wedding day. But remember, some popular wedding venues now get booked up two years in advance, so it’s wise to start planning as soon as possible.

Ask for Help

Don’t be a martyr and try to single-handedly plan your entire wedding. Ask family and friends for help! A wedding involves a lot of preparation and there are so many things to organise. Give various people different tasks and it will lighten your load.

Be Kind to Yourselves

To combat stress, get active, eat well and look after your health. Get outside in the fresh air and exercise. Take some time out with your partner to relax. Treat yourself to a day at a health farm with your mother and future mother-in-law. It’s very important to look after yourself to remain stress-free in the lead up to your wedding day.

Forget Perfection

It’s easy to get carried away with hopes and expectations riding so high. But remember, your wedding is ‘just one day’ out of your entire life. And that the aspiration of ‘perfect’ doesn’t exist. Just try and relax and keep in mind that your wedding is a celebration of your commitment to one another, nothing more, and nothing less. Just realise things can and will go wrong, which is normal.

Let go of the Control Freak

It goes without saying, some things you can’t control. But with good preparation and planning, you can ensure your wedding day runs without a hitch. If all else fails, remember the following: ‘God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom always to tell the difference’.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Finally, try to enjoy your wedding planning and your big day. You will only get married once, so try and have fun! Getting stressed is pointless. It doesn’t change or improve anything. Rest assured, with all of our top tips in place, you are guaranteed to have a stress-free wedding.

If you’re still tearing your hair out over your wedding and you’d like some further help, Sweet Days and Roses can help. We can take care of anything and everything for you, ensuring you have a stress-free celebration.

That’s whether you only need our support on the actual day or you’d like our help from start to finish, we have a range of wedding planning packages available. Please call us for an informal chat on 01745 823751 or email janey@sweetdaysandroses.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.

With the world becoming increasingly aware of the effects our energetic lifestyles are having on the earth; more people are doing their bit to help the environment.

Weddings do not have to be a high maintenance affair; they can be simple and toxin free.

If you would like an eco-friendly wedding but don’t know where to start, why not use some of the following suggestions for keeping your big day as green as possible.

Wedding Rings

If you can’t bear the thought of wedding bands without diamonds but don’t like the stigma associated with them, then don’t worry; ethically sourced diamonds are becoming easier to find. If you can’t find what you’re looking for at the jewellers of your choice then there are plenty of online companies specialising in eco-friendly wedding rings.

Wedding Dress

Why not make your wedding dress the ‘something borrowed’. You could search your local charity shop for a gorgeous gown or even wear your mum’s. If you do want a dress of your own then you can still get a ‘luxe-look’ using eco-fabrics like Fair Trade silk.

Bouquets and Centre Pieces

Choose floral arrangements which avoid imported plants and embrace home grown flowers. Why not use a local florist rather than a national company; it will save you money and reduce your carbon footprint.

Wedding Invitations

Order recycled wedding invitations and try to minimise the inserts. Or you could create your own, giving guests a personalised feel. But if you’d prefer to have them printed then request that soy or vegetable based inks be used. Make them greener by delivering as many as possible by hand to reduce the number of envelopes needed for posting them.

Reception Food

Buffets may allow guests to feel more relaxed and give them more time to interact with others but they also produce a lot of waste. A sit-down meal will be much more economical and give structure to a reception. Use local produce; you will taste the difference and be supporting businesses in your community while cutting down on food miles.

Wedding Favours

Most favours are either eaten or thrown away: why not give guests something to help them always remember your special day. Homemade soap is both useful and creative. Or you could plant some seeds in a jar and label them with the date of your wedding; flowers would then blossom to mark your new life together.

Reception Entertainment

Reduce noise pollution by hiring an acoustic live band or a local performer instead of a DJ. Having your reception outside? Don’t purchase outdoor lighting! Dancing in the moonlight will be both magical and memorable.

Honeymoon

We are lucky in Britain to have so many beautiful places right on our doorstep. Why not book a cottage in the country or an apartment near the beach? The most important aspect of a honeymoon is being together and your romantic getaway will be special where you choose to go.

If you need help with your wedding why not contact Sweet Days and Roses where we will be on hand to assist your every need.

We can plan your entire wedding, no matter what your criteria. Give us a call on 01745 823751 or fill out our contact form. We look forward to working with you.

Summer is the most popular season in which to get married. Nothing could be more idyllic than tying the knot on a beautiful, sunny day in June, July or August and enjoying a refreshing glass of bubbly with your family and friends.

There are endless possibilities when planning a summer wedding – that’s whether you’ve got your heart set on a marquee event, garden party or on the lawns of a National Trust property.

Here are our top tips to ensure your summer wedding day is a success.

Consider the Weather

June, July and August are supposed to be the hottest months here in the UK. But British weather is famous for being unreliable. If you’re planning an outdoor event, be sure to have a contingency plan in place, just in case it rains. Equally, you might be blessed with clear, blue skies and hot weather so don’t forget to apply sunscreen and drink lots of water. It’s also important to consider your outfits. Choose a wedding dress that has lighter material as it will help you keep your cool if the weather is hot.

Choosing Colours

You can be as adventurous as you like when choosing a colour scheme for your summer wedding but it’s important to steer clear from deep and rich colours, shades that you might associate with winter weddings. Light, fun and vibrant colours suit summer weddings the most, including everything from tropical and bold fuchsia and turquoise to softer hues that hint towards the outdoors – sage green and soft blue being perfect examples.

Summer flowers

When choosing your wedding flowers, make the most of what’s available at this beautiful time of year. Roses, for instance, are a popular seasonal choice and make gorgeous bouquets and table decorations. Or you could use Lilies and Calla Lilies as their large blooms and sensual scent make them ideal choices. Just make sure you don’t get any lily pollen on your wedding dress as it will be impossible to remove the stain it causes.

Picking a Theme

As summer weddings tend to make the most of the outdoors, why not choose a theme that reflects the setting? For example, if you love the sea why not have a beach-themed wedding? You could use starfish or seashells within your wedding stationery or on your table settings. You could also fill large hurricane lanterns full of sand and place cathedral candles into them, creating romantic lighting as the sun goes down. Or if you love the garden, why not have a ‘garden party’, using gorgeous vintage bunting, outdoor lanterns and homemade jam as wedding favours?

Location, Location

A summer wedding offers the perfect opportunity to get outdoors. Although one can not get married outside in the UK, there is nothing stopping you from enjoying a fabulous outdoor location for your wedding reception. That’s whether it’s a beach, garden or the grand lawn of a National Trust property. Or how about getting out onto the water? You could have a fabulous boat party or yacht cruise, offering a fantastic alternative to the typical wedding venue.

Food and Drink

Keeping in mind the warmer weather, it’s important to choose food and drink that suits the season. Serve a lighter menu and consider using seasonable fruit and vegetables within your wedding breakfast meal. Or why not throw a barbeque and make the most of grilled chicken and fish, delicious salads and popular picnic favourites. Consider serving hors d’oeuvres to start and a refreshing sorbet between courses. To wash it all down, there is nothing more refreshing or stylish than champagne, however you could also try tropical cocktails such as Mojitos or Margaritas.

That’s Entertainment

To keep guests happy and entertained, particularly during lengthy wedding photographs, you could hire some giant garden games for them to play with. Or you could hire musicians to perform outside whilst your family and friends mingle and enjoy the sunshine. For the younger guests, you could arrange a picnic blanket on the lawn and have various colouring books and games for them to enjoy.

If you’d like help with planning your summer wedding, why not give Sweet Days and Roses a call?

We are on hand to offer our wedding expertise and know-how to ensure your big day is a success. We can support you at every juncture and help you get the most out of your venue and suppliers.

To have an informal chat, call us on 01745 823751 or fill out our contact form and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible.