Marbella Catering has been Gorgeous´d

Recently we were asked by local catering company Marbella Catering to re-vamp their client decoration suite as well as show off some of our designs. The suite is a designated area for Marbella Catering´s clients to see samples of decoration ideas including table linens, chair ties, centrepieces, favors etc for their wedding/party/event. The idea was to create a relaxed and inspiring setting (which I hope we have done!) in order for clients to enjoy their menu tasting downstairs surrounded by beautiful gardens and then continue the experience upstairs in the suite. As well as decoration ideas, other local suppliers ie cake makers showcase their work too so that the clients can really get a feel for every aspect of their big day. 

Busy, busy

This week has been SO busy and I am loving it! I met the lovely Jeanette from Med Weddings at the beginning of the week and the fab duo Jenny and Jeanette from Marbella Wedding Angels yesterday and my feet don´t seem to have touched the ground. I love meeting new people (well, new to me but involved in the wedding industry here for a while) and discussing the ups and downs of weddings on the coast. Thankfully, I have been really lucky so far to have worked with such a professional bunch of people. Only once have I experienced a real lack of professionalism and it was with a 5 star hotel no less! Not something I would like to repeat and thankfully due to their vigilant and persistent wedding planner the bride and groom were not aware of the incidents until after the event. Phew. Hopefully as the venue in question has been ´restructured´ this will be a thing of the past and they can move forward and make their events memorable for all the right reasons. 

Talking of events, we were approached by local catering company Marbella Catering recently to decorate and showcase some of our work in their new catering headquarters so on that note I am off to work on some designs. Hmmmm, food, glitter, table settings.......

(Photo source: Boston Herald)

Animal antics

A colour scheme is not the only thing that can transform your event and reflect your personality. Themes can too. I am rather partial to a bit of an animal ensemble when it comes to my events, especially parties. And not just for the kids! Animal themes can be as tacky (in a fun and funky way, of course) or as elegant as you like. For weddings lovebirds and butterflies are common choices as they can work in a multitude of wedding styles ie romantic, vintage or modern. A theme can define your day from the beginning stages, for example on save-the-date cards through to the main event in centrepieces, favors and cake decorations. A bit like branding it, you might say.

These are just a few examples of how animal themes can be integrated into weddings. For a soft and gentle ambiance lovebirds with pastel colours and glitter here and there gives a really enchanted feel particularly if the wedding is outdoors. For a bolder, more outrageous feel, try mix and matching neon animals (as above) with icy blue or pink fairy lights to add a dramatic statement to the day. 

(Photo sources : ruffledblog.com,  greenweddingshoes.com, weddingchicks.com, chicbananas.com)

Happy Valentine´s Day

So I could gush about love and flowers and chocolates but I thought I would start the day instead with a selection of funny love notes that tickled me. 

From the not-so-subtle man:

From the cynical man:

From the literary-challenged man:

And my personal favourite:

Happy Valentine´s Day!

x

(Photo sources : lolzombie.com, londonist.com, funnychix.com, pleated-jeans.com)

Valentine´s Day .... make it yours

Like with other holidays often we are expected to make Valentine´s Day perfect in a conventional way. Big bunch of red roses, dinner at a posh nosh restaurant, the works. But for some of us this just doesn´t do it for us. To me Valentine´s Day is about the unique love we have with our partner and expressing it in our own unique way. The first Valentine´s Day I spent with my husband after about six months of being together was testament to this idea of ´perfection´ and, bless him for all his efforts, it just didn´t quite work out.  

It goes like this: I had been shooting a TV ad in the depths of South London outdoors in the freezing getting battered by the elements. It was the third day in a row I had been up and out the door by 5am having only got home the previous night at 11pm. To say I was tired was an understatement. While I was working, my lovely husband-to-be had been busying himself kicking out his flatmates for the evening and decorating the house. He spent a fortune on red roses (which neither he or I are actually that fond of!) covering the living room and scattering them in a hot bath ready for my return. Dinner reservations were made at a posh restaurant and he was nervous and excited to be sharing our first Valentine´s together. I eventually came home late, frozen and bedraggled and totally not in the mood for a night out but this is what couples do I thought to myself and I assumed he would be disappointed. Cue the bath in which I fell asleep and nearly drowned myself choking on a petal. I kid you not. After being rescued by loving man we decided that a takeaway at home was a better option. We sat on cushions at a little table on the living room floor (the ´boy´s´ place didn´t possess a proper table) surrounded by mismatching candles his mum had given him ´in case the electricity goes out´ and it was perfect. 14 years on we still celebrate in pretty much the same way although we sit at a nice table, surround ourselves with gorgeous candles and my favourite flowers - orange tiger lillies - adorn our house. The point I am making is that Valentine´s is about you as a couple and not what some glossy magazines tells you it should be like. 

(Photo sources : etsy.com, aminamichele.com, theclassywoman.com, marthastewart.com, luxuryhomeideas.com, familyfreshcooking.com, homedesigndecorator.com)

Candy tree birthday surprise

Kids, cake and sweets - a recipe for a fun party! Today was little Isla´s first birthday and as a surprise for the guests I created a sweetie tree to celebrate her big day. For this gorgeous party princess baby pink was the colour of choice so, bearing in mind she only has a handful of teeth, I used soft jelly sweets to create her tree. The kids were also treated to a fab cake covered in edible sparkly glitter with a huge fluffy bow at the side thanks to Janey B - yummy! It all went down a storm. Happy kids and a very happy birthday Isla x 

(Photo source: Gorgeous Event Decoration)