WOODLAND ENGAGEMENT SHOOT BY THE LITTLE LENDING CO.

Posted on August 2, 2016 by thelittlelendingco

Hey engaged folk!

Firstly I’m going to start with an apology, the blog has definitely take a back seat this summer season. It’s been a bit testing so far, I mean awesome, but also a bit tough with more lenders than ever! You might have spotted our baby news on social media, so my energy’s been flagging and not been feeling my usual 100% the last few weeks. There have been quite a few power naps at LLHQ just to get through the day! It also means you might have waited a little longer for replays on email, which is not cool I know, but thank you all so so much for your patience. I’m feeling a little more on top now so let’s roll on into all that August has to offer.

So this shoot was styled last year. It was a competition ran by Kathy Ashdown Photography to offer a woodland engagement shoot styled by yours truly. Long standing LL fans will have spotted bits of this shoot on our Instagram and Facebook over the months but thought it was time to share my favourites from the shoot.

Our hot couple we’re made up by Emily of Love Moi Make-up and Hair by Tracey Ward. Heather Jackson was second shooter so no details we’re missed at Swanton Morley gardens where in-house florist Crown Flowers added lots of natural green to the set ups.

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I’m all about getting the engagement shoot to be about you two, doing something you would usually do together, celebrating your hobbies and passions.
With this shoot I wanted to create lots of autumnal seasonal tones, from the foliages to the clothing the couples wore.
I created a make-shift tipi filled with rugs for the first backdrop for our duo, draped with lots of foraged greenery and antlers adorned the top.
We lit a camp fire on the woodland floor for the couple to cosy up together in tartan blankets and have hot chocolates and marshmallows on sticks. Pure cuteness!
A rustic picnic followed, again using simple, natural foods teamed with lots of rustic decor pieces and a smidge of candle light.
Finally we strung soft festoon lights in a log store. This shoot was all about capturing the warmth and romance of the couples love.

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If you’re looking to add a little something more to your engagement shoot, then hit us up. We’d love to work with couples to style their engagement sessions with our growing selection of props and head full of ideas!

Penny @ The Little Lending Co. x

WHY HIRE YOUR WEDDING DECOR?

Posted on April 20, 2016 by thelittlelendingco

This post might sound totally, utterly obvious…but bear with me. I think theres more than just a few reasons to hire your wedding decor though, so many of my Little Lenders past would say the same I’m sure.

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Image via The Lane

– It’s cheaper. (Well, duh)
Ok so generally when you hire props its about a third of the price of buying to hire. Thats generally how we price our range so that we can pass on that saving right away. Popular items like apple crates, ladders, milk churns have all seen a huge rise in pricing over the last 18 months as they’re super sought after. Don’t spend more than you need to to get the pieces you love right now.

– You don’t have tonnes of stuff to sell/shift after the wedding.
Yep, another obvious point right?! I had masses of stuff left after our wedding, we just went on honeymoon and left it all in the kitchen in a heap. Erm, not entirely what you want to return to from a tropical getaway. Let your hire company deal with the after math.

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Image via The Lane

– Storage.
So you’re getting married in 18 months time, that’s 18 months of having to stash and find a home for wedding stuff. Ours was actually everywhere, behind the sofa, under beds, we’d filled the spare room. It drove me crazy and it can turn your home into a garage!

– Delivery.
Unless you’re really close to your wedding venue getting everything you’ve collected to your venue can be a total mission. I’ve known couples hire vans for the whole weekend, because it’s not just getting it there it’s getting it back too. Yes you generally have to pay more to get items delivered and collected but unless you have someone who can just do loads of car loading through the day or you’re friends with a white van man it could get a bit tricky.

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Image via Trendster.

– Finding what you love can be a big headache.
I am all about the DIY weddings, but finding and sourcing exactly what you’re after for all the tables or for a mega display can take some doing. I’ve been running LL for over 2 years now and relying on the charity shops, boot sales and vintage stores is just not the same as it used to be, popular vintage and rustic items don’t seem to be on the shelves because they’re quickly snapped up. When you need a certain number to complete a ‘look’ it can become a real mission. Don’t forget we can help with sourcing if there is something specific you’re after…

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Image via Style Me Pretty

– Being indecisive is OK.
I know that getting married means making a lot of decisions. I changed my mind ALOT. So hiring your decor means you have some flexibility, I always try to accommodate changes from my lenders because I know there can be lots of mind changing and venue restrictions or weather dependability can pop up later down the line.
We also add decor to our range frequently so as the decor trends change through your wedding planning you might spot more additions on our IG feed or FB page so your wedding can evolve with what you’re into and loving for when you say I do.

Don’t rush into buying anything just yet folks…
The Little Lending Co. X

ALTERNATIVE PHOTO BACKDROPS.

Posted on April 6, 2016 by thelittlelendingco

If you’re getting hitched this Summer you’ll most definitely be thinking about details and the little design elements that will make your day super special and personalised. If you’re looking for some inspo for a beautiful back drop for your guest photos, which is a little more sophisticated than a box of props in front of a red curtain inside a shoe-box sized booth, then this post may spark a few ideas. I didn’t have a photo booth at my own wedding because I wanted to have pictures of the day that were totally natural, but something can really be said for staging gorgeous group shots that you’ll treasure forever.

DRAPES
Cost effect and oh so simple to add a little interest to a wall or corner at your venue. Mix different textures of fabrics and also foliage in for a little more detail.

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Image via Ruffled

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STRUCTURES
Create a structure to add flowers to – From old screens and doors to metal frames and wire grids for something more contemporary.

ORGANIC
Talk to your florist about creating an organic wall feature. Use old ladders or frames to start the piece off. So beautiful as a stand alone feature on your big day. These pieces would work best hung or placed off centre for framing the shots.

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BOHEMIAN
Go for a bohemian corner or space for guests to relax as well as provide a stunning photo opportunities. Use peacock chairs or tipi frames as a starting point to build up the area and lay Persian rugs. Add candles for evening photography to be soft and intimate.

It’s about creating something beautiful and timeless and to look back at your wedding photos in years to come and enjoy them just as much.
The Little Lending Co. X

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US.

Posted on August 12, 2014 by thelittlelendingco

I can’t quite believe it’s been a year since starting this Little adventure. I almost don’t recognise it from 12 months ago. Today feels good, I mean really good. Its still just so exciting to think I have created this from scratch.

This post may get a little soppy and gushy but there are just a few people that have been there to help me along the way I must mention.

I’ve made some pretty awesome supplier wedding friends already, Tatum Reid Photography has been so encouraging of my little vision of offering something more alternative to the local wedding scene. Donna at The Country Garden Florist I just gel with and we seem to be on the same page with our collaborations, Darena of DS Photography has taken some beautiful images in our styled shoots, Emma at Buns of Fun and Laura of Betty’s beauty, Charlotte of Lotties Florigami, Georgina Suzanne MUA have all been just lovely to work with…I could go on and on.
It’s been a total pleasure to find such passionate and supportive women in this industry who just want to create and inspire like me. So here is a little quote for you ladies, ‘It’s more amazing what we can accomplish when we’re in it together.’ Don’t you think?

There are a few beautiful venues too that have sent a few little lenders our way and this has not gone un-noticed, The Red Barn, Godwick Great Barn and Narborough Hall Gardens. So thankyou.

To the blogs that have featured us, thank you so much for sharing our work – Festival Brides with our Woodland Picnic shoot and The Green Party dessert table shoot, B.Loved shared our work on Rustic Glamour and A Modern Fairytale, Whimsical Wonderland Weddings our To the Manor Born shoot and Coco Wedding Venues our Beautiful Boudoir shoot giving us a ‘Loved by Coco’ post which made my heart burst with pride to think our little company is loved by industry pros. It has given me so much confidence in my styling and concepts to see my ideas shared has given my some of the biggest smiles in this last year knowing lots of excited brides-to-be will have seen them and will want to re-create it for their own days.

It’s not been a walk in the park, I’ve made mistakes and sometimes it’s blooming hard going but when I start to doubt myself I know I have my husband right there at my side picking me up and carrying me emotionally though this brilliant journey of running my own company. My two lovely lots of parents also have to be mentioned because there is so much behind the scenes stuff they’re doing day in day out. (Don’t worry I’m not blabbing just yet!)

Then of course there are you guys, our blog readers, our Facebook followers, fellow Instagrammers, Pinners and Tweeters. Everyone comment is read and so gratefully received. And lastly our Little Lenders themselves who have made this first year pretty incredible…we’ve already delivered to over 50 weddings in the last year and have lots more to come this summer! So thank you, we have loved being a part of your days with our little lends.

We’ve got a whole lot more planned for this next year and I just can’t wait to get stuck in…after I devour this cake that is.

So finally, Follow your dreams – I am just a girl who decided to give it a go and here I am doing something I adore everyday.
Penny @ The Little Lending Co. x

THE LITTLE LENDING CO. ON COCO WEDDING VENUES.

Posted on June 10, 2014 by thelittlelendingco

I’ve been following Emma on Coco wedding Venues almost since her beautiful venue directory started. But this is not any wedding venue directory – This one is different. Only the most special and unique venues that have been handpicked up and down the country make it on. And when you see them they actually take your breath away. I would call myself a bit of a stalker when it comes to Coco wedding venues now, and when you follow Emma’s instagram and inspiring blog I’m sure you’ll become a super fan like us too.

I adore the style and ethos of Emma’s company, each new venue added makes me dream of being a bride again, or at least styling one of the incredible venues with some of our range. The venue search is broken down into types – City Chic, Modern Vintage and Costal Cool, Me I’d have to be Rustic Romance with a touch of Bohemian Beats in the mix.

The blog is super stylish with dreamy shoots, cool colour palettes and suppliers that you’ll want to be in touch with. So it was a massive honour to be featured under the ‘Loved By Coco’ section with our little company with our own styled shoot at Godwick Hall. I wanted to create a shoot that focuses on the morning of that really special day, when your day is finally here – the day you’ve been dreaming of. THIS is our ‘Beautiful Boudoir’ shoot. You can see us featured on Coco and read lots more about the inspiration for the shoot here.