AN A-Z OF STYLING YOUR OWN WEDDING. (PART 2)

Posted on January 28, 2015 by thelittlelendingco

Hello again Little Lenders,

I really hope the first part of this blog was useful and given you a few tips and pointers for styling your own day. Without further ado, here is part 2.

N – NOTE DOWN YOUR SUPPLIERS

Keep a list of the suppliers you’ll be using for your wedding day in one place. Also when they’ll need access to your venue so that you can let your venue know. It’s worth giving this list to someone who is on site the day before to check that everyone has been and a list of numbers in case something dosent go to plan.

0 – O.T.T

It’s OK to go a little Over The Top and add a little WOW factor (It’s only your blinking Wedding day!) Create a talking point with your decor, a big entrance or a ceremony focal point with a difference. Your photographer will love you for it too.

Image via 100 layer cake.

P – PINTEREST

Pinterest can be the greatest source of inspiration and at times the greatest curse. Once you have pinned and planned an idea you really, really love step away from the pins. There will always be more ideas than time! Go with what your gut instinct is telling you for your decor and you won’t go far wrong. And I always say simplicity can rule more often than not. A lot of the ideas you see on Pinterest have been created by teams of stylists and professional wedding hire teams with access to lots of tools and even machinery. If you think you can nail the look with your family and loved ones then go for it, if you think it’s beyond your skills set keep things a little simpler with the set-up.

Image source Ruffled Blog.

Q – QUALITY NOT QUANTITY

More is not more. Give your props, decor pieces and big ideas a space to shine.

R – READY FOR ANYTHING

Packing an essential ‘on the day Styling bag’ is a total must. You just know you’ll need to re-iron those table topper cloths again. Ours includes : Scissors, string, pins, cable ties, bulldog clips, gaffe tape and electrical tape, iron and thick towel and plenty of bin bags. Pack some glass cleaner and kitchen roll too to touch up glass wear. These are the items that you’ll definitely find yourself looking for.

S – SPACES

Make or ask for a floor plan of your venue and go to your venue to take photos from all angles. It will keep you on track when you’re planning something for a wall that actually has a door in the middle of it, or you’d like to plug some lights in but there is no socket anywhere near by. (Cue gaffa tape from your kit…)

Image via Style Me Pretty.

T – TEAM WORK

Sounds crazy, but assign a ‘set-up’ day team of friends and family to help. Delegate jobs out with rough timings for each task before you arrive at the venue; hanging the bunting, dressing the cards table (some pictures from your Pinterest boards for friends will really help make sure it’s spot on too)… Letting other people help with jobs will leave you more free to act as the head stylist make sure everything is just as you envisioned. Try to leave some time at the end of the day to do final checks so you can sleep easy knowing everything looks perfecto.

U – UNDERSTANDING SUPPLIERS

Picking suppliers that really understand you and your style is crucial and make your wedding planning heaps less daunting. Set up a meeting or go for a coffee with your photographer and florist to make sure you’re on the same page. All good suppliers will want to get to know what you’re about as a couple and what you really want. Then, really all you need to do is trust them to do what they do best.

V – VENUE

When picking your venue make sure it will compliment the styling that you have in mind. A rustic aesthetic is going to be really hard to achieve in a modern, urban building. It will save you lots of styling work and help you style simply and effectively if you choose a venue that has the feel you’re after.

Green Wedding Shoes.

W – WEATHER

If it all gets a little soggy have you thought of a back up plan? How much of your day are you reliant on being outside? Make sure you let your wedding caterer or co-ordinator know Plan B if the weather does take a U-turn and can help make the necessary changes to ensure a smooth turnaround of the day. No-one wants soggyy sandwiches or bottoms for that matter.

Rock my wedding.

X – ‘X’ MARKS THE SPOT

Sign your wedding well – Right from the roads leading to the venue. There is nothing worse than having a hidden beauty of a venue that no-one can find. It will create excitement on the drive through too.

Y – YES I CAN

Be confident that you can bring all the elements of your wedding decor together, you’ve been planning for months and it will all be totally rad. If things don’t look quite pin-worthy don’t fret, ask your florist or venue co-ordinator for their opinion as they’ll usually tell you what you could tweak with their creative eye.

Z – ZZZ

Take some time after setting up the decor to really take it all in. On the day it all goes so quickly, give your self and team a big pat on the back. Get yourself a glass of bubbles and hot bath then get a good nights sleep.

There you have it our guide to styling your own wedding day. Are you looking forward to styling your own day? Missed Part 1 – Find it here.

It’s going to be a whole lot of fun…
The Little Lending Co. x

AN A-Z OF STYLING YOUR OWN WEDDING. (PART 1)

Posted on January 27, 2015 by thelittlelendingco

So if you’re anything like me you won’t be able to contain yourself when it comes to the decor and styling of your day. I absolutely loved that part (hence setting up this little company.)
But theres quite a few things I wish I’d know before I started my wedding styling mission and so I’ve put together this A-Z guide for a quick look at just what it’s going to take.

A – ATHMOUSPHERE

Creating a brilliant, buzzing atmosphere is the ultimate achievement for any wedding day. Think about adding in lots of your personality and some good old fashioned quirk; through sentimental signage, alternative guest books or a cracking cake topper with something a little off the wall. Guests will enjoy all the fun details and really get into the spirit of your day.

B – BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS

A little bit of pretty goes a long way on a wedding day. Personally not into really girly colours and cute, twee details so adding some pretty through floral accents was the way I added my pretty. Pockets of florals on table plans and on props will make all the difference.

Artfully Wed.

C – COLOUR

Having a colour scheme in mind can really help to pull everything together. Right from sending your Save The Date cards, to bridesmaid dress colour and flower arrangements. Even if you just have a favourite object you both love at home, a pattern or print just keep it with you while planning and out shopping – you never know when inspiration may strike.

D – DETAIL

Make a list of all the areas that could be potentially styled at your venue. The Bar, Food stations, Cards/Gifts, Entrance and Ceremony aisle and work out where you’d like to make the most impact. Adding little pockets of detail to other areas like Welcome signage and order of the day boards, the dance floor and even the toilets will make your day something to shout about.

Image via Ruffled Blog.

E – EFFORT

It really will take up a lot of your free time, evenings, weekends and sometimes you can feel that the wedding decor is consuming your every thought. (And boys, this might start to craze you when every conversation is about the W-day) but just know that it’s worth every ounce of effort.

F – FAVOURS

Call in the favours, keeping in budget is all about begging, borrowing and sometimes yes even stealing what ever you can. (I remember rummaging in abandoned skips!) The same goes with skill sets crafty Carpenter friends, Aspiring artists, Budding Florists…Use who you know. Most people will love being asked to be involved in the day.

G – GRUBS UP

We’ve posted before about food displays in our Make your wedding decor Rock blog. It’s really thinking over (or having a pin session) on how you can add some interest.

Image source Green Wedding Shoes.

H – HOME-MADE

There are some AWESOME DIY tutorials on the internet, and make for personality in a truck load, but just be aware of the time it can all take. Don’t commit to too much before the big day, if the 1,000 origami paper cranes are only 100 don’t sweat it, you did your best.

Image via Ruffled Blog.

I – INDECISION

One of the hardest points of wedding styling is making those initial decisions about the day you want. Sit down with your fiancee and think about you two, your loves and style. Picking out the venue and the type of day you want your guests to have will really help things fall into place. Working out if you’re going to be walking bare foot through a meadow to a tipi ceremony or you’d much prefer an English stately house to sip Pimms in the garden can be one of the hardest decisions through all the planning. I love Coco wedding venues concept of choosing your venue through 6 of their style categories, Bohemian Beats, Rustic Romance, Costal Cool….Go for a gander, it’s great.

J – JUGGLING

Juggling wedding planning around life can be pretty tough at times. Have a look at our handy timeline and find out what really needs to be done when. Styling elements really are one of the last things to think about believe it or not (even though I know you started pinning table centres as soon as he popped the question.)

K – KICK START THE SET UP

Make the most of the whole day on the site dressing your venue. Basically, it takes longer than you think. Take a packed lunch and plenty of drinks too if you’re in the middle of no-where, nothing worse than loosing a couple of hours to search out food. Try to really think about what you’ll need on site.

L – LIGHTING

Again this is one of the key elements that will really set the mood for the day. Feature lighting displays and oodles of candle light just makes everything more magical. We can’t recommend enough adding lights outside for when the sun dips, candles in hanging jars, festoons or strings from the trees, it’s totally worth it.

Style Me Pretty.

M – MONEY

Keep a list of all the suppliers and contacts and when their payment is due, if you can pay suppliers off early it’s going to make it much less complicated than on the day payments. It’s the last thing you want to be worrying about (even if the Usher is sorting this for you, because lets face it, after a few Jagerbomb’s he’s not going to know where that cheque for the DJ is!)

So, did you find Part 1 helpful? What are you finding challenging with your decor styling details? Drop us an email at thelittlelendingcompany@gmail.com – we’d be more than happy to help with any dilemmas.

See you soon for Part 2.
The Little Lending Co. x

A SIXPENCE IN YOUR SHOE.

Posted on July 16, 2014 by thelittlelendingco

Eating the remains of our wedding cake last week I started to think about wedding days traditions and superstitions, and a lot of it comes down to luck.

One of the first things I got asked me was what are you having for your ‘Something Old, Something new, Something borrowed and Something Blue…(and a sixpence in your shoe)’ I wasn’t really sure where the rhyme had come from but just knew it was the done thing for the bride to have about her on the day. After a little googling I found that the poem is an Old English rhyme that was often recited during the Victorian era.

The bride should collect the five objects herself or from friends and family, often heirlooms or family treasures handed down through the generations. Something old represents continuity with the past; Something new offers optimism for the future; Something borrowed symbolizes borrowed happiness; something blue stands for purity, love, and fidelity; and a sixpence in your shoe is a wish for good fortune and prosperity.

Some of the traditions origins of a white wedding are :
– The tradition of a white wedding is down to Queen Victoria’s choice to wear a white wedding dress at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840, before this brides wore their best dress.
– The veil was required to be worn in many churches but even if not required by the bride’s religion, it coincided with societal emphasis on women being modest and well-behaved.
– The bride stands to the groom’s left during a Christian ceremony, because in bygone days the groom needed his right hand free to fight off other suitors.
– Engagement and wedding rings are worn on the fourth finger of the left hand because it was once thought that a vein in that finger led directly to the heart.
– We eat cake at weddings because in ancient Rome they would eat a type of cake during the ceremony that was passed around.
– Cutting the wedding cake is now part of the ritual celebrations at the reception. Couples make the first cut together to symbolise their shared future.

Image Via Buzzfeed.com

Love knowing some of these traditions and the symbolism they represent, now the whole day makes a lot more sense!

Lots of old traditions that are still around today are all about getting a little luck for the day. On the morning of our wedding my mum brought round a heather plant and said pop a little of this in your bouquet, ‘It’s lucky.’ And after the ceremony my friend brought be over a black cat and another gave me a horseshoe to carry. I loved these little keep sakes and lucky charms to treasure.

Here are a few more superstitions that often get muttered around wedding season:
– In English tradition, Wednesday is considered the “best day” to marry, although Monday is for wealth and Tuesday is for health.
– Saturday is the unluckiest wedding day, according to English folklore. Funny as it’s the most popular day of the week to marry!
– Rain on your wedding day is actually considered good luck, according to Hindu tradition.
– It’s supposed to be good luck for the bride to cry on her wedding day, because there will then be no tears to shed through married life.
– Finding a spider in your wedding dress is lucky according to English lore. Yikes!
– Bells are traditionally chimed at Irish weddings to keep evil spirits away and to ensure a harmonious family life.
– It is fortunate for a bride to meet a lamb, a dove, or a black cat on her way to church: but a pig or funeral are bad omens.

Are you a superstitious bride?

What are you having for your Old, New Borrowed and Blue?
(I am sure we can help with the borrowed part if you get a little stuck!)

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.

These we’re all the talented local suppliers we worked with on this delightful little shoot, and can recommend their work in a heart beat.

Photographer – LP Photography
2nd Photographer – DS Photography
Venue – Godwick Hall
Florist – The Country Garden Florist
Model – Georgie Lomax from Sandra Reynolds Agency
Hair Styling – Zany Boutique Hair Salon
Make-up Artist – Georgina Suzanne MUA
Nail Technician – Bettys Beauty
Nightware and Garter – Bishbees
Bridal Dress – Screen the Starlet
Bridal Accessories – Melissa Morgan Designs

Lastly a really huge Thankyou to Emma for having us on your stylish little corner of the internet. It felt pretty wonderful to be loved!

But seriously, if you are not following Coco Wedding venues by now, why not?
The Little Lending Co. x

TODAY IS THE DAY.

Posted on March 18, 2014 by thelittlelendingco

So you have spent months researching, shopping, spending, planning & preparing and it all boils down to this one amazing day.

The dress is hanging beautifully ready for you, the cake is being set up at the venue, guests are starting their journeys, your bridesmaids are not yet awake – Today is the day.

This post has a few points of advice for brides-to-be ‘on the day’ written by a married lady who’s been through it and has got the ‘I GOT MARRIED AND SURVIVED’ T-shirt.

Before everyone wakes up I would just take a few minuets to take in how you are feeling on that really special morning, the adrenaline will be pumping more than on christmas morning already! Maybe take a selfie of your ‘excited’ face to really capture it – mines just ridiculous! I showed it to my man on honeymoon and still look back at it now. Its one of those feelings you’ll forever want to capture.

Next I’d say take a hot bath with some amazing fancy bubble bath (if it compliments the perfume you’ll be wearing, even better) it will really help you relax at the start of the day.

You probablly won’t feel like eating much (unless your like me – had a full brekky and cake before 10am!) but grab a banana or a cereal bar for a bit of energy as you’ll forget in all the madness later.

Take time for a glass of bubbles with your girls or mama before your house/room turns into picadilly circus.

Think about where you’d like your dress hanging photograph taken – I forgot this totally and ended up in front of the bathroom door!

Make sure you’re the first to have your hair done – leave alot more time that you think you need for hair and make-up if you’re doing it yourself. If you have a MUA relax and trust them.

You will probablly run late – thats ok, just don’t fret or panic about being late. You’ll get there when your ready and people expect it anyway.

Tell your mum you love her when you get into your dress – its a precious moment.

A few sprays of Rescue Rememdy in the car will help those last minuite nerves. My legs we’re like jelly but I felt weirdly calm and just too excited.

Kiss your dad before you go down the aisle, its a huge moment for them, giving you away.

Smile and take in those smiling faces as you walk up the aisle – its your moment to shine!

Remember to put some water in the car for after the service. A friend told me this advice and we forgot. This is now me passing this on to you – you will need a drink.

The only moment that I managed to sit and take in was sitting at the top table when our mums and dads we’re chatting and my groom was taking a quick picture on my phone (at my request as I wanted to have a picture to look at the next morning) As I sat facing out to all our most loved friends and family I can honestly say I have not felt happier in my life. I literally tried to breathe in that moment, to store in my heart forever.

So much of the day flys by – don’t sweat the small stuff that didn’t go right, just take in everyones smiling faces and happy comments for you both.

Take 15 minuites away from the day to create some camera magic that you’ll love in years to come. Take a minute to think about your wedding shots of ‘just you two’ with your photographer.

Savour the first dance and tell your man just how perfect it’s been.

Remember those people who were there at the end, dance wildly with them. Make it a hell of a night and forget trying to save the dress – you won’t be wearing it again!

Have an amazing day,
The Little Lending Co. x

HOME-MADE STATIONERY

Posted on November 17, 2013 by thelittlelendingco

Starting our wedding stationery first actually helped me set the theme, colour palette and styling for our day. True Story.

Doing the Save the Dates really made me think about picking out some colours, fonts and hand touches like rubber stamping to use through all our stationery. We wanted the rustic, relaxed feel of our day conveyed to the guests from the start.

We had the save the dates as hand illustrations of ourselves, by a great illustrator friend of ours Keith Watts, http://visualdiaryofkeithwatts.tumblr.com
They were completely personal and made a big impression. The bunting dropped onto the card behind us even featured as the wedding bunting colours!

I hand picked a font at http://www.dafont.com
This is such a great website to download original, themed fonts from and some are free.

Our invites we’re also illustrations, of the wedding shoes we were going to wear. With the text ‘Established pair since 2004’ An idea I thought of to tie in more about us. The back said ‘Two less fish in the sea’ so this was carried through to the Thankyou’s we sent.

We went for postcards for the STD’s and also for the Thankyou Cards as it saved on buying envelopes! Every Little Helps! The invites were printed on loose card sheets and tied together to make a little tied parcel for guests to untie.

There were luggage tags with Dymo tapes for place names and for RSVP tags where we asked each guest to send back with a song request. Its key to tie in the ideas again through to the wedding table and seating plans and can save on costs too if you are buying stationery in bigger numbers.

All the stationery was ordered through Vista Print http://www.vistaprint.co.uk/ Its always been reliable and great value company for me.

If you find the whole idea of Hand-made stationery all too much then take a look at some beautiful stationery companies I’m a big fan of –
Lucy Says I do – http://lucysaysido.com/stationery/
Russet and Grey – http://www.russetandgray.co.uk
Knots and Kisses – http://knotsandkisses.co.uk/weddingsstationery.html
Vickilicious Designs – http://www.vickiliciousdesigns.co.uk

The more you think outside the box with your stationery the more your family and friends will be excited about the day from the word go! I even saw on http://www.notonthehighstreet.com a wedding invite printed on a balloon to blow up!

Hope this has left you buzzing about stationery,
The Little Lending Co. x