WHY DO I NEED A WEDDING STYLIST?

Posted on May 15, 2020 by thelittlelendingco

A couple of weeks ago, or maybe the week before…who even knows any more?! I put up a question on my Instagram stories asking what honestly puts you off hiring a wedding stylist.

And yes, there were a few recurring answers which came up. Theres plenty of reasons not to hire a stylist and really loved your honesty for these below, thank you (those questions and polls on Insta really are really so helpful and always love that you get involved.)

I’d like to start by asking you to to visualise the day before your wedding day, of course this isn’t going to be every brides lead up but I have been doing this many years and have certainly seen this scenario play out more than a few times. But it might show just how valuable a wedding stylist could be and how they really are more than just hired help the week of your wedding…

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The day before your wedding
You are most likely late leaving for your venue because there is tonnes to load in the car. Already feeling a bit anxious if you have left anything behind. You arrive at your venue and know there is no time to enjoy your check-in and settle in because you have several suppliers arriving with props, furniture, catering equipment and the florist will be there too. Family and friends are going to be arriving all through the afternoon to help with the DIY set up. You start unboxing everything you have collected, as well as the props you’ve hired and aren’t exactly sure where to start. People arrive but there isn’t time to show them round properly now, you need them to start putting candles in holders. More friends and family arrive and you know at 5pm you want to be finished set up and actually start enjoying the evening together as you have envisioned for months as a little pre-wedding celebration, but as time ticks on you realise its going to be a much later finish. Everyone offers help, it’s overwhelming as you know how you want the set up to look but can’t relay that to everyone easily, and you end up doing much more yourself. You start to feel frustrated and wish there was more time, its not the set up day you had in your head and worried as more needs to be finished on the morning of the wedding, who will help with that?

Ok so I know many brides absolutely love doing their own decor set up and DIY for them was pure bliss and really enjoyed working on the set up with friends and family around.
But if you do have lots of friends and family coming from afar and want to spend a weekend with them, help can be so valuable across your weekend. You know a stylist will have the days vision and a huge check list ready to put into action and set up and can return on the wedding day to finish any final details you wouldn’t necessarily be able to check yourself or feel comfortable leaving to family.
It comes down to how you want to feel in the days and hours leading up to walking down the aisle and I genuinely think being relaxed enough to trust your stylist and just overjoyed at your wedding set up being totally in hand so you can enjoy that precious time with family and friends, well could that be priceless on one of the biggest weekends of your life??

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COST.
Of course this came up the most. Yes it is an additional cost but my styling service is much more than just turning up the day before for a set up. I have initial consultations to find out about who you are and what your vision is, I will meet you at the venue and walk round with you giving more ideas for making the decor even more impactful, draw up a mood board you can then share with other creative suppliers, call you 1 month before the wedding to go over in detail all the areas for set up, a full day styling the day before with assitants, the day of the wedding for those final tweaks and back again the day after to pack up all my hire pieces so again you can be with family saying your goodbyes. I am invested with you on your styling journey and ensure every last detail is executed how you imagined it would be.

I have 7 years in the industry so a wealth of knowledge on set ups and always prepared for anything unexpected to happen, with a full styling kit with everything required to make a set up happen. I hope to add lots of new ideas and vision into the process for you too, suggesting adding in personalised touches as much as possible to really showcase a day that represents you both.

I would also actually argue that a stylist can save you money, because by using their expertise you can put more budget into the ‘wow’ moments of the day and draw back on other elements using their advice to guide the design.

NOT GOING TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE FOR VISION.

This came up a few times too. You honestly cannot offend me, if you don’t like suggestions theres nothing you have to have and advice is just that. I always like to guide couples and share what may be the best outcome visually but if it isn’t working for you then we just move to another option. Often budget for those final details plays a big part and I have helped many couples draw back on those final details but still delivered a super stylish day.

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WORRIED YOU WON’T BE INVOLVED IN THE SET UP.

Lots of you we’re also worried you wouldn’t be involved in the set up and think a team would come in and take over everything. This isn’t the case with LL at all. Usually its me you’ll see and an assistant (maybe two) who will come in and start the set up. I understand brides and grooms want to be involved and see the space evolve and always want you to feel involved though the set up day, and the same goes with family who want to feel involved, I can always find little tasks for anyone.
Of course if you want to also let the whole transformation be a surprise (and just guests only see it on the wedding day) this is possible too of course. It’s always your call with how the set up goes.
You also might only have On-the-Day access to your venue so again the set up service is super helpful for those couples who know we have a plan in place and can relax on the wedding morning knowing you’ll walk out to picture perfect decor.

NOT BUDGETED FOR ONE AND NOT SEEN THE VALUE OF ONE.

Lots of people don’t have a stylist in the initial budget because it can be a bit of an after thought. A stylist can come in earlier with your plans or later, with helping with the set up for your own vision. I offer a ‘Lend-A-Hand’ package which is a set up and pack down service essentially for those couples looking to have a creative eye on board but realised later in the planning the value of help with setting up.

Are you considering a stylist? Do you have any other concerns or questions about how a LL set up happens? I’d love to hear from you, feel free to email or message and find more on my styling services here.

Images – Nicola Dixon Photography / Workshop – Wild Ones Community / Shoot assistant – LW Events / Styling and Hire – The Little Lending Company / Flowers – SassFlower/ Venue – The Giraffe Shed / Dresses – Jean Jackson Couture / Mens Suit – Asos / Chair Hire and Tableware – CMA Hire / Hand dyed Linen – MiaSylviaa

Penny x

INTIMATE CHAUCER BARN MID-SUMMER WEDDING.

Posted on January 31, 2016 by thelittlelendingco

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Oh summer, I cannot wait to see you again. Mostly because we get to help set up and style more Norfolk weddings. It’s going to be fab.
We loved meeting and helping set up Julie and Matthews intimate pretty, pastel wedding at Chaucer Barn with our ‘Lend-a-hand‘ set up package in North Norfolk last summer.

Here’s what Julie had to say about us lending-a-hand.

“I loved thinking about the wedding and had an idea in my mind of how I wanted it to be, but I hated not knowing how to achieve it! Penny helped with this no end, both when we visited her to look at her collection of lends and when she lent a hand the day before to set everything up. She knew Chaucer Barn well so could visualise where we could put things and how much space there was and where etc.”

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“I thought of our wedding as classy traditional, with a touch of modern vintage (if you know what I mean!). Lots of hessian and lace. If you have a vision but, like me, aren’t sure how to bring it to fruition, then I’d absolutely recommend chatting to Penny about your ideas and she is so unbelievably creative and can add so many brilliant ideas!”

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“The lend-a-hand set up took the pressure off and helped me to get super excited about the venue! Penny really helped bring the wedding to life and I was so impressed by how out of her way she went to intertwine the things we had hired from her with the bits and pieces I’d sourced myself.”

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Supplier Love :

Venue : Chaucer Barn
Photography : Katherine Ashdown Photography
Hair Slide: Melissa Morgan Designs
Make Up: Love Moi Make-up
Hair Styling: Flamingo Amy
Catering: Andy Parle Event Catering
Props: Little Lending Company (others I bought from various places, borrowed from friends or made myself)

Thank you Julie for such blooming lovely words, really my head is swelling! It was such a pleasure to be a small part of your wedding day. And a huge thanks to Katherine Ashdown for these stunning images capturing it all perfectly.

Penny @ The Little Lending Co. X

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR WEDDING STYLIST.

Posted on August 5, 2015 by thelittlelendingco

So you’re not too keen on the idea of pulling all your hundreds of Pinterest pins together the day before? The whole idea of dressing a wedding venue makes you want to run for the hills? That’s totally OK and exactly when you need to find a wedding stylist.

Your wedding stylist should inspire, not take away any of the control from you as a couple but bring their guidance and add a whole heap of creative and practical knowledge of what’s going to make your decor rock and importantly, work.

(Photo of me at the F&P styling workshop 2015)

I’ll admit it, I do get a little bit over excited about the details. I like to bring a personal approach to my styling and make sure you’re heard through the whole process.

For our ‘A little help goes a long way‘ package it all kicks off with an initial meeting with me. It’s important you like me before I start working on your wedding. It’s a chance to bring visuals along, all your favourite Pins, magazine tears, favourite colours, fabrics, things you love as a couple, objects from home…You name it, this is what will get the creative juices flowing and as your stylist I’ll already have a heap of ideas whizzing around.

Once you have a tonne of ideas that you want to try, the next step is to walk through with your stylist in tow at the venue to see what is feasible. With a designers eye often we’ll notice an area that would be amazing dressed, you get the most from a venue when you work with it. Your stylist can advise placements and how best to use what you have collected and sourced.

Unlimited communication – Keep in touch through the whole of the planning, bring in ideas to the table over email. Often the logistics of the day need to be communicated with your stylist; where the caterers will be, will props need to be moved at any point in the day, is there a wet weather plan…Lots of queries can come up in the weeks before the day.

Have a final walk through of where each and every detail will be going together at the venue a few weeks before the day. If there are other creative suppliers that are bringing props your stylist will ask for details and arrival times. Your stylist will then work out the timings for the set up day to ensure everything is in it’s place on time.

Then, relax. Let your stylist do what they love to do. Trust what they can do. They’ll have a full kit from irons for linen creases to cable ties for lighting, so you don’t need to worry about a thing.

For a little more info and availability on our styling packages you can drop us a line here.

Gorgeous Photos in this post by Xander and Thea Photography.

Penny @ The Little Lending Co. x

WHAT IS A WHITE WEDDING TODAY?

Posted on July 1, 2015 by thelittlelendingco

So we all have an image when we think of a ‘white wedding’ right; traditional big fluffy white dress, men in stiff suits and matching pink cravats and maybe a fancy rolls royce to take the wedding party to church. Bleugh.

I had what I’d call a ‘white wedding’ and there was none of that. I am a bit of a traditionalist at heart so for me I knew I’d always marry in white though.

Here’s what I think a white wedding should represent in 2015: A simplicity, a purity and a new beginning. No fuss, just easy bridal style and timelessly cool, chic decor.

I’m totally into White as a colour and how it can have so many layers and textures. White on white is a big theme for weddings this year and I can’t get enough. Uncomplicated, clean and modern is the only way white weddings should be heading.

Georgia Young Couture | Melbourne bridal designer

Image via Green Wedding Shoes.

Image source Bridal Musings.

‘Simplicity is the key, white and greens in the flowers, timelessly cool by bringing in up to date styling, for example wooden table boxes or new glass vessels.’ Michelle at Swaffham and Fakenham Florists.

Image via Wedding Sparrow.

Image credit – Amyosaba.

Jessica Lorren | Snippet & Ink

‘A white wedding is an abundance of fresh cool tonal whites in a natural setting, a crisp white iced cake with a frothy tide of eau de nil florals, organic whisps of floaty fabrics in rinsed chalky colours. Timelessly cool whether using lace, crochet or georgette, white being associated with purity, simplicity and innocence.’ Emma at Buns of Fun.

Image source Magnolia Rouge.

Image Frosted Petticoat.

Really, you get to be so much more creative with keeping to a simple palette; bringing in more textures and light from the ceremony right though to the table tops. As always folks, less is so much more and here in white, super duper stylish and looks so damn fine in photographs for years to come.

What does a white wedding mean to you? We’ve a whole heap of white on white ideas on our ‘White Wedding‘ Pin board.

Penny @ The Little Lending Co. X

THE DAY BEFORE YOUR BIG DAY – A GUIDE TO TIMINGS.

Posted on June 10, 2015 by thelittlelendingco

You’ve planned the big day down to the hour and you know exactly when your due to have a glass of fizz in hand and when you’re due to be heading to the dance floor to shake your grove thing…All your suppliers know exactly where they need to be when but have you put as much thought into the day before? It’s worth giving it some or you might find yourself still at the venue when you should be enjoying cocktails with the girls and getting those nails nailed! Hopefully this little guide will leave you with more time to spare to enjoy the build up on your last night as a free woman…

Getting ahead : Be sure to start a list a few weeks before with everything you’ll need at the venue and start allocating helpers; get some muscles around but also maybe a mum with some patience for fiddly jobs.
From irons for the linen to scissors, tape, pins and more, get those bags pre-packed. Check that the venue has a ladder that you can use if you need one. Also ask about any extension cables for electrics too if you have light or sound to go in. And don’t forget to pack gaffer tape for unsightly cables.

THE MORNING :

Unloading cars : Well I’m kind of a pro now at packing and unloading vehicles! Try to pack as much as possible before the morning into stackable boxes for the car. Leave yourselves at least 30 minutes for each car load (with one person) or get as many people as poss to grab a box to take in if you’re doing multiple car loads to the venue.

Hanging things first : This always take longer than you think, allow 1-2 hours. Always do this first as you don’t want to be doing it around the furniture later. Put two people on this so they’re not going up and down ladders as much. Maybe ask your venue if it’s something that can be done the day before the day before.

Gazaebos and Structures : Seriously, leave these for the boys to do! Allow 1-2 hours. Make sure they have the instructions (although, if they’re anything like my boy they won’t read it any way!) Again, ask if your venue would let this go up before the day before if you’re doing it yourselves. If it’s a ceremony structure think about guy ropes if it’s going to be up overnight.

People : Make sure you have enough hands on deck. It’s important to leave yourself free to check everything over and give direction (I loved this bit!) Leave others to pop out and get anything so you’re always around. I would have about 5-6 people around to help on the day, any more you’ll find people aren’t that helpful and just getting under your toes. Use people to put items in the right areas in the morning or near the tables they will be going onto.

AFTER LUNCH :

Prepare Stations : Sweet tables, cake table, cards and gift book table – take your time on these layering the props you have and creating height and interest. Allow 1-2 hours. If your florist needs to add to these and they’re coming down on the day of the wedding then leave a note on the specific stations for them, it’s not always possible to decide on flower placement until the you see the set up.

Table Tops : The last thing to decorate. Put the linen on tables last to keep them looking crisp. Your venue might have dust sheets but some people/catering companies like to dress tables on the morning even. Do one table setting with favours etc for your caterer to follow, will save you loads of time!

Styling your aisle : If your getting married at a church or another place to your reception and you’re adding extra decor here leave this until most of the venue is already set by the afternoon to give you peace of mind. Leave yourself an hour for this.

Lighting : Add this after your main table centres once all decor is done (unless it’s hanging lighting of course) it’s easier to fit in afterwards and see where you’d like a little candle light.

Before you head off : Cover everything with a dust sheet. Pack away all the packaging and boxes from out of sight (you’ll still need quite a few people around for this.) If anything needs to be set up outside on the day leave it all together by the doors for your venue staff with a picture or sketch even so that it’s spot on.

If you’re styling your own wedding be sure to check out our A-Z guide on ‘How to style your own wedding‘ or ask about our styling services to help make your day before less of a chore…

Images via Wedding chicks, 100 layer cake.

Too excited for all our Lenders this summer…
Penny @ The Little Lending Co. X

CREATING A WEDDING MOODBOARD.

Posted on May 13, 2015 by thelittlelendingco

So it’s all pretty hectic over here right now, we’re in the midst of wedding season so each week we’re prepping props and decor, writing signage boards, loading and delivering goodies as well as replying to heaps of new enquiries for this year and next. I’m loving the buzz of it all already but does mean that I’m having a little less time on blog post planning…

Not only are we up to the usual lending we’re also dipping into a few creative shoots this month with some fantastic local talent. This week I’m squeezing in prep for a beautiful high end shoot at the beach, think of a beautiful nomad traveller bride riding her horse on the beach to meet her man for an isolated costal ceremony…It’s going to be stunning.

It’s really important when I plan shoots to make sure that all the suppliers involved have clear direction, much like your wedding suppliers for your wedding really. Pinterest is an amazing tool but once you can pin no more or that wedding scrap book is fit to burst, it’s time to nail some key images down for a really focused look for your day and that you can then print and save for all involved. As I’ve just finished my board for the shoot I thought I’d share it with you.

You don’t need a fancy program to create a mood board, just word or powerpoint to drag and drop images onto.

– Pick 3-4 key colours and a highlight, from your wedding party and colours through the venue.
– Select images that you have gone back to time again and literally love to make it onto the board.
– Use key a image from each area of your wedding design: a key dress silhouette, hair and make-up look, overall venue mood, place setting and table decor, flowers, maids and men, props and pretty…The images don’t need to be exactly right it’s just to give a direction your wedding is taking.
– Leave space around the images to breathe.
– Add in wedding stationery fonts for your text. Annotate as much as you need.
– There should be a flow across the board and be a clear mood expressed, e.g Classic elegance or Relaxed and Rustic…

Remember a moodboard should give the general feel of your day, it just gives an overall mood so don’t dump your scrap book by any means as you’ll still go back to this for meetings with specific suppliers but it will really help you two understand how you want the day to look and feel first too.

Keep your peepers on our IG and FB pages for snippets of the shoot on Monday.

Happy moodboarding,
The Little Lending Co. X

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

STYLING YOUR RUSTIC SPACES.

Posted on October 27, 2014 by thelittlelendingco

Back in August we were asked by the gorgeous Emma at Coco wedding Venues with her rather fabulous wedding blog to style feature that was right up our alley. ’15 Rustic Wedding styling tips.’ Of Course I jumped at the chance and couldn’t wait for a day setting up our wares at Godwick Great Barn in the middle of the Norfolk countryside.

The beautiful barn backdrop and remote setting was a rustic prop hire companies dream space. We asked Summer Love Photography to take all these stunning photos and The Country Garden Florist to bring along her fresh florals to help us pretty the props. A big thanks to Rose and Glory Cake company too for the dove grey stacked cake.

There is never just one idea for our props, and we’re all about thinking outside that styling box for new and exciting ways to use our timeless treasures. From our much loved vintage bike to our working typewriters there’s sure to be something to inspire your styling for all those relaxed wedding venues you’ve chosen. Filling cubby holes with old storm lanterns to troughs stashing your favours, cute crates filled with blankets to DIY tipi’s topped with antlers and foliage…I’m going to let the pictures do the talking.

Be sure to read our top tips on Coco Wedding Venues for styling your barns, meadows, paddocks and tipis with our array of informal decor that will really nail that laid-back look…

Pop to ‘Our Products‘ for more information and pricing of our pieces or contact us here for availability.

Are you going for the romantic, rustic style then? We’d love help…
The Little Lending Co. x

TO THE MANOR BORN.

Posted on August 21, 2014 by thelittlelendingco

This shoot was our first huge styled shoot, with models, make-up artists and 2nd photographers – the lot….to say this was not a big deal I would be lying. When I started The Little Lending Co. I knew wanted to work on styled shoots – the kind that really get brides excited, enough to make ooooh noises but getting big and beautiful shoots together is no mean feat.

Turning up at Godwick Hall with all our props back in April to meet lots of amazingly talented suppliers that wanted to work with me was pretty surreal. I was about to style and co-ordinate a Bridal shoot. I knew I wanted to use our original pieces in the range, most of them with some kind of story or past to them, to add character and timeless decoration to this Country Manor shoot that I’d been pinning images for for weeks. Through our styled shoots I always hope to take timeless items and work on new ways of dressing tables and spaces to give a little difference and new take on an old-time piece.

Godwick Hall with it’s high georgian ceilings and eclectic decor worked so well as our setting, creating our manor born shoot with a touch of highland heritage through the use of our Antlers, Reindeer Hides, old books and brass we created a vintage inspired shoot with an edge. It was also our first play with handwritten signage on our boards too, the romantic Shakespeare quote ‘When I saw you I fell in love and you smiled because you knew’ is my favourite yet.

I’d worked with Darena at DSPhotography before and had every confidence in the magic she could create through her use of light and I’d stumbled across Donna at The Country Garden Florist and her gorgeous shop earlier in the year with the most luxurious and bespoke handwriting I knew her ideas would be perfect. There were other ladies I’d worked with like Georgina Suzanne MUA and couldn’t wait to work with again, and Laura of Bettys Beauty, Kirsty at Zanys Boutique Hair Salon, Melissa Morgan Designs and Screen the Starlet Dresses I just couldn’t wait to see them shine. It was Georgie and Adam at Sandra Reynolds Agency that really made a perfect pairing in front of the cameras that day though.

It was so special to see the shoot featured on Whimsical Wonderland Weddings blog. To see our first big collaboration shoot featured on such a well-loved blog gave me immense pride. Definitely a first year highlight. Read all about the inspiration and details behind this shoot here.

Are you inspired to have a country manor styled day, and intimate little affair with opulent details? I’m thinking vowel renewal already…

Thankyou to all the gorgeous people involved with this shoot, so very proud of you all.
Penny @ The Little Lending Co. x

the little lending company

Tag Archives: wedding styling

WHY DO I NEED A WEDDING STYLIST?

INTIMATE CHAUCER BARN MID-SUMMER WEDDING.

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR WEDDING STYLIST.

WHAT IS A WHITE WEDDING TODAY?

THE DAY BEFORE YOUR BIG DAY – A GUIDE TO TIMINGS.

CREATING A WEDDING MOODBOARD.

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

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

STYLING YOUR RUSTIC SPACES.

TO THE MANOR BORN.

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