Supplier Spotlight - Esemee Fascinator's

Esemee Fascinators was established in April 2010 by Suzanne Marie Edgar.
She chose this name for her business as it represented the letters in her own name [SME]
In this little introduction to her company, Suzanne tells us her story.

When and Why did you start your business ?

"I started designing fascinators when I was looking for something for myself back in 2009.
When the one I had chosen arrived I thought I would have a go at making  them myself.
I found I had a knack I never knew I had, and I liked creating them.

"My friends started asking me to design something for them, where they caught the eye of photographers at Ascot and Dubai."

"I have an eye for colour, and I love fashion and having been involved in many fashion shoots my creations  speak for themselves without having to tell a story."

What inspires you ?

"I take my inspiration from a fusion of vintage and contemporary styles, and create my fascinators to  compliment each client, so you could say I was inspired by their personality."

Whats your greatest achievement ?

"My greatest sense of achievement would be that this was just a hobby to me being a mother of two, and  now I am hoping it will turn into a promising business."

"Other achievements include being asked to make a hat for the Blackpool Gazette with my creation representing Blackpool. I made "The Big One" a novelty hat.
It was Tangerine and  White for the BFC Colours, and had rock, a donkey bucket & spades and much more.
Radio Lancashire heard about the hat and i was asked to go on the Ladies at Lunch programme where I talked about how to make fascinators etc".

"I also sent a hat to Dita Von Teese where it led to several famous burlesque artists modelling my hats, such as Sabina Kelley, Angie Pontani and Ava Garter who are good friends of Dita's."

"I have also been featured in Vogue, Asian Bride and Chaos New York."

What are your plans for the future ?

"To gain more of a name for myself. I am now having clothing designers wanting to use my hats for upcoming photoshoots, hopefully Macy Gray will be modelling my designs.
I also have 10 stockists around the UK and Europe stocking a small collection, and hope to stock further afield."

I personally am in love with Suzannes creations, so colourful and intricate and the creativity just exudes from them, I would be proud to wear one of her very fashionable designs.

To Contact Esmee

Website: http://www.esemeefascinators.com/ 

Phone: 07919 578 351

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/esmeedesigns

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/pages/ESEMEE-FASCINATORS-DESIGNER-OF-UNIQUE-FASCINATORS-AND-TOP-HATS/326296296287

Special Follow Friday - The Brides of Twitter.

Every Friday on Twitter, a place where I spend a good bit of time, there is a concept called #FF or Follow Friday.

This is basically where you promote, celebrate, give love to those people, or businesses that you have become friends with, who you think provide a good service, or who have inspired you.

Each Friday I want to give special mention to those that have particularly inspired me, made me think, or who I have great respect for.

Today I want to honour a group of wonderful people, who I have great affection for , and who inspire me daily to do what I do, and they are the Brides of Twitter.

Now that may sound a bit Frankenstein like, and make them sound really scary [ and dare I say the word - Bridezilla's], but the truth is they are just honest, hard working, truly lovely girls who want what we all do -
to have a beautiful Wedding Day.

It is a true honour to help them out, give advice, be a sounding board, and for me to get their opinions back, so ensuring with their help I grow professionally.

There are those that are already wed such as the wonderful @Cloggins @_lobsterlove_ @kayedurant @Rosiegoescrazy @missCc23 @Mysparethoughts @ourdaybydesign and @Brideontime @makemydayuk.

And there are those soon to take the plunge such as @abespokedesign @emilyquinton @PurpleandPearls @annaandthering @LoulabelleWB @phoebeirvine @omgimmarried @lmj1978 @anyotherwedding @gemmawatts1982 @W_W_WeddingBlog @LouiseOrr @LouiseHerring  @eerieindie @adizzygirl @bohobride @tattybojangles @weddinginspirer @Delapoleevents, and too many other lovely ladies to mention.

Even though I am not working with these fabulous women on a personal basis, it gives me great job satisfaction to give a little back.
If some simple thing I do can make a difference when everything seems to have gone pear shaped then it makes me really happy to do that.

To those already enjoying their new married life, Congratulations, you made it and everything went well and you are now joined with the man you love.

To those still to take that step, remember to breathe, know that you have huge support behind you and that each and every one of us wish you all the best, and are holding your hand in cyberspace.

Thank you for making me better at what I do x

Photo Credit

A Spooky Big Day - Halloween Wedding Inspiration.

Its that spooky time of year again, pumpkins, witches, ghosts and trick or treaters!
But how can Halloween be incorporated into a wedding theme?

A gothic mansion would be the perfect location choice for this theme but similarly a large hall can be transformed with clever drapery and lighting.

The colour palette used could be black and orange, but accents of deep purple and red would be effective too for this theme, and time of year.

The colour choice can be followed through in the table linen.
A black tablecover with orange napkins would be very striking.
Coloured swagging to your top table and the colour brought through in chair covers would look fabulous.

As a table centre you could consider

-Large martini glasses with orange or black sweeties
-A decorative Candlebra
- A floral display with vibrant orange hues
-Pumpkins and autumnal leaves

A fog machine would create a spooky ambience to your venue and candles, candles, candles, everywhere would help to achieve the ghostly effect.

For favours consider halloween shaped cookies, favour boxes filled with orange and black sweeties or autumn inspired candles.

As an alternative to this you could take the trick or treat element further and have a candy bar where guests could load up with halloween candy in little bags.

For the wedding floristry a mix of Asiatic lilies. viking spray chrysanthenums, roses and mini gerberas in orange and yellow hues would make for an absolutely stunning display.

The theme could be followed through in attire.
The bridesmaids would look divine in deep orange or black gowns and for the gents , this can be followed through in ties or cummerbands.

As a suggestion, if you wanted to take your Halloween theme further, your reception can take on the vision of a masquarade ball with all invited guests being in costume.

If you have booked your day well in advance it is possible to get some more halloween isnpired decoration in the previous years sale.

For your cake, you could consider a classic theme with a plain cake being adorned with black and orange ribbon.
You could also consider a pumpkin shaped cake or a cake adorned with little black cats and bats.

Cupcakes are very in right now and a mountain of cupcakes classically iced or in the style of a pumpkin or black cat would be an interesting touch.

The spooky theme could be introduced to your guests in your wedding stationary.
The choice of our quirky or just colour co-ordinated you want it to be is a personal choice.

And don't forget the pumpkins, they could be carved with wedding bells, or your initials and use lots of candles.

You can go as far as you want with this theme, with just small elements or a grand spooky affair.

For some Pictorial Inspiration for this theme, see HERE

Photo credit 1- Dessert Bar
Photo Credit 2- Pumpkin

Wedding Wednesday - The Gift List

Today I would like to focus on the Wedding Gift List.
Its a contentious issue, with lots of people, not really liking the idea of presenting their nearest and dearest with a list of things they would like.

Some find the notion embarrassing, especially if they have set up home, and being living together for a while.
But its a fact that those that love you want to celebrate your union by getting you a present.
And it is sometimes better presenting a list of things that are useful to you, rather than having a gift you will store in your garage or the guest wasting their money.
When planning your list, its better to think about items that you really need, before you go looking.
And then if you are using a Department store list, visit a few stores to see who has the best selections.

However, there are many different options these days to the traditional Department store list, and these include honeymoon gift lists and money gift lists.

Remember when putting together a list, to put together a wide range of prices and options that would suit individuals, couples and groups.
Traditionally things like cutlery , glasses and linens are popular as well as the odd electrical item.
Choose things together, and start as you mean to go on. Marriage is a partnership so even though shopping may not be his cup of tea, he will more than likely be using the items you list.

The Honeymoon gift list is a great option to either fund a grander vacation or afford you some exciting experiences on your trip which you ordinarily could not afford.

A Money gift list can be a better option if the couple have been together and living together for a while, as money can then be lumped together to buy larger and luxury items that you would like, but that haven't been a priority buy.

Whilst lists aren't for everyone they can solve the problem of six toasters and your umpteenth  bale of towels, but it is a personal choice and one that you should both be comfortable with.

Supplier Spotlight - Tiararama [ including 2011 Collection Launch]

I am really honoured to cast the spotlight today on the fabulous Suzanne Laughlin of Tiararama.
I have been a fan of her work for a while  through the wonder of Twitter, but am really excited today to share her new 2011 Collections.

Suzanne's love of fashion and the creative arts began at an early age. She is an accomplished musician who had a place at the Royal Academy of Music but decided to study banking instead!
She worked as a business analyst for a bank in The City for seven years before the call of her creativity took over again.

Having designed the hair accessory for her own wedding, her talent was soon noticed by family and friends who encouraged her to abandon her career in banking and set up her own tiara and accessory design company. And in 2005 Tiararama was born!


Her designs very much reflect her personality. She loves classical design but with a twist and also has a very theatrical, slightly unconventional side which allows her to encompass a wide range of design styles and techniques.

Known for her ability to produce designs in a range of styles, Tiararama is best known for bold, theatrical pieces and signature curled wire with beaded accent designs, together with heavily textured beaded pieces.

Also best known for her exclusively designed tiaras and accessories, Suzanne's first dedicated set of collections for 2011 was recently launched.

Tiararama specialises in designing and creating unique and bold bridal accessories, bespoke for each client and its couture service is the foundation of the company.

To cement the importance of this service Tiararama has also rebranded its couture service into Tiararama Couture and has launched this, to coincide with the first collection of hair accessories.

Tiararama Couture offers clients a high quality boutique experience and works closely with every client, from initial design discussions in its West London appointment room right through to the wedding day itself and beyond.

Tiararama Couture is proud to offer a special and memorable experience with a unique approach of building relationships and keeping in touch with many brides long after their wedding day, often creating anniversary gifts, or personal items of jewellery.

Tiararama Couture’s consultation process includes really getting to know each client’s personality as well as getting a feel for the style of the wedding day itself and the client’s face and body shape. The design process involves a set of designs being drafted following this consultation which are then discussed with the client and refined until perfect.

However not all brides want a bespoke design created specifically for them, and prefer to choose something from within an existing range of products.
Therefore in response to this, Tiararama is expanding its offering through its 2011 collections.
These new collections will appeal to a wider audience than just the couture clients but will still retain the distinctive and unique style that Tiararama is known for.

Suzanne strongly believes in offering brides a personalised experience, in terms of the accessories they choose and also the service they receive along the way. Clients are able to simply purchase collection pieces directly from the website however they will still receive personal contact from Tiararama, to ensure the piece is exactly what they are looking for.

Suzanne Laughlin, Owner and Designer of Tiararama, tells us:

"The 2011 collections have been inspired by the seasons. Each collection has a distinct look and feel, reflecting my belief that certain beading techniques and crystal shapes are better suited to different times of the year as they capture the differing light more effectively."

"The collection moves away from traditional tiara styles and emphasises asymmetric designs, allowing for bold, yet elegant, creations. The collections contain a mix of freshwater and Swarovski pearl and crystal, with more limited use of diamante. Each piece can be customised to meet the bride’s specific requirements if desired."

 “Planning your wedding should be fun and enjoyed at every stage. This is why I like to create ‘an experience’ for my clients. All brides want to feel special so whether they purchase a piece directly from our collections or they commission a piece using our Tiararama Couture service, I believe our exceptional personalised service and our stylish designs offer a fresh perspective to purchasing that special accessory for their wedding day.”

"A complementary jewellery collection will be launched in January 2011."


Spring

A mix of soft lines and textured pieces in floral and natural forms to represent emerging shoots and flowers

In this collection, I just adore "Daisy" as it just opitimises Spring, new growth, freshness, and just good times ahead.

Summer

Beautiful ball forms of curled wire in freshwater pearl and Swarovski crystal to represent hydrangea floral motifs, large flower shaped designs and textured headbands. The designs are simple, soft and have a light feel whilst retaining a dramatic quality.

In this collection I love the really versatile "Brighton Rocks", a head chain that can be worn in several different ways, its seaside inspiration is just gorgeous.

Autumn

Warm golden tones and pearls are used in heavily beaded designs to form the basis of this collection to reflect the soft, warm but fading light of the autumn months interspersed with dramatic and bright shapes representing the joy of fireworks.

I love the great story behind "Whizz" inspired by the whizzing of fireworks, an exciting and edgy little comb.

Winter

Snow and Ice are the basis of this collection. The snow represented by white Swarovski pearl with silver lined seed bead accents and the dramatic lines of ice represented by Swarovski’s sparkling Crystal and White Opal beads.

From this collection, I particularly like  "Fallen Snow", stunningly simply and classic.

Some other  beautiful examples of Suzanne's work -

Hortensia

Ice Queen

Gardenia

To Contact Tiararama

Website: http://tiararama.co.uk/

Email: info@tiararama.co.uk

Phone: 0845 370 3110

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tiararama

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tiararama/119312103013

 

I AM STAGGGERED GOES GLOBAL ! - US LAUNCH

We knew this day would come when Staggered would take over the World [ well the USA, but near enough,] and that day has ARRIVED !!

Our leading mens Wedding resource has gone Stateside to give our American cousins, the same incredible, support that our boys get here.

For those that have been living under a rock for the last year and a bit, here is the all important information that you NEED to know.

Staggered USA Q and A

The stupendously fantastic Andrew Shanahan gives us the lowdown.

Remind me what Staggered is again

"It's the UK's leading (and only, which is how we know we're leading) men's wedding website. Launched in 2009 it aims to help grooms, best men and fathers of the bride with weddings, from proposals to honeymoons. "

When are you launching and what is it ?

"Today [25/10/10 ] we are launching a brother website to Staggered, called Staggered USA.
The Launch party is at The Volstead in NYC (if you're in the US shout at brenda@iamstaggered.com for an invite).
It can be found at www.iamstaggered.com/usa,  and it's a website whose editorial mission can be summed up in three words: weddings, men, solved.
We aim to help American grooms, best men and fathers of the bride to plan and enjoy proposals, bachelor parties, weddings and honeymoons.
We also do aftercare with anniversary help and reminders."

Who is running it?

"The very marvellous Brenda Della Casa is our US editor. She's based in New York, she's a relationship expert who has written for a trillion companies like Cosmopolitan and Glamour and she's worked for Staggered from the beginning.
She can be hollered at via brenda@iamstaggered.com. Brenda has assembled a team of experts including Peter Otero from Silver Birches who is taking a break from organising parties for Brad Pitt to help Staggered US readers plan amazing parties."

Why are you launching in America?

"Because our outrageous egos demanded that we at least attempt global domination. That and the fact that since we launched approximately 20% of our traffic came from the States.
The more we thought about it the less logical it seemed to disappoint 1 in 5 of our readers by not giving them advice and information relevant to their country.
The more you look at it the more you see how different the two wedding markets are so it seemed obvious to launch an entirely separate, but linked, site."

Will you change the way you go about it?

"There will be differences in how we run the site and it will be looked after by Americans obviously, but essentially it's based on the same principle as the UK site - that we want to help men with weddings.
There's nearly 6,000 weddings per day in America (2,077,000 per annum if you want to know precisely) so there's a lot of grooms, best men and fathers of the bride to help."

Where next?

"We're looking for Staggered partners in Australia, Canada and India for 2011."

Can companies get involved?

"Absolutely. Speak to brenda@iamstaggered.com or andrew@iamstaggered.com and they'll help.
We're especially looking for photographers who have shot stylish grooms in the States to get in touch."

So there you have it, a brand new and exciting horizon, and great news for  U.S guys.
I am sure that all of you , like myself, wish Andrew, his team here in the UK, and Brenda and Peter in the U.S, all the luck in the world with their new venture.
I just know its going to be a phenomenally huge success.

To show Staggered some Love :

Website - UK  http://www.iamstaggered.com/  USA http://www.iamstaggered/usa

Email - andrew@iamstaggered.com or brenda@imastggered.com

FaceBook -  http://www.facebook.com/iamstaggered

Twitter - UK  http://www.twitter.com/iamstaggered  USA http://www.twitter.com/iamstaggeredusa

Special Follow Friday - The Glasgow Girls Posse !

Every Friday on Twitter, a place where I spend a good bit of time, there is a concept called #FF or Follow Friday.
This is basically where you promote, celebrate, give love to those people, or businesses that you have become friends with, who you think provide a good service, or who have inspired you.
Each Friday I want to give special mention to someone that has particularly inspired me, made me think, or who I have great respect for.

Today I want to honour a group of wonderful ladies who has become a friends over the last year, and who all run incredibly inspiring businesses, who will now be affectionately known as  the "Glasgow Girls Posse."

Firstly, there is Louise Graham of Wedding and Baby,  a small family based business located in the West of Scotland. With an honours degree in Product Design, making "things" had always been part of her life. Wedding and Baby officially came into being early 2009, making beautiful tiaras, headbands and other Wedding Accessories. Her designs have been worn by celebrities to red carpet events, as well as by many brides wanting to look extra special on their big day. All her items are handmade.
Louise also runs the Scottish Mumpreneur Network bringing business mums together across Scotland for help, advice and support, and Charming Angels specialising in jewellery making parties where children get to make a simple, yet stunning piece of jewellery using beads and charms of their choice, as well as being mum to a young man.
She's a great friend and confidante, and she inspires me with just how multi talented she is,and I really don't know when she sleeps
Louise was recently shortlisted for an award for best  Accessories supplier at the Bridal Magazine Awards

The lovely M.T O'Donnell runs the Glasgow Girls Wedding Guide a website, which will help you with inspiration, information and advice to plan your Glasgow Wedding with a full list of Glasgow wedding service suppliers, guest blogs from Industry experts and all the latest discounts and special offers.
Always a vision in Pink she is a fantastic businesswoman and advocate of other great Glasgow business people.  A mum to two littlies, she is soon to venture into the Edinburgh wedding market with another wing of her current business.
M.T was recently shortlisted for best Supplier Website at the Bridal Magazine Awards

Nicki McCourt runs Cup Couture , a fantastic cupcake company making  stylish, elegant and refined ranges of cakes tailored exclusively for the more discerning palate.  Cup Couture's cakes are baked fresh to order using real fruit compotes, homemade caramels and the finest chocolate Ganaches.
I have tasted a few of Nicki's creations and her Red Velvet cupcake is honestly the best cake I have ever tasted [ am open to other offers for comparison, lol !]. She is also mum to a little man and is one of the sponsors of this years Vows awards. Nicki recently made the Birthday cupcakes for the Scottish Mumpreneur event and as expected they were delicious.

Irene MacNamee runs I - Craft. After achieving BA in Hospitality Management and REHIS Advanced Food Hygiene Certificate and working successfully as a General Manager for 6 years she gave up 'paid' work to become a mother of 2 daughters and decided to pursue a more creative line of work.
I Craft specialises in - Handmade Wedding Stationery, Wedding Cakes, Novelty Party Cakes, Event Invitations, and  Homebaking. Her stationery designs are beautiful and reasonably priced and some of her novelty cake designs are spectatcular. Irene recently made the event stationery for the Scottish Mumpreneur event and did a fantastic job.
Irene was recently shortlisted for best Stationery Designer at the Bridal Magazine Awards.

Elaine Busby runs a childminding business run from her home.
Her experience ranges from within First Nursery Placement to Special Educational Needs Classroom Assistant posts in Renfrewshire [both in Primary and Secondary] with four years school experience before becoming a Registered Childminder in October 2008.
Elaine loves kids having a few of her own and is lovely, calming and really friendly girl who instantly puts you at ease. She has recently set up a babysitting arm of her business, and got married in Mauritus in the summer.
She was also a co - founder of the Scottish Mumpreneur Network with Louise.

Gillian Bell, [along with her partner Chris Cheung] is the force behind Starweds , a new online wedding gift service for contemporary couples who don't need any more toasters or towel bales. StarWeds is an innovative, unique gift list alternative which allows your wedding guests to make monetary contributions towards your dream honeymoon (or whatever else you wish to spend your money on). Gillian is a fabulous friend, an amazing businesswoman and beautiful part time model for our many Scottish Wedding shows.

Laura Ferguson -Turner runs LFT Events who organise and design Charity and Corporate events, as well as being the force behind the amazing FABULOUS wedding shows. I attended one as an exhibitor a few months ago and it was amazingly well run.

She has in depth voluntary sector knowledge and is an expert in Fundraising.
Her events range from prestigious black tie dinners to celebrity golf days.
Morag Malloy [along with her husband] runs Fission Creative, a creative brand and visual communications consultancy based in Glasgow. Their philosophy is refreshingly simple - great design, well managed. They take a pride in providing creative solutions that are on brief, on time and on budget. And the whole process is delivered with great client/agency communication too.
I have known Morag for over a year since she spoke at a Woman in Business event that I attended. She constantly inspires me, that you can have balance a successful business with parenthood, and she is a great confidate too.
Morag and her company were recently shortlisted for the Most Promising New Business 2010 in this year's ROCCO Awards.

And last but not least is the amazing Gillian Dick, who runs Find Me Glasgow, a website dedicated to bringing the city together, whether you live in Glasgow or are just visiting, these pages have been put together to let you be in the know.
If you are looking for retail therapy, places to eat, things to do with the kids then this is your one stop resource.

Like Morag, I first met Gillian at a Women in Business event, and she constantly inspires me with her passion and drive for her business. Gillian has recently won two awards - the  "Young Business of the Year Award" at the ASB Awards, and a Glasgow Business Award, for 'Best Use of Social Media'.

I want to say an enormous Thank You to each and every one of these gorgeous ladies for being such an amazing support, and a friendly ear and for helping me push on in building up my business, and for being my friends.
I salute you all.

Indian Wedding Mood Board

In celebration of this weekend's nuptuals of Katy Perry and Russell Brand, I decided to bring together an Indian Wedding Theme Mood Board. I just love the vibrancy of all the colours, and the great tradition and culture brought into such an event, so so pretty.

According to Wilkipedia, Indian weddings are very bright events, filled with ritual and celebration, that continue for several days.

Wedding traditions vary across religion, caste, ethnicity, language, region, etc. Traditional Indian weddings are generally structured into pre-wedding ceremonies, wedding day ceremonies (consisting of the Baraat, the Varmala and the Phere), and the Vidaai

Photo Credits

Line 1 - L - R - Hands -  Bride and Details - Room - Room 2 - Food

 Line 2 L - R - Bride - Stationery - Cakes - Groom - Table Decoration

Congratulations to Katy and Russell.  I hope they have a beautiful day and an amazing new life together.

The Wedding Of Dayo and Tope - Part 2 - Images by FO Photography

The beautiful day of Dayo and Tope is continued in Part 2 of  the Blog.
Link to Part 1.

Following a beautiful service , Dayo and Tope and their family & bridal party went to Broomfield Park in Palmers Green, London for their formals.
They then held their reception at the Penridge Suite in New Southgate, London.
They had around 250 guests, and changed into Yoruba traditional outfits towards the end their reception.

Photo Credit : http://www.fophotography.co.uk/

The Wedding of Dayo and Tope - Part 1 - Images by FO Photography

Today I am thrilled to feature this absolutely gorgeous Nigerian Wedding from the fabulous Funmi & Adrian Omotade -Tan  at  FO Photography, which is bursting with love and colour.

The Big Day shall be split into two parts - Firstly the preparation, and the ceremony , and Part 2 showing post ceremony, and the reception.

FO Photography are photographers based in Three Bridges West Sussex. They photograph weddings and portraits in Sussex, Surrey, London, Kent and throughout the UK.

Their style of photography is contemporary and relaxed. They try to make the experience enjoyable for everyone, and create a set of enduring and compelling photographs that show all the sparkle and fun.

Dayo and Tope were married on the 15th of May 2010. They were married at the New Testament Church of God Cathedral of Praise in Wood Green, London.

Link to Part 2

To Contact FO Photography

 

Website - http://www.fophotography.co.uk/
Email: Funmi_omotade@fophotography.co.uk
Phone: 07813 253608
Blog: http://www.fophotography.co.uk/blog/
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/fophotography
Twitter: http://twitter.com/FO_Photography