Adding that special touch to your wedding using personalised decals

Hey everyone! So I noticed this amazing product from Off the Wall Decals, and really wished I could have had it at my own wedding, so I got in touch and they've sent me a bit about themselves and some pictures of their products! If you want that special touch and uniqueness at your wedding, then please have a look at the amazing Off the Wall Decals!

Off the Wall Decals Ltd was born in May 2013 and is run from rural Wiltshire by two mums, Bethan Humble and Kate Boonham.

Bethan had the idea of vinyl cut decals for weddings and events a couple of years ago, having seen the products used in the US. With no business in the UK offering this specific type of decal, it seemed an ideal product with which to launch a business. After spending a number of months undertaking a lot of research and planning, we were well on our way. We run the business from our office in rural Wiltshire and successfully juggle the business with family routines, the school run and a bit of dog walking!

We officially launched our products at the National Wedding Shows in Autumn 2013 and loved the great feedback we had from brides, venues and wedding. We feel they can really add something special to a wedding or event and capture that element of personalisation that couples look for to make their day truly special. Best of all, they do this without blowing the budget!

Our flagship products are our floor decals, which make a real statement on the dance floor for a couple’s first dance, or can be used at an entranceway to a reception. We offer co-ordinating mini decals, which can be used on table centrepieces, hurricane lamps, favour jars, mirrors, car windows – in fact any decorative item a couple can think of using!

All our decals can be personalised with the bride and groom’s names, dates or any personal message and with a price range from £20 - £55, they really do add a personal touch to any event. They are temporary but durable and are easily removed after an event, without leaving a sticky residue. We have a range of designs to suit most wedding themes, from Classic to Contemporary, Vintage to Rustic and we also love working with our couples on bespoke designs to match a specific theme.

The best bit of our business is being a small part of a couple’s special day!

Guest Post: Decorating your wedding guest tables

Hey everyone! The lovely Ann Harris of Beauty Makeup Online got in touch to write a very interesting guest post about decorating your tables. Enjoy! xx

                                           Simple&Classy - How to decorate your wedding guest tables

Wedding decorations differ significantly not only in distant parts of the world, but also in the same country, depending on different cultural influences in specific areas. Also, based on variable attitudes towards nature and society, wedding tables are decorated in line with the prevalent opinions. For instance, if the society and area where your reception is taking place pays a lot of attention to religion, there will have to be some religious regalia, even if you are not too fond of religion. Also, if it is tradition in your area that flowers are placed on wedding table(s), people expect to see flowers and they will gossip that “there were not any flowers at Mike’s wedding” and automatically the soup will seem cold and the cakes too sweet. Simply, people make associations and have conditioned reflexes, which in return dictate their opinions and attitudes. Knowing all that, the safest solution is to go with traditional, middle-of-the-road wedding tables decorations.

Religion on the wedding table

When it comes to wedding and religious ceremonies, many people who do not really belong to religious circles still decide to have religious decorations, due to the expectations of their guests. In this field, the most explicit symbol is the cross, at least in Christianity. It can hang from the wall behind the wedded couple or be placed on their wedding table. Also, the cross as a religious symbol can be made on the tops of cakes, as well and that way also decorate wedding guest tables.

However, even if the belonging community is highly religious, the groom and the bride sometimes refuse such symbols, especially if they know that they will have guests who belong to other religious groups or do not belong to any.

Flowers for diversity

Probably the most widespread decorations for wedding tables are flowers. If your wedding is going to take place in the flower season, you can choose from the variety of flower types. Nevertheless, being married in less flower-friendly parts of the years does not mean that you will not be able to have various flower bouquets and decorations, but simply that their price will be higher. In addition, some parts of flower arrangements will have to be made with plastic versions, as well. Although this might seem a little bit cheap and too informal, most guests will not be able to tell the difference, especially if the florist does his task flawlessly.

When choosing the flowers for table decorations and bouquets, you need to accompany it properly with the wedding tablecloths and make everything match and give the impression of compactness. You do not want your wedding reception decorations look as if Al Pacino fromScent of a Woman arranged it.

Cutlery and crockery make a difference

Organizing a wedding reception or party consists of many stages and numerous duties need to be taken care of to make yourself satisfied, in the first place, and then all the guests that you invited. One of these things that need special attention is the wedding tableware. The choice of the tableware depends on the type of the reception you are organizing. Throwing a modern wedding party, where the majority of guests are your friends, means that everything is done on-the-go and the catering part is usually either a buffet table or the meal is ordered at a specific time, eaten as you chat and stand and the party is going to move on.

On the other hand, a more traditional wedding reception does not support of those swift let’s-eat-and-dance solutions, but you need to have a seat for each and every guest, together with proper decorations from the first two paragraphs and adequate tableware. If the place where you are going to have the reception has its own crockery or cutlery, you can go and see if they suit your aesthetic and hygienic standards. If not, special tableware can be rented for the reception, but you have to be aware of the fact that such a service is a little bit pricey, especially if it includes silver cutlery, china crockery or crystal glasses.

Wedding without proper decorations will most likely not be recognized as the real stuff by your senior guests, so if making an all-generations reception, do it in the traditional way.

Guest Post: Our Top 10 Canapés ideas inspired by The British classics

Hey everyone! I've been off the grid for awhile, and now I'm back! I'll explain later, but I wanted to share this Guest Post with you from the wonderful Gisella of Mimosa Delicatessen and Caterers London. Gisella and I got in touch through Wedding Hour on Twitter (#weddinghour). Are any of you on it? I will try to be every Wednesday at 9pm. So I asked Gisella to write a post on having traditional British food at your wedding. As you know, I'm American but I live in England, so for all of my American friends (and other countries), I thought it would be interesting to put this British twist on your wedding. With the popularity of all things British, such as The Royal Wedding, tea parties, etc., incorporating a touch of the good ol' UK will be a talking point among your guests.

Enjoy and speak soon! xx

Just got engaged? Congratulations! Now to the exciting task of organizing the wedding of your dreams. But it can be hard for you to decide on the theme and design of your wedding given the quantity of choices in today's world . Sure there are many images and blogs to inspire you but that can leave a newly engaged couple feeling overwhelmed with options.

Often the key to finding a theme you are happy with and that also looks spectacular is to think small. This could be a focus on where you grew up, a favorite color or a dream destination. Often a concise theme can actually emphasize what is important to the bride and groom while also creating a meaningful and memorable wedding for the guests.

As caterers, we are often asked to come up with bespoke canapés for weddings and events, sometimes with an eclectic theme. A Moroccan feast, a British inspired summer tea party and a Mediterranean candlelit dinner are some of our highlights.

In the last few years the importance of products sourcing has become increasingly important to many of us. It is no surprise then that there has been a surge in interest of British made products and a pride in what makes Great Britain so diverse. British inspired weddings are so on trend right now….

So if you contacted us and wanted a British themed canapé party then this is what we would suggest. Which are you favorites from our menu?

1.

Coronation Chicken Baskets

Mini white bread crunchy baskets filled with delicately spiced coronation chicken mousse, garnished with slivers of almonds and fresh parsley

2. Quails Scotch egg

Soft boiled quail egg wrapped in sage sausage meat with breadcrumbs. Served with a herbed aioli.

3. Fish and Chips

Lemon panko crusted salmon atop a grilled potato round garnished with tangy tartare sauce

4. Yorkshire puddings

Mini yorkshire pudding filled with rare roast beef, tangy horseradish and watercress

5. Tangy Sausage roll

Mini squares of puff pastry filled with slices of English pork sausage, caramelized onions, rough mustard and béchamel sauce, Served with a spicy tomato sauce.

6. Chicken and mushroom pot pie

Roasted mushroom topped with slices of garlic herbed chicken & a creamy chive mash.  

7. English sandwich roulade

Thinly sliced cucumber, smoked salmon and dill cream cheese rolled in a wholemeal bread base.

And to finish how about some classic British desserts with a twist …

8. Eton mess

Almond meringue topped with fresh strawberry and vanilla rum cream

9. Rhubarb and pear crumble

Rhubarb and pear tartlet topped with crunchy nut crumble

10. Grapefruit syllabub

Rich delicate mousse with tangy grapefruit and mini vanilla dipping biscuits

So there you have it- Our top ten British Classics canapés If you are planning your wedding and think this menu is exactly what you are looking for then get in touch. We cover all of London and selected areas of Surrey and Kent.

www.mimosafoods.com

nina@mimosafoods.com

Wednesday Wedspiration: Fairytale Wedding

If you didn't guess from my blog name, I love fairytales! I truly believe in "Happy Ever After" because I found my one true love after not believing in it anymore.

Do you believe in the magic of fairytales?

Clockwise from top left: trulyweddingfavors, dreamdaycakes, designstoremember, hotref,  tolove.blogspot, geekologie, faiths messenger, myinspiredwedding

Guest Post: Wedding Photo Booth

Hey everyone! So sorry for not posting very often, but I get so tired in the evenings after finishing work!

Today's post is a guest post about photo booths! They are up-and-coming and have proven to be so much fun for guests!

Check it out...

Why you should ditch the photographer and get a photo booth for your wedding

When it comes time to organise the big day, there are so many things to consider that it may seem easier to just call off the whole ceremony and run to the registry. However, you would be locking yourself out of some pretty magical moments, so it’s probably best to just suck it up and start running down your list. There are a few things you will want to do at the very top of the list. First, set the date, or if you have your heart set on a particular venue, pick the date they have available that works best for you. You will need to book in the ceremony and the reception, and then next up: the photographer. Now, photographers can be a fickle business; the best ones are obviously ridiculously expensive, and the cheap ones, well, you don’t want to go there. So you’re stuck in the middle ground, and there is nothing worse than having to pick from a bunch of photographers who all want your money, but you just don’t like their style of photographer. All brides want something personal, photography that isn’t intrusive, but that is able to capture all the best moments, and most importantly, someone you and your guests feel comfortable capturing your big day. Big job.

The solution? Hire a photo booth. Break with the tired tradition of having the whole day filmed and photographed. Honestly, your photographer doesn’t need to be there the whole day, perhaps you may want to hire one for the ceremony to ensure you have some beautiful shots of the nuptials, but beside that, you and your guests will want to let loose and celebrate once the official stuff is over, and there is nothing better than having a high quality photobooth do all the work for you. So many photobooth hire companies offer very reliable, large, studio quality photobooths with images to match, just like Treasured Mems, and your guests will love the freedom to have a little fun in the private booths providing you with some fun, memorable images to take away with you on your big day.

So don’t stress about the photographer, ditch it, and let the photobooth capture the love and excitement of your big day!