Feeling daunted by the seating chart? You’re not alone, and I promise it’s more manageable than it looks. In this post I walk you through it step by step: starting with your venue’s floor plan, deciding where you and your wedding party will sit, grouping your guest list, and assigning tables before seats. I’ve also included really important advice on accessibility, with help from celebrant Kathryn, so every guest feels genuinely included, not just accommodated.
To send save the dates, or not to send? My answer is a resounding yes, and in this post I explain exactly why. I cover how they give guests advance notice to book time off and travel (especially handy for destination or midweek weddings), how they act as a lovely pre-invitation, and how they let you show off your wedding theme and build anticipation early. I also share when to send them: around twelve months before, or eighteen for destination dos.
Chasing RSVPs can be a real headache, but it doesn’t have to be. In this post I share four simple ways to encourage your guests to reply: giving clear instructions on how to respond, including a pre-addressed (ideally stamped) return envelope, offering a few different ways to get back to you, and setting a crystal clear deadline. I also pop in advice for the inevitable stragglers, because a gentle nudge usually does the trick.
Come behind the scenes on one of my all-time favourite bespoke suites. Jo and Tom wanted their wedding stationery to capture their travels as a couple, so I wove in the Taj Mahal, Mount Everest, Mount Fitz Roy, an illustrated portrait of the pair, and a now-legendary monogrammed llama. I share how it all came together in plum watercolour florals and carried through to their order of service, menus and table plan, plus the loveliest email they sent me afterwards.
Drowning in Pinterest and no closer to a wedding theme? I’ve been there, and in this post I share three ways to cut through the overwhelm. I talk through letting your season guide your flowers and colours, letting your location (city, barn or outdoors) shape the style, and letting your shared interests as a couple bring in those personal touches. No childhood vision board required, just a few simple starting points to make it all feel like you.
Pantone crowned Ultra Violet its Colour of the Year for 2018, and I’ll be honest, purple isn’t my favourite. But it really can shine in the right palette, so I spent a happy afternoon on Pinterest proving it. In this post I explain what Pantone is and why it shapes wedding trends, then share three colour palettes: Kindred Spirits softened with rustic pastels, the whimsical sage-and-turquoise Purple Haze, and Quietude, my warm, autumnal favourite.
This bespoke suite began rather differently, with a hand drawing of the tipi by Steve’s dad, which I blended into a wreath of blush-pink and ivory watercolour florals matched to Alice’s bouquet. Come behind the scenes as I share how it grew from invitations on hammered card with kraft envelopes and floral liners into a whole day’s worth of stationery: the order of service with a church illustration, an illustrated timeline, favour-jar place cards and a gorgeous vintage-crate table plan.
What actually is bespoke design, and what happens when you book it with me? In this post I explain how it differs from my personalised collection (it starts completely from scratch, built entirely around you), then walk you through the whole process. We begin with your inspiration, where Pinterest moodboards work wonders, move into a getting-to-know-you stage for your personal touches, then I send designs in stages with rounds of tweaks until it’s perfect and ready to print.
