Earlier this year I was delighted to be asked to interview renowned cake-maker and sugarcraft guru, Lindy Smith, for her new DVD. We had such a fun morning and I am still in awe of the utterly fantastic works of art that Lindy produces - it just doesn't seem to do them justice to call them 'cakes'! Here is a clip from the DVD where Lindy shares some wedding cake tips with me.



Do visit Lindy's Cakes website where you'll find inspiration for your own wedding cake along with a wonderfully well-stocked online shop that sells everything from cookie cutters to (my favourite!) cupcake covers if you fancy having a go yourself. You can also order Lindy's Wonky Cake & Cake Jewellery DVDs if this week's Wedding Tip Wednesday has whet your appetite!

Until next time,

Labels: decoration, supplier, tips, wedding-tip-video

When we discover fantastic suppliers it's all we can do not to shout it from the rooftops! Passionate people who are genuinely interested in the work that they do and care deeply about the service that they offer - these are the type of people we love working with at Magic Dust.

So you can imagine my delight at having the chance to get to know Carrie Harlington of Wines Unfurled a bit better this week. Wines Unfurled are the sole UK agents for nine independent wine producers and they pride themselves on working with undiscovered winemakers throughout the world who strive to produce the very best wines they can without compromise.

The result is a fantastic business, run by Carrie, her husband Jerome and father-in-law David, based in a beautiful converted chapel in Thame and dedicated to delighting people with their service, and of course, their wines!

If you're lucky enough to have found a venue for your wedding that allows you to either bring in your own wine, or where the corkage charges won't make this an unviable option, or if you're planning a marquee wedding on private land, you really should get in touch with Jerome and ask him for his advice about which wines to pair with your wedding breakfast. You'll almost certainly be pleasantly surprised by the cost of the wine and I know you'll be amazed at the level of customer service you'll enjoy.

If you live close to Thame then why not keep an eye on the dates of their wine tasting evenings. Excellent value for money and a wonderful opportunity to taste some new, exciting wines, find out about them from an expert, and enjoy canapes designed specifically to complement the wines on taste. A thoroughly lovely way to spend an evening - I'll see you there!

Until next time,

Labels: budget, caterer, supplier, tips

It's Wedding Tip Wednesday and today I'm sharing 3 tips to help you plan your marquee wedding with the minimum of stress and no last-minute panics!



We dedicated an entire issue of our email newsletter to marquee weddings earlier this year. If you missed it, just drop us an email to info@magic-dust.co.uk and we'll send it straight to you.

And you can find our other Wedding Tip Wednesday videos here.

Until next time,

Labels: tips, venue, wedding-tip-video

We've been inspired by a spot of work in Paris this week so I thought it only right to share with you an interesting French wedding tradition. I'm a big fan of observing the traditions that mean something to you both and actively ignoring the ones that don't and this little gem highlights the importance of marrying the right person, for all the right reasons, and planning your wedding celebration together!

Apparently, the bridegroom at a French wedding is not only responsible for paying for, but also for choosing the bride's bouquet and delivering it to her on his way to the ceremony. Does the very thought of this bring you out in a cold sweat or does the romance of the gesture bring a tear to your eye? I'll admit I'm caught somewhere between the two!

Imagine that you've set your wedding priorities and budget together, working through your likes and dislikes before deciding on the key elements of your celebration. Consider the fact that you're close enough, and know each other well enough, to have reached compromise without too much argument and are level-headed enough to know that your wedding day represents the first day of your marriage not an expensive, blink-and-you'll-miss-it, show of wealth (or debt).

If you've worked in partnership on the plans for your wedding day, stopping short of describing your wedding dress in full detail perhaps, why on earth would you be worried about the person you're committing to spending the rest of your life with, making a decision about a floral bouquet that you're going to carry for approximately 15 minutes before getting bored of it and looking around for someone to off-load it too?

If, however, you have struggled to agree on anything and have given up trying to have a conversation about anything to do with the wedding short of, "Just make sure you're there by 1pm" then observing this French tradition might well cause you a few sleepless nights.

Highlights the importance of good communication, compromise and trust perfectly I think, and if they're not the ingredients of a strong, happy and long marriage, I don't know what are. Vive la France, romance and pragmatism in one tradition as well as the best red wine and runny cheese in the world!

Labels: style, tips

It's Wedding Tip Wednesday again and, as promised in last week's video, I'm sharing some tried and tested tips for setting your budget and making it work really hard for you throughout the wedding planning process.

If you haven't already worked out your priorities then please do watch this Wedding Tip video before the budgeting one - it will make your life easier, we promise!





And if you want more, you can read more of our tips on budgeting for your wedding here.

Until next time,

Labels: budget, tips, wedding-tip-video

Colour trends - Spring yellow with a touch of elegance...

Colour:
A warm yellow - set off with black to give it that elegance/class sense of formality.

Styling:
Black table cloths
Yellow satin table runners
Satin yellow napkins
Black chair covers with yellow sash
Black vases/pots with bright yellow flowers

Favours:
Yellow boxes with black ribbon filled with chocolates
Yellow or black noodle boxes
Whatever the favor may be, wrap it up in shiny yellow wrapping paper with a black ribbon

Flowers:
Yellow tulips, chrysanthemum, dahlias, calla lilies, gerberas, orchids, roses, carnations, alstroemeria

Moodboard source: Snippet & Ink

Fashion:
Brides can add a wide black ribbon for a waist band or a black sash for the reception - I love this look.
Bridesmaids can go for a brighter appearance with yellow dresses - just perfect for a less formal affair. Remember that yellow can be a difficult colour to wear so, if that is the case, turn the colours around - there's nothing classier than a little black dress, just save a splash of yellow for the accessories!

Stationery:
Monogram everything! Add a personal touch to your:
- Invitations
- Ceremony booklets with black cover and yellow ribbon for the spine
- Place cards
- Table numbers in shiny black frames A5 size.
- Menus
- Cocktail napkins with monogram for pre-dinner drinks
- Seating Chart

Cathrin D'Entremont Weddings (Australia)

Labels: decoration, guest-blogger, stationery, style, tips

Wedding Tip Wednesday is here again and we're going back to basics to talk about the importance of setting your priorities early. Making a date to do this as soon in the planning process as possible will save you time, money & untold stress in the long run - what's not to love about that!



As mentioned in the video - you can find our handbag-sized wedding planning questionnaire & planner here, and you can go read more tips on setting your wedding priorities here.

Until next time,

Labels: tips, wedding-tip-video