Amalie Loves... Art Deco

The fabulous era of the 1920's is an absolute favourite of mine so I thought I'd share a few design and theme ideas with y'all...

• Beautiful feather table hire decoration from So Lets Party
• Classic posters from the era; could be of films, film stars or gangsters. Similar available from All Posters
• Kick off the theme with feather trimmed wedding invitations from Fairy Godmother Stationary
• Stunning vintage headpiece from Liberty In Love to add a bit of sparkle
• Monogrammed candle favours from We Do Wedding Favours
• Gorgeous Tiffany lamp with dragonfly detail to hire from Event Prop Hire
• Satin T-bar shoes from the fabulous Rachel Simpson Shoes
• Don't leave the boys out with a pin stripped double breasted suit; this one's from Mens USA
• I simply adore this dress from The Vintage Wedding Dress Company
• An art deco mirror bar to serve martini cocktails wouldn't go amiss; hire from Event Prop Hire
• Well you'd have to travel in style of course; I think a vintage Austin 12 Windsor from Heritage Classic Cars should to the trick!

Amalie loves... Who's Who?

Thought I'd share a very quick and brilliant idea with you which quite honestly left me peeling with laughter at a wedding on Saturday and thinking "why hadn't I thought of that"?!

The bride and groom had decided to produce a 'Who's Who' manual of all the guests which was placed on each table for everyone to read. Included was a short witty paragraph about who everyone was; how they knew the couple and entertaining trivia which made a few of the guests blush! Fantastic idea as it got everyone involved and became a great ice breaker and focal point for the tables whos guests didn't necessarily know one another. Will definitely be recommending this idea to couples in the future either in booklet format, a magazine with crazy pictures and comments or a dedicated page on the wedding website where guests can go to beforehand to familiarise themselves with the wedding party before the big day.

Amalie Loves... E and K CHARMS

Now anyone who knows me will know I love a bit of bling. Well ok A LOT of bling (my friends son calls me 'Auntie Bling' for goodness sake!). Whether it's for the usual fingers, neck, arms and ears or an embellishment to shoes, bags, belts, hats or scarves, nothing is safe. Even my mobile recently got blinged up with a new cover containing gorgeous swarovski crystals! I'm sure I was a magpie in a previous life.

I'm fast running out of space for my burgeoning jewellery collection; but can I throw any of it out? No. Unlike ditching a favourite top that's past it's sell by date or chucking out a much loved pair of disintegrating boots, the thought of throwing out a piece of jewellery just doesn't even cross my mind. Sentimental I know but I think when it comes to jewellery most of us are (and that includes boys as I've found many dodgy cufflinks and a well worn St Christopher in the back of my partners drawer!). Not all of it has to be expensive either. Frayed friendship bracelets made in school, dodgy black leather necklaces way back when grunge was in (I know I'm showing my age!), silver lockets, conked out watches, 100's of bangles, baubles and beads. Aladdin's cave would be envious.

As a wedding planner I'm privileged to know many jewellery makers and experts. This can include beautiful hand crafted engagement rings, vintage head pieces and costume jewellery all designed to make you look utterly gorgeous, and its all stunning. However E and K Charms are a little bit different. Their brilliant idea is what sentimental schmucks like me fall for every time. They make keepsakes from items which are a meaningful part of either your wedding day or from your honeymoon. Shells from the beach, flower buds or leaves from your wedding bouquet can all be gold or silver plated and turned into a stunning charm necklace or bracelet. You can then wear or keep this precious keepsake forever and pass it down to generations to come. Genius.

Amalie Loves... TASTE OF THE VINE

I was recently very lucky to be invited to an event at the lovely Lythe Hill Hotel near Haslemere in Surrey. Now I don't normally mention venues on the blog however I have to admit I was impressed by this country house hotel due to the shear range and versatility of it's facilities. Not only does it have a huge array of licenced rooms to choose from (including the only licenced gazebo in Surrey and a dungeon room!); a lovely spa, modern and character bedrooms, immense grounds including a rather picturesque lake and (and if that's not enough) an award winning restaurant. Manager Marsha Goodwin and the team are more than welcoming and are truly providing clients with a personal and bespoke service when it comes to weddings, or any event for that matter.

After the grand tour myself and some other guests were invited to stay for dinner (well it would have been rude to say no!), but before Marsha had organised a little ice breaker: wine tasting! I adore a little drop of 'grape juice' now and again and I've been to numerous wine tasting events, however none were as informative or as fun as this one. Firstly we were taught by the amazing Taste of the Vines chief sommerlier Francis Gimlett on how to taste the wines properly. I won't give this part away as this is what I believe stands this company out from the crowd; but Francis was thoroughly entertaining, informative and he truly helped us to understand the wines better when it came to trying them.

Over an hour or so we tasted a variety of wines from around the world both brought in by Francis and also snaffled from Lythes well stocked cellar. These were accompanied by various cheeses and nibbles so we could fully appreciate what went well with what (and to obviously not get us too drunk!). We each had to score the wines separately and as part of a team; nothing like bonding with strangers when in a competition! At the end some fab prizes were given out and everyone took something to take away with them, for me it was I'll never look down my nose at a Riesling again!

I found out afterwards Taste of the Vine had been going for over 13 years and have accomplished more than 2300 events. This is phenomenal and a testament to their professional approach, knowledge and passion about wine (they've even written books for goodness sake!). These guys are fabulous for any event, especially for a rehearsal dinner or hen and stag parties. They can also hold tasting events for beer, whiskey and even cocktails - now that's what I'm talking about!

Amalie Loves... GLO WELLBEING

As I was giving myself a mani/pedi last night my thoughts were thrown back to meeting the lovely girls from Glo Wellbeing at an event a few months ago. Not only were Kelly, Charlotte and the girls extremely lovely to chat to but they were also giving out free manicures and back messages to us worn out attendees. They captured my imagination immediately as what’s not to love... friendly and professional beauty experts who will come to your door and pamper you and all your friends at a great price?!

I discovered not only are they doing extremely well in the corporate sector (who wouldn’t want a reviving foot massage at lunch hour?!) but they’ve also created something refreshing and special out of the very 80’s theme: the mobile salon.

What makes them stand out is not only their flexibility but also their service; nothing is too much trouble. By Glo coming to you it saves time, money and hassle and as not everyone loves the salon environment people will be more comfortable (plus you don’t have to turn the volume down for other clients and you can also drink some well deserved bubbles at the same time!)

They will also tailor the event for you making it extra special (think yummy canapés) or fun (cheeky naked butler anyone?). The packages are reasonably priced too starting at only £12.50 for a Refresher Package increasing to the Ultimate Pamper Package worth £50 per person. Clients can also choose from an al a carte menu as well depending on people’s budgets and preferences.

So for a bit of luxury on a hen weekend or you fancy spoiling your bridal party the day before the wedding by getting them all preened and polished; giving these girls at Glo a go will not let you down!

Amalie Loves... LIMO LOUNGE

Well I’m all for being transported around in style and I believe having something a bit special and classy on your wedding day is a must. What more stylish a way to get your guests to the church (or venue) on time than a bus crossed with a limousine!

The oldie style bus (think red 1950’s with a conductor handing off the back) is great for retro weddings and I’m a big fan; however for a modern day couple who want to really spoil their guests I really suggest taking a look at the Limo Lounge. It’s a cross between a limo and a bus and can comfortably hold up to 30 guests (equivalent of 4 normal limousines or 8 taxis!). Not only has some significant time and money gone into the spec of this “limo” but it’s seriously pimped out with leather seats, carpets, wooden trim, LCD screens, DVD and satellite and a sound system (even MTV would be impressed!)

Brilliant for weddings and a fun way of ferrying guests and also fabulous for stag and hen parties and as they also provide a bar, awning's and even catering facilities!

As their tag line states - "groove on the move"!

Amalie Loves... THE OYSTER BOYS

Now oysters are definitely a bit like marmite, you either love ‘em or you hate ‘em. Personally they’re one of my favourite treats; especially with some ice-cold champagne if celebrating something special (or at anytime really as I just get cravings for them!).

Imagine my delight though when I came across The Oyster Boys at a recent event. Tucked away I spied the champagne first which obviously grabbed my attention; upon sidling up to the bar I noticed a huge tray of oysters - double whammy! Upon calming my excitement I figured what an imaginative, fun and quirky service the oyster boys would deliver at weddings and wanted to let you all know about them.

For couples who are thinking about having canapés before their wedding breakfast why not try something a little different and have a couple of very handsome and charming Scottish guys (avec kilts!) open and serve your guests fresh, juicy, delicious oysters? They will mingle and entertain your guests giving them both something yummy to eat and talk about. They can provide a range of dressings including lemon, tabasco, shallots in red wine vinegar or my favourite mini bottles of bubbles! It can be as formal or informal as you like with wicker baskets for a more rustic look to a three metre long ice bar which would create some serious ‘wow’ factor.

They don’t just stop at oysters either; Robin Dunlop, one of the Directors of Temple & Shian (the company behind the successful oyster boy’s concept) explained they can provide a full seafood bar giving guests a much larger choice and they’ve also just launched a fabulous new canapé range.

Hmmm... sorry have to go and find some now!

Amalie Loves... HAPPY BOX

Well to be fair, a company with "happy” in their name is going to grab my attention! This week’s awesome find is the innovative gift company Happy Box (think ultra modern version of a wicker hamper). Their Director Charlotte Orton and her glamorous friendly team are storming both the private client and corporate markets due to their versatile set-up, stylish packaging and the use of chic top class products. Clients can pick and choose which luxurious gifts they want in their hamper box, personalising each one to make it extra special. If their elegant black and yellow boxes don’t quite fit your wedding theme, Happy Box offer a bespoke service for arranging personalised packaging or branded gifts to match your design or colour scheme. Additionally they also provide a handy next day delivery service anywhere in the UK.

These hampers provide a brilliant alternative to the usual flowers and gifts for mothers of the bride and other members of the bridal party you wish to say a big thank you too. They're also great for engagement or anniversary gifts too, especially if you're stuck for either ideas or time.

So go on make someone cherished; give them a happy box!

Amalie Loves... CHOCART

Again this Fab Friday something beginning with 'c': chocolate! I had an amazing time at the RSVP event at the Business Design Centre in Islington this week, mainly because I got to meet a host of amazing new artists and suppliers (and catching up with old ones of course!). One of my favourite new finds (and there were many so it was a very hard choice today!) were the fabulous ChocArt guys with whom the tag line “almost too beautiful to eat...” is a slight understatement.

They have a unique product whereby they use a top secret technique to print a thin layer of white chocolate onto dark chocolate to your specific design or even picture. These stunningly beautiful and completely edible chocolates have been made for both gift items and promotional material for some top names such as Estee Lauder, Roberto Cavalli, Dior and Elle to name a few.

I had a taste of the chocolate (couldn’t possibly refuse could I?!) and although the cocoa content is quite high at 70%, it was surprising creamy and unlike other brands of dark chocolate not bitter at all. The packaging is super chic and luxurious too and would make brilliant favours for wedding guests or special chocolates for when serving the coffee after the wedding breakfast.

ChocArt Rocks!

Amalie Loves... WEDDING ENTERTAINERS

My Fab Friday blog continues and this week it’s all about the fabulous 'Wedding Entertainers' Alison Russell and her partner in crime (well slight of hand anyway) Adam Keisner. I met this amazing London based duo at a wedding show a few months ago and was absolutely blown away by their talent and skill and urge anyone who has a little bit of budget left over to invest in these guys; they truly will not disappoint.

Alison is one of the few silhouette portrait artists left in the country (if not the world) and she can cut out a silhouette which not only is scarily accurate (see mine on the right) but in a matter of minutes too (while having a laugh with you at the same time I might add!). Adam also showed me some of his magic and while I don’t wish to divulge the magic circles secrets (yeah right like he told me!) I can honestly say it’s one of the best pieces of magic I’ve seen in a long time and truly leaves you wondering “how the hell did he do that!”

Being a team means you can have both of their talents and super lovely personalities to help entertain guests for a reasonable fee and they are more than happy to travel to venues outside of the London area.

*Love* them!

Amalie Loves... PRESTIGE SPORTS CARS

For the ultimate wedding day treat for the groom, why not spoil him absolutely rotten by organising the hire of a prestige sport car to get him to the church on time?. Not only will the groom think you’re amazing and super cool; it then gives the boys something to do and talk about before the wedding (and trust me, the boys get ready in half the time and it will delay them going off to the pub and having too many!)

This fabulous self hire service is available from companies such as Prestige Cars and Dream Car Hire and in my opinion would go down a lot better than your uncles space wagon!. They both offer a fleet of impressive cars including Ferrari’s, Lamborghinis, Maserati’s and Aston Martins to name a few. You can either set up hire for a day, or if you really want him to have time to enjoy it why not book it for the whole weekend?. Logistics could be an issue so I would enlist the help of the best man, brother or usher to help with the surprise; if for no other reason than to stop the groom having a tipple before it arrives!

I’m a big fan of this idea as why should it only be the bridal party who arrives in style?. Even though the security deposits can be quite hefty, the look on your grooms face when he’s handed the keys to his dream car *priceless*.

He just won’t want to give it back!

Amalie Loves... ENGLISH CHEESECAKE COMPANY

OK, you got me; I’m a bit of a foodie! Canapés, cupcakes, cocktails (not technically food but sometimes has fruit in it!) and cheesecake are probably the most loved foodie items by me (and they all begin with ‘c’?!).

Just to be clear, we’re not talking cheeseboard cheesecake stacked on top of each other (although those are fab too!), no, I’m talking crumbly biscuity base with creamy baked cheesecake all velvety smooth and soft when you delve into it with a fork...

Yummy; and a perfect idea for couples who would like their cake and eat it (with their guests for dessert I mean!).

These little beauties featured are made by the fantastic English Cheesecake Company who I met and helped scoff their titbit tasters at the National Wedding Show back in February. They can create up to a 5 tier cheesecake feeding up to 140 guests with different flavours (including chocolate, toffee and alcoholic cakes!) and toppings including fruit, flowers, or my personal favourite; profiteroles drowning in chocolate.

*Sigh* heaven!

Amalie Loves... CUTICUP CUPCAKES

As it's "Fab Friday" I thought I'd give a shout out to the awesomeness that is the CutiCup cupcake. These beautiful little angels come in 6 different flavours with colourful creamy frosting and limitless topping possibilities including glitter and bespoke decorations to match any theme. Their range of quirky and beautiful wedding cupcakes means couples will have very happy guests munching on their own little piece of perfection either for dessert or as a special favour.

CutiCups creator Jeni Hall confirmed the quality of each cup cake: “CutiCups are freshly baked the day before your wedding and are individually iced and decorated. We are very proud to say that no additives or preservatives are added to our cakes. All you will find in our cupcakes are the finest ingredients such as lovely free range eggs, thick creamy butter and a lot of CutiCups love!”

Loving the on so on trend vintage inspired cupcakes and also the Easter range (not particularly relating to weddings we know, but they look exceedingly yummy!). View the full range or order now from their fab website www.cuticups.com

Every day should be a cup cake day!

Amalie Loves... ALESIA BARRY CANDLES

Now, lovers of all things beautiful are in for a real treat as Alesia Barry have just launched a fabulous new range of candles which are not only top quality but also smell divine too.

They are all beautifully hand-made from creamy soy wax (biodegradable, non-toxic, burns twice as long as normal wax), and the highest quality of fragrances and essential oils to create the gorgeous aroma. Because these are made to order, they take a while longer to make (up to a week), however they are seriously special and would fill the church or reception with a beautiful fragrance everyone will enjoy.

The owner Aleisa Broad told me earlier “the centrepiece candles burn straight down the middle which means the beautiful ribbon and Swarovski crystal detail remains intact. This means the client can keep the beautiful candle after the wedding or event as a keepsake”.

They are all reasonably priced too, especially as they are all hand-made using natural and eco-friendly ingredients and packaging. The beautifully votive candles would make awesome gifts for bridesmaids, mothers of the bride and groom or as wedding favours for guests. They would also make excellent gifts if attending a wedding and also Christmas or christenings (well just about any time really!!).

Please go to their fabulous website www.alesiabarry.co.uk to check out their full range.

Gorgeous!