All a twitter!!

I'm all a twitter today with the arrival of these lovely little love birds.

Made for one of our brides as her favours, a whole nestfull of the little darlings arrived today ready for me to pack into their smart birdcage favour boxes. 

What do you think? 

Cute or what??

http://www.facebook.com/anniefloribunda

Fourth in the UK!!!! But want to be in the top 3

OK everyone - this is my final shout out for votes! 

Voting closes in four days time on 31st May and so far, with all your votes -  I have climbed to 4th place for the most popular wedding event decor supplier in the UK!!!!

This is an amazing achievement for little me, but now comes the hard part. 

The top three I am up against are all big companies who will probably have a lot more customers than me - 

But I am so hoping to get in the top three - 

so please, please, share this post and beg, steal and borrow votes from your family and friends for me and if you haven't voted already then please take 5 minutes to do it for me  at this linkhttp://awards.weddingindustryexperts.com/place-vote/27698/553561

Thanks so much for your support xx 

Blingtastic!

Thought you might like to see our most recent wedding that we dressed 

- lot's of sparkles! 

The starlight backdrop and matching top table cover sparkled all day and night

 I sprayed two tall vases pale gold and topped with a ball of gypsophelia and ivory roses for the top table

Pale gold pewter teapots, vintage gold cups and saucers, pearls and pale blue petals 

for the centrepieces on each table 

Our "Cherish" sign had centre stage on the top table 

Personalised keep sake box made by my friend Christine for the newlyweds

Dressed by https;//www.facebook.com/anniefloribunda

Table Plans don't need to be sensible!

Want something unique for your wedding? 

Anniefloribunda hires out props - 

This is our latest table plan idea : 

The Tree Table Plan...

 The tree stands about 9ft tall

The frames can be painted in any colour to match your theme...

 

Love birds, crystals and pearls also available to dress the tree...

Available to hire fully decorated and with table plan frames as pictured 

for £45 from http://www.facebook.com/Anniefloribunda 

Table Plan Ideas for your wedding

Sorting out and crafting until midnight - but it was so worth it! I'm excited to show you all my new idea for a table plan which I am showcasing today at Anneka and Marks wedding Can't put pics up yet, as it's a surprise for them too - so pop back later to see some pictures  x Let's hope the rain keeps off for their day - if not, I have an amazing heart shaped brolly for two that they can borrow! xx

Vintage Suitcase Wedding Table Plan

I dug this old suitcase out of my loft today and decided to give it a revamp...

I dusted it off and added some vintage lace, broken jewellery, pearls and scrap paper to turn it into a table plan for a vintage wedding...

Available to hire from Anniefloribunda with your table plan and in your colours, or we also hire the suitcase out undecorated for you to "posh up" yourself! 

www.facebook.com/anniefloribunda

www.anniefloribunda.com

DIY bride - Heart garland tutorial

Thought I'd share with you DIY brides how to make this pretty heart garland. 

Great as a substitute for bunting if your sewing skills are not good, 

made from paper and very easy to make. 

You will need:

Scissors, hole punch, ribbon, paper chain and stickers 

(or pieces of paper cut to 21cm x 4cm - one for each heart).

We used a precut paper chain pack which you can buy in hobby shops

relatively cheaply (ours cost just £1)! 

Fold the end of each strip over about a centimeter,

Attach a sticky label (or selotape) under this flap and bring the other end up to meet it and secure. 

 Your strip will now be folded in half and joined at the ends.

Place the folded paper chain under a hold punch and punch a hole about half way down the chain link. Then make another hole slightly higher. 

Open the chain link up and push the top fold down until all four holes are lined up

Thread the ribbon through all four holes and start again on a new "link". 

Thread on as many as you need and secure each end with a hanging loop knot. 

Done!

An easy way to make a fun, alternative to bunting 

that will bring lots of colour to your venue at a very reasonable price! 

Have fun making yours and come back and show us the pictures! 

Ours will be hanging in our shop window tomorrow 

when we change the theme to "Spring Bride"

For more ideas, find us on facebook:

www.facebook.com/anniefloribunda

Pop up bridal window

We've got a pop up window for a few weeks... thought you might like to see some pictures...

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anniefloribunda

Martin Lewis Style Wedding Flowers!!!...

I felt good today. It's been a lovely, crisp, (dare I say it?), Spring day in Lincolnshire and my spirits were lifted every time I caught sight of the bunch of daffodils and tulips on the windowsill. 

It got me thinking, that not many spring brides seem to consider daffodils for their wedding flower. Yet they are so sunny, so bright and soooooooo cheap. 

The perfect flower for a rustic, country wedding. 

Imagine, jugs full of them on each table or all the way down the aisle - 

you could afford to go really over the top - 

plus if you get them from Tesco at the moment, 20p from each bunch goes to cancer charities - 

I've added a piece of vintage lace and a button to mine to make them into a beautifully simple bridal posy... 

 I'm going to add some gypsaphelia to this bunch tomorrow - 

pop back and take a look :-) 

Weddings don't have to cost a fortune to be beautiful! 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anniefloribunda

Give your wedding the Martin Lewis treatment!!!!

HOW ON EARTH ARE WE GOING TO PAY FOR IT ALL????
Is that a question you have been asking yourself as you start to plan for your wedding? 
At Anniefloribunda we realise that money can be tight sometimes, that's why we have decided to ask for just £100 deposit to secure your wedding date now instead of 50% of the full amount. We also have an interest free scheme where you can pay for your wedding in three or four payments if that makes things easier for you  Just ask us for details 
We are not the cheapest venue decorator, but we are an established provider who cares about each and every one of their couples. We have several recommendations and references we can provide you with from both individuals and venues. Some people are setting up wedding businesses without realising what a huge amount of work (and commitment) it takes - they offer low, low prices and then disappear as they cannot sustain their business on these prices - so please be careful when booking your wedding suppliers. Always try to get a referral from a friend or ask for references or recommendations from previous customers. When you find a good wedding supplier - ask them to recommend others to you for different aspects of your wedding - we all have our favorites who we know we can rely on to offer a good service to you.
Remember, you don't need to spend an absolute fortune for a beautiful wedding - If you want to try things yourself then we hire, vases, china, led lights etc - for you to decorate - it's much more personal too when you get friends and family involved to make your day. For some good money saving tips, package deals, special offers and competitions keep your eyes on this blog and our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anniefloribunda
We're always happy to help - so just contact us if you've got any questions or need any help planning your day and we will try to help with ideas within your budget
 Happy Hunting!

"Save The Date" cards on a budget

Probably the simplest and easiest way to save money on your save the date cards is to send them by email!

Send a photo of the two of you and the details of your wedding or
use http://www.wordle.net/ to make a fabulous word cloud invitation! 

Or go to 
http://www.smilebox.com/wedding-announcements.html?partner=google&campaign=search_core_wedding_sitelink&gclid=COKw15jf17sCFfMctAodDVYAfg
For

Creative Wedding Announcements

Let friends and family know about your big day with memorable wedding announcements.

• Choose the perfect design for your announcement.
• Add your message, customize with photos and videos.
• Email, print or post your wedding announcement.
• It's FREE to download and personalise 

Have fun with this great app' 

I'd love to see what you create! Make sure you send me a copy and you may also go into my new book "Bride on a budget". 

Bride on a budget????

Are you, or do you know someone who is a bride on a very tight budget? 
If so, I think you're going to like this...

Those of you who know me, know that I am a wedding venue decorator and also that I love to craft. 

Weddings can be very expensive events - but I hope to show you how you don't have to spend thousands for a truly, magical wedding. 

Handmade bunting from scraps of fabric and lace -
perfect for the wedding day and to decorate your bedroom afterwards.

Over this year, I want to share with you ways that you can save by becoming a DIY bride! Each month I will choose a special subject (e.g. buttonholes, save the date cards, decorations, guest book etc) and will show you how you can make your own and save pounds. I'm giving some of my secrets away too, of ways to save on all aspects of your big day and will be adding links that you can source materials/ideas from too. 

There will also be "giveaways" and competitions that you can enter - so don't miss out on the chance to get some wedding freebies too! Simply follow our blog and comment on our posts to be entered in the prize draws. We want to know what you think and if there is a particular wedding item/subject you want us to post on then please just leave a comment. 

I will be advertising my own special offers/competitions  from my wedding website and Facebook page too :-) 

See you mid January... 

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www.anniefloribunda.com

Weddings, Washing And Wonderment!!!!!!

Washing

That's what my day has been today all washing, weddings and wonderment!

The day started with a load of washing. 

Over 100 chair covers, to be precise,  so that they could be all nicely laundered ready for their next big event! 

Harry Grimwood was supervising of course - quality control etc. 

The wash was on the line just as the postman arrived - yippie!! 

My chalk pens had arrived!!! 

(is it wrong to get that excited about chalk pens??)

Scribbled a design onto the blackboard, just to try them out. Going to do something like this for the wedding fayre I'm doing in November...

Weddings

Quite excited, as I've been given a  display space at The Bridal Lounge so am working on some ideas to display there too. 

The trouble I have is, what to take? - 

there are so many ideas and different themes/colourways etc 

that sometimes it's a little overwhelming having to whittle out your favourites - I love them all! 

That's why I love pinterest so much - a library of ideas stored away until you need a little inspiration!

I found inspiration in the most unlikely place today...

my ironing pile! 

I thought I'd flick on the portable tv in the kitchen while I ironed

and one of my all time favourite films was on...

Breakfast at Tiffany s.

Holly Golightly - such a little minx!!! 

Anyway managed not to burn anything, whilst multi tasking 

although there were a few close shaves at 

moments where I got engrossed with the wonderful fashions 

of that era... 

Wonderment! 

Enjoy! 

Cool Alternatives to Wedding Guestbooks

Wedding guest books have pretty much had their day I think, don't you? 

Hastily scribbled in and then put in a cupboard after the event to gather dust for years to come. 

Decided to do a little digging around and see how many alternatives I could come up with...
Ideas that could become part of your home, a talking point, a lasting memory of your special day, or ones that are just fun to do! 

There were quite a few, but these are some of my favourites...

 Finger Print Canvas 

Draw the outline of a tree onto a blank canvas and colour in with permanent marker.

Then leave it on a table at your reception with some ink pads, a pen and some wet wipes. 

Ask all of your guests to place a finger on an ink pad and stamp their print onto your tree, giving it some leaves. They can then initial their print with the pen and clean off any ink from their hands with a wet wipe. This is a great idea and an activity that everyone can join in with.

You are then left with an attractive canvas for your home and a constant reminder of your special day.

(If you are unsure about your ability to draw the tree etc 

- you can buy a fingerprint tree kit from our website 
www.anniefloribunda.com for £20.00)

 Sew Special

If you love to stitch and craft - a wedding quilt is a nice idea. Cut out several patchwork squares and have each guest leave a quote or note on each one with a fabric marker pen. You can then spend some cold winter evenings sitting in by the fire, sewing them together to make a quilt or wall hanging. 

 Message in a bottle 

For this idea you will need: A paper bottle, a pen, 50 paper message tags, 50 ribbons, and an instruction card 

The instruction card should read something like 

"Please leave us a message today so we can read it on our 1st or "paper" wedding anniversary."

The guests then guests write their messages onto one of the tags, roll it up like a scroll, tie a ribbon around it and then pop the scroll into the bottle. All your messages will stay there until your 1st (paper) anniversary. Then you cut off the bottom of the paper bottle and read all your messages! 

(we sell these in kit forms at www.annifloribunda.com for £15.00) 

Jenga Memories

Every time you play jenga you will be reminded of your special day!
Tip out the Jenga pieces onto a tray with a couple of pens and ask your guests to decorate a brick with some words of wisdom or a picture!


 
Desert Island/Beach Message in a bottle

 Take a Memo Miss Moneypenny! 

If vintage is your theme, then how about your guests typing words of wisdom for you and filing them in a filing tray or box. You can then collect them at the end of the evening and keep the memos in a keepsake box or scrap book. At www.anniefloribunda.com  we have a lovely old typewriter that we doll up with some pretty ribbons and hire out for weddings. We provide the memorandum, typewrite and keepsake box for a £25 hire charge. 

For help with your wedding, or to buy any of our kits, please contact us at www.facebook.com/anniefloribunda
or
www.anniefloribunda.com