Wedding Advice Archives - The White Emporium

Wedding Floral Inspiration 2018

12th January 2018 by Gemma Leave a Comment

Now this is just a very little snippet for some of the floral inspiration in 2018. I love flowers and incorporating them into my styling, both working with trained florists and having a dabble myself, in recent years my tastes have swayed to the wild, natural and untamed. A firm advocator of the home grown I love foraging and the rise of flower farm small holdings. Now flower terminology is not my forte, I can create a stunning display but please don’t ask me to remember flower names, so any florists amongst you reading this blog please don’t call me out on the inaccuracies and just cringe quietly into your cup of tea.

I have also noticed a movement against the word trend, now I believe that weddings should be personal and unique and represent the couple behind them and this is the ethos I use behind all weddings. However trends do exist, trust me after 8 years of being a fashion designer even an anti trend is a trend! So incorporate the elements you want to, in ways you want to, don’t feel pressured into following certain movements just take these ‘trends’ as inspiration and build your wedding your way.

Grasses and Seeds –

This has to be one of my favourite floral movements coming through in floral inspiration 2018, pretty much because its so versatile. Pampas grasses have taken the wedding industry by storm and it’s about time they got some positive press after the whole 70’s swinger innuendos. Fill large glass vessels with tall grasses and exploding seed heads of all shapes and sizes including bamboos and cotton, vintage bottles (which we have loads of Vintage Bottle Hire )look so delicate and light when filled with grass stems and I love the contrast against the cold hard texture of concrete. This is great for the scandi movement and the air of simplicity we see floating across from Europe. Create beautiful airy tablescapes with striking china layered upon crumpled linen table runners.

A mix of grasses both fresh and dried. Image found on Silk and Willow Instagram Page.

Pampas Chandelier by http://marylennox.de/

Full of seed and bud goodness. From one of my favourite floral designers… Soil and Stem

Simplicity is beautiful, Image Source Unknown

Moody Mixes –

Probably the complete opposite of the above trend, here comes the dark and dramatic. Use bold floral choices and unusual flower combos, mix rich hues with soft undertones, orchids with roses, pale pinks with dark mauves and highs with lows. This is a kind of everything goes trend, as long as there is an underlying dark tone running through the florals then this is your chance to be bold and dramatic. Perfect for intense back drops and floral installations.

Bouquet by Floraeforay http://floraeforay.co.uk/

Look at that height! Image found on The Bridal Theory

Mix colours and unusual flower combos. Image found on Rose and Bud Insta page.

Delicate –

Pairing it all back to the simplistic vibes, the need for neutrals and airiness is running through a lot of home décor trends at the moment. Plants such as honesty have been popping up all over Instagram and the emergence of dried flowers and grasses have been filling my screen shots folder. Think about dried flower boquets, head pieces, backdrops and place settings. I love the depth of texture created when using dried foliage, perfect for layering over rustic tables and fabric runners. What’s not to love, especially when we have hundreds of various rustic and unique bottles waiting to be filled with something beautiful!

Dried Bouquet Image found on https://www.fairmavenfloral.ca/

Image Source Unknown for this beautiful dainty bloom.

Another from one of my favourite Instagram feeds… Silk and Willow.

One of my favourite plants! Image found on The Lane Wedding Inspiration

The amazing thing about social media, is the whole wealth of inspiration out there, I have more screen shots on my phone than photos, so don’t be afraid to step outside of the ‘norm’ when looking at floral inspiration 2018. There’s going to be so much beauty gracing our screens this year!

My next blog post will be looking at some key colours coming through this year.

Have a lovely weekend.

Gemma xxx

The White Emporium

Image Links top to bottom –

Silk and Willow Instagram

Mary Lennox

Soil and Stem Instagram

Florae Foray

The Bridal Theory

Rose and Bud Instagram

Fair Maven Floral

The Lane Wedding Inspiration

Top Three Styling Trends 2018 –

18th November 2017 by Gemma Leave a Comment

In the first of a series of blog posts I will be looking at some of the key styling trends of 2018, with details soon to be hitting the new wedding scene, don’t worry the good old brass candle stick isn’t going anywhere, but it does have some new friends to sit with.

Like all trends they are influenced by social movements and whats happening in the world of interior design, refined by wedding creatives in styled shoots they then find themselves as key parts of your day.

Transparent –

This year we have seen the introduction of Perspex as stationary material for the use of everything from table plans to place names. This now goes one step further with ghost chairs and Perspex tables making their way across the Atlantic from the dreamy outdoor weddings of California. Admittedly a ghost chair isn’t for everyone and I would always pick a chair to suit the venue, they do however add an amazing level of light and freshness to your wedding décor. Not quite sold on the Perspex then glass will be in abundance, next year I look forward to writing table numbers on glass photo frames and filling large glass distillers with an array of grasses and greenery.

Ghost Chairs

Transparent Plinths perfect for filling and stacking.

Perspex plate layering – whats not to love!

Backdrops –

Nothing makes for a blog submitting wedding more than a dramatic backdrop. Whether that be at the bottom of your aisle or behind the top table. Stylists and florists are getting more and more creative in their designing and the results are all about adding that wow factor. A lot of it is about building on textures and this is where a stylist and florist working together can really come into their own. Key materials include of course Perspex and glass, but also softening chiffon and wire frames, really think about depth of framing yourselves with adding in plinths and details on the floor, such as candles and Perisan rugs. Shapes of backdrops are changing as well, crescents and circles are key shapes for floral designs and chiffon and fabrics are suspended in the air as if they are floating. A simple archway turns into a grid and the flowers just get more dramatic.

Chiffon Drapes Appear To Float

Circle is the new square!

Grids are perfect for building layers of floral displays on.

Grazing Table –

2017 was the year of the doughnut 2018 will be the year of the grazing table and the rise of the savouries! (Yes finally!) A cheese board has never looked so good when it its styled with an array of meats, antipasti, chutneys and breads. This isn’t going to be just for the rustic lovers either, think about adding Perspex (oh gosh I said it again) stands and marble trays to create light displays or go full on with wooden crates, slate tiles and wooden serving boards.

Grazing Table – Yum!

Grazing Table With A Light and Fresh Feel

Grazing Table Of Dreams

For more inspiration and styling trends 2018 head over to my Instagram feed and Pinterest boards ( The White Emporium Pinterest ) where I pin away to my hearts content. Why not head over to our hire page to see what decor would be perfect for styling trends 2018… Hire Page

Next week I will be looking a little more at floral trends.

Love

Gemma xxx

5 Top Tips for Planning Your Magical Christmas Wedding

15th December 2016 by Gemma Leave a Comment

Happy Thursday! I am delighted to have below the first ever guest post from the lovely Jo Cowan and Claire Chapman. They run Belle Bridal in London and are here to guide you through all things Festive wedding! Enjoy ….

With long nights, clear frosty mornings and cuddling in front of an open fire, Christmas is one of the most romantic times of year. When planning a wedding, there’s no better time to choose if you love accessorising and making your wedding fit to burst with little touches that bring out the magic of the day.

You’re almost so spoiled for choice for winter wedding ideas that it can be difficult to nail down some ideas — but fear not! Here are five important things to keep in mind while you organise your special day that can give it that gorgeous winter twist.

1. Play Around With Your Lighting

The long nights of winter mean one thing: fairy lights and fires. When the Christmas lights go up, the world instantly seems brighter and the winter blues are chased away. Experiment with lights draped in different patterns around your wedding venue. If you have a wedding space with an outdoor area, you can make use of the trees and bushes to drape lights through. You could even spell out your names in the lights, or make love hearts.

Image Found on Rock My Wedding. Photo by Amy Fanton

For a more intimate feeling, you can really make use of candles to your advantage. Not only are they inexpensive, but the flickering light will create a warm glow that’s flattering for all ages. Just make sure that you try your makeup out in candlelight before your big day, to check that the tones work. If you accessorise with jewellery, try and choose jewellery that catches the light, to better reflect the flickering candles and create a truly romantic atmosphere.

Image Source Unknown

Embrace the Whimsical in Your Table Settings

If you’re crafty, you can really go all out with creating your own whimsical table decorations for your wedding. Instead of name cards, why not make gingerbread biscuits with names on them? Or how about collecting baubles for each guest with a name card tag attached? Not only are they seasonal, but they’re create memories of the day for your guests to take home.

Image from White Woods Wedding

You can also theme the food and drink to reflect a wintery feel. Have mugs of hot chocolate ready and waiting on the tables for your guests to warm up with, and instead of a punch bowl, how about some mulled wine? Decorate the middle of the table with fake snow and candy canes and the tables will look beautifully festive.

Image found on Want That Wedding

Hunt Through Wedding Dress Sales in London

Christmas is off-season for weddings, so take advantage of this and browse through the wedding dress sales in London or your nearest big city, to see what you can find. Wedding dress sample sales in London are great ways to find something spectacular that you possibly wouldn’t be able to afford at other times of the year.

When choosing your dress for a Christmas wedding, don’t just think of it as just a dress, but part of the entire outfit. You can accessorise with gloves, faux fur shawls, stockings and other layers that will both keep you warm and add to your outfit’s overall look. When you’re visiting wedding dress shops in London, you can hunt through vintage jewellery shops, looking for oversize pieces that will reflect the candlelight.

Image found on Closer

For a Christmas wedding dress, look at styles like ball gowns or lace-covered wedding dresses. While spring and summer are seasons where less is more, in the winter, you can be more excessive with your dress and style. Choosing a dress that’s more covered up is also an excellent way to keep warm, as well as being a beautiful option when done right.

Be Bold in Your Colour Choices

Winter is the time for dark, rich colours like emerald green, dark teal, burgundy red, royal purple, silvers and golds. If you’re choosing fabrics, then pick satins, velvets, or something similarly heavy will bring warmth into the room. You can match the colours in your table settings, your flowers and your wedding party outfits.

Image found on I Found You Wedding

Colours aren’t only important to make the room more interesting, but they can also change the mood of your guests. Depending on what atmosphere you’re trying to create, aside from the dark, rich colours bringing warmth and opulence into the room, choose colours that you want to reflect the tone of the day.

Image found on Old Parish Rooms

Don’t Be Afraid of Accessorising

An important tip from wedding dress fitters is to take the accessories and shoes you’re planning on wearing with you when you’re fitted. So when you go to the wedding dress shops in London, make sure you take some of the accessories you plan on wearing with you. Especially for a winter wedding when you’re free to accessorise so heavily, the shoes, jewellery and layers you’re planning on wearing can make or break your decision about a particular dress.

It doesn’t have to be just jewellery, either. If you plan to have your hair up, you can even accessorise with natural red berries or pine cones, or sprigs of holly, as a small bit of colour in your outfit. You could even go bigger and make yourself a flower crown. You’re sure to look beautiful and to carry the feeling of Christmas with you as you walk down the aisle.

Image found on Whimsical Wonderland Weddings

Christmas isn’t a time to hold back when you’re planning your wedding. If you’ve chosen a date during winter, go all out in decorating and accessorising. Your guests are sure to remember the magic of the day for many years to come.

Image found on The Lake House Sunshine Coast

Author Bio: Jo Cowan and Claire Chapman have been running their wedding dress company in North London for over six years. Belle Bridal is a family-run business which aims to deliver the highest standard of service. They specialise in sample dresses, so you can get a designer gown at a fraction of the price.

A Little Close Up Part 2 – Venue Styling

24th June 2016 by Gemma Leave a Comment

First question and the most important? – What is a venue stylist and why do you need one? A venue stylist will ensure the vision for your decor is perfectly executed and exactly as you imagined. By having all the props to hand it is easier to create the exact look you have spent the past few months and years pinning about. The main ethos behind The White Emporium is helping create a wedding that is completely unique to you and reflects the love and personality behind each couple, expressing yourselves through your decoration and venue is the perfect way to do this.

On the morning of your wedding you don’t want to be fretting about the last finishing touches, so leave it to our capable hands as you relax and get pampered.

Photo by Cat Lane Photographer

We offer different levels of styling packages and can be as involved as needed and we love working with other suppliers. Our first ever wedding we hired to was a full set up and we sourced table cloths and runners to accompany the decorative props we supplied, it was certainly a case of jumping in at the deep end but what an amazing feeling when seeing everything pulled together and a venue fully set up. Every time I get butterflies and it’s almost like getting married again.

A Helping Hand £70- Perfect for adding those finishing touches and for the DIY bride without an entourage of wedding planners. Were you worrying about who was going to light all those candles before you arrived or who would make sure the blankets are spread on hay bales? We will also arrange any items you have hired from us and within reason a selection of items provided by yourselves. If you have hired any goodies from us don’t worry we will be back to collect the next morning. This option includes a walk around the venue in the week before the event to fully understand the vision you have for your event. Max length of time at venue 2 hours.

Take The Weight Off £160 – Ideal for venues who won’t let setting up begin until the morning of the event or those that have a vision and don’t know how to bring it to life. We will work with you in creating a wedding that reflects your Pinterest dreams. Come round to our glam garage and we can discuss over biscuits what you would like your wedding to look like, rummage and pull decor from our range and we will help you pull it all together. On the day of your wedding (or the day before) we can be there with or without you to decorate the venue, we will style our own props and anything you might have. We will happily work and liaise with other suppliers to make sure everything is perfect. If you have hired any goodies from us don’t worry we will be back to collect the next morning. This option includes a walk around the venue in the week before the event to fully understand the vision you have for your event. Length of time at venue depends on amount of work to be done.

Leave It To Us from £350– Planning a wedding or event can be stressful and there is always so much to think about, if styling isn’t your thing then leave it all to us. In our little black book we have a huge array of great suppliers who can provide everything we can’t, from chair covers to roll top sofas we can source everything you need for an amazing set up. Come round to our glam garage and we can discuss over biscuits what you would like your event to look like, we will create mood boards to bring the venue to life and to make sure you are fully happy. We will work with the venue and other suppliers so on the day all you need to worry about is turning up on time. If you have hired any goodies from us don’t worry we will be back to collect the next morning. This option includes a walk around the venue in the week before the event to ensure all parties are happy with the intended styling. Length of time at venue depends on amount of work to be done.

If you have any questions drop send us a message and we will get straight back.

Happy Friday!

Gemma xxx

The White Emporium

A few little tips for your big day…

29th January 2016 by Gemma Leave a Comment

I get asked all the time for a few words of advice for someone’s big day and would I have changed anything about my own wedding.

Well the honest answer is I wouldn’t have changed a thing! Not to sound cliché but I loved my wedding and I would do it all again, however I do have one regret!

So here are my pearly gems…

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Photo From Two-D Photography

One it’s your wedding, do it your way! If you don’t want a colour scheme don’t have one. If you want a simple dress have one. If you want to break with tradition and have a stone baked pizza van instead of a wedding breakfast do it! Hopefully this is the only time you are ever going to get married so do it your way, as long as your wedding shouts personality and reflects the couple you are then who cares what people think, your day will be beautiful.

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Photo From Two-D Photography

Secondly take a time out. Everyone will tell you this but your day does honestly fly past at a trillion miles an hour! It is very easy to get wrapped up in the moment, talking to guests, posing for photos. It can actually happen that you spend less time with you husband than any normal day. So take a 5 minute time out with your new hubby, take yourself away from the bustle and have a little chat and listen. Spend a few moments absorbing the laughter and sounds of everyone having a great time, appreciate what you have achieved and the actual reason that you got married and that’s because you love each other.

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Photo From Two-D Photography

So here is my one regret and the only amendment I would make to my day… a videographer, or at least someone to record the speeches. If I am honest we forgot about it, we were too concerned with the other small details and it never crossed our mind to ask a guest to do the honours, we just presumed someone would. But unfortunately no one did. I always thought I would remember the speeches, sadly I don’t. I was so involved in the moment, concentrating so much on what everyone was saying that now it is such a blur. I don’t remember our guests laughing or crying and in the few snippets of video I have seen the guests were in absolute hysterics, all of which I never appreciated. We were lucky that our photographer created a small 10minute snippet of our day, but I wish I had more. I wish I could see peoples reactions as I entered the church, hear the laughter during our best mans jokes and seeing the proud faces of our parents during our first dance. So even if you can’t afford a videographer ask a guest to record what they can, you will have memories but nothing can beat seeing it all again.

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Photo From Two-D Photography

But most importantly of all enjoy it! Don’t get stressed with the details of the day, it’s going to be awesome no matter what happens, your only going to do it once so sit back and enjoy the ride!

Love

Gem xxx

The White Emporium