personalised Archives - The White Emporium

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 Little Close Up Part 1- Hand Drawn Maps

10th June 2016 by Gemma Leave a Comment

For well over a year The White a Emporium has been creating hand drawn maps for couples all around the country. It is an area of our work that we have never really shouted about. So as the first in a 3-part close up look at The White Emporium we will be telling you all you need to know about our little maps.

It all started back in 2014 when I drew a tiny little map on the info page of our wedding invites. One of our guests saw it and loved it and asked me to draw one for them. Then a friend of a friend saw theirs and another map was commissioned, the rest as they say is history.

My Own Little Wedding Map, Where It All Began!

I have created maps of London to Italy and drawn airplanes to unicorns. As long as I can have access to photos (Google maps is a dream) I can attempt to draw anything.

Each little element of the map is hand drawn, you can include your houses, where you went on your first date, your favourite pub etc, most common is for couples to add on the hotels guests have been recommended to stay at and of course the wedding venues.

Every Element In The Map Is Hand Drawn

A Map Of A Location In Italy

So why buy a hand drawn map when printing from Google is so easy? Well every map is completely unique, no 2 are ever the same. It is another great way to inject your personality by adding in places that mean something to you and selecting the area to be drawn. The maps aren’t accurate to scale but they still make a great little tool to stop your guests getting lost. Finally once you are happy with the artwork the map is yours to keep, I hold no printing restrictions so it can be re-produced however you like as many times as you like. They are great to keep in your memory box and I have known couples to frame them, or enlarge them and use them as a print for guests to sign.

Another One Of Our Little Maps

Here’s the important bit (well for me anyway) the maps currently cost £40 (until 1st September 16) for the finished JPEG and they take at least 2 weeks to draw. I would need to know the final size you require, all the places you would like to be included and your names and wedding date. So not to much info! When you are entirely happy with the artwork you get a high resolution JPEG which is yours to print however you would like.

The Most Ambitious Map To Date, Commissioned by The Bohemian Dreams Wedding Festival

Then if you loved your map why not add on a timeline of your day to go into your order of services! These are at a barginacious £20 until Sept 1st 2016!

Add In The Timings For The Day With A Hand Drawn TimeLine

For more information or to book your map drop a message to thewhiteemporium@outlook.com

Get those fingers typing and hopefully hear from you soon!

Love Gemma x

The White Emporium

This is Me…

1st April 2016 by Gemma Leave a Comment

I have had a whole load of new Instagram and Facebook followers which I am totally over the moon about, thank you so much for following my little adventure into building The White Emporium. So I thought it was about time I introduced the woman behind the venture.

This is me!

For those of you who don’t know my name is Gemma and I am a not long 30, head strong, compulsive doodler, slightly crazy cat lady, who is attempting to take on the Bedfordshire wedding industry.

The White Emporium was born after my own wedding back in August 2014. I loved every moment of organising my own wedding, everything on the day was either made or sourced by myself and to say I was in my element was an understatement. I am not going to lie the wedding took over my life, our house resembled a scene from ‘The Secret Life of Hoarders’ and I roped in anyone and everyone to help with sticking, sanding and cutting. I had invested so much of my time and my energy into this one day, so when it was over I couldn’t bare the thought of having to give it all up. So not only on my wedding day did I marry the most perfect man I also started a new adventure all on my own.

Behind the scenes on a shoot!

I have always been very determined and after (not to sound soppy) a realisation of my own mortality a few years ago, I promised the big guy upstairs that if everything worked out I would start my own business. So here I am! Officially a business woman and owner – with a business account! Yes I often feel out of my depth and sometimes panicked by what I have started, but most of the time I am excited and constantly driven to keep building The White Emporium. However all is not easy, I still work full time to pay the bills, I often get up ridiculously early and work late with my very unhelpful cat for company, I struggle to balance my time and those closest to me suffer from the zero free time I have. The love I have for those closest to me is immense and I couldn’t be where I am without them, their support and encouragement is ridiculous and you soon learn who your true friends are when they understand why you are locked in your house painting blackboards all weekend!

An early morning start, still in the P.J s with my unhelpful cat!

It is amazing to sit back and see where The White Emporium has come over the past 18 months. I am lucky enough to have meet some pretty awesome local suppliers and together we have created stunning photoshoots that have been featured in local and national blogs and magazines. I am in my element on a styled shoot and love the planning and setting up of the different looks. I have also had the pleasure of working with some beautiful couples, these are the people that I get up for and every wedding I am involved with I get that same feeling of excitement I had on own big day. Back in January I had all my hard work rewarded when I won ‘The One To watch’ Award at the Four Counties Wedding Awards, it was great to be noticed as a newcomer to the wedding industry and what an amazing way to start what promises to be a action packed 2016!

I only went and won an award!!!

So what is The White Emporium about? Well it’s about creating weddings that are truly unique and personal to each couple. I don’t believe in the ordinary, I believe in out-of-the-box thinking and quirky touches. Weddings shouldn’t be about a rigid, structured day and a conveyor belt of brides, it should be all about the couple who are starting on a new chapter together and a wedding should reflect this and most importantly their personalities.

In a nutshell this is me and The White Emporium. For more information and to get in touch head over to the Contact page. Make sure you follow The White Emporium on Pinterest for everything we love and inspired by. Instagram for behind the scenes and Facebook for updates. Also don’t forget to follow this blog for more ramblings on weddings, I promise it isn’t always so wet!

Happy Friday Campers!!!

Gem 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

Bunting Love….

29th April 2015 by Gemma Leave a Comment

I am a dab hand with a sewing machine and bunting is one of my favourite things to make. It is such a versatile way to add colour and height into a room.

Weddings are getting more and more creative and the decoration more unique and colourful with every issue of Brides Magazine you pick up. So I thought I would share with you my top 5 favourite alternative bunting ideas.

In at number 5 – Lace and crochet bunting (did I mention we stock lace bunting)

Watch the light fall beautifully through the dainty lace fabrics. Crochet doilies and the more traditional lace triangle flags are a must have for summer weddings. Perfect for woodland blessings and old barns.

Found in the littleweddinghelper

Found on ETSY

Closely following behind at number 4 is bunting made from pine cones and ribbon. Effortlessly rustic and simple, it is a great for those who love the idea of a DIY wedding. I love the idea of mixing this with rag bunting which you can never have enough of!

No 3 – Photo Bunting! This can be incorporated in so many ways. why not make garlands adorned with images of you growing up as a child surrounded by all your friends and family. Or use it as part of a guest book, hire a Polaroid camera and encourage guests to snap away and then add the Polaroid onto the bunting. It will serve as a great time line for how the night evolves.

Image found on bespoke bride

No 2 is Big, Bright and beautiful flower garlands. String carnations ( a relatively in expensive flower) across your venue and watch the colours pop! Or string them vertically to create a sumptuous back drop.

Image found on Hello May

And my all time Summer 2015 bunting idea is…. Lampshades! A key trend for SS15 is bringing the inside out, perfect for creating a unique area. I love how the image below shows them strung from trees, imagine a relaxed seating area below and you instantly have the most sought after wedding vibe!

Image from the wedding community

We have some photo shoots coming up and hopefully we will try and include some of these beautiful ideas.

You can’t beat a bit of Wednesday hump day inspiration!

Love

Gemma xxx

The White Emporium

Hope you didn’t miss us!

22nd March 2015 by Gemma Leave a Comment

Wow what can I say! I can’t believe it has been over 3 weeks without a blog post! I am not quite sure where the time has gone, all I know is I could do with a few extra hours in my day.

So just a quick update on what has been happening at The White Emporium, we have been very busy with back to back wedding fairs where we meet a lot of lovely new brides and suppliers. We exhibited at the incredibly daunting but amazing Woburn Abbey, loved every minute and at the end of the weekend had minimal voice left after talking to so many brides.

Woburn was our first real push at showcasing our hand drawn maps and they went down amazingly. So much so we have been busy non stop sketching away. The maps provide a perfect personalised way to direct your guests to a venue. You can add in hotels that you would like your guests to stay at or points of interest that are unique to you and your soon to be husband. We have had couples highlight the location of their first date and their childhood homes.

Every map drawn is different and is unique to you. The files are sent as a high resolution so once you have received your design feel free to print them as small or large as you like. We have no restrictions on it’s final use and would love you to spread the word!

So that was a quick update on what’s been happening here, I better get back to my sketch book we have 2 lovely maps leaving this week!

Send us an email if this is something you would like to add to your special day!

Love
Gemma
The White Emporium
Xxx