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Benefits of one key supplier

Benefits of one key supplier

Blog

How the Iced & Spliced Experience can make your wedding planning easy

Planning a wedding can be time consuming, complex and if I’m honest, a little draining after the initial eeek of excitement has passed. So many ideas and images available on Social Media to capture your attention and confuse your mind. Pinterest is such an amazing tool for helping you plan your wedding but I know that it can also lead to overwhelm and confusion as to what you actually want (even if you thought you had a clear idea!). I see this confusion and overwhelm with many of my brides when we first meet for a consultation, and I am on a mission to help, and that is what the Iced & Spliced experience is all about! 

There are a vast array of suppliers offering services and products you never dreamed you’d need, or be expected to provide on your Wedding Day. And it can be super confusing and time consuming to deal with lots of different suppliers for lots of different pieces of your wedding.

 From working in the wedding world for many years, I know that brides enjoy the process far more when they work with one supplier for a large amount of the things they want for their wedding, because it makes everything so much easier! You only have to deal with one person, you only have to tell them your vision once and everything matches to that, you only have one lot of emails/consultation meetings etc instead of lots! That is why we offer a lot of things you need and that is what we called the Iced & Spliced Experience.

Our service list covers a lot of the essential and pretty things you’d generally be looking at having to decorate and style your wedding day and we package them together to make the whole planning process easier, less stressful and more enjoyable. Because that is what your wedding planning should be!

 

So, what are the benefits of having one company to provide several services for your Wedding?

1. One person to contact instead of several

Your ‘to do’ list can be extensive. Dress shopping, sorting out Bridesmaids shades and styles and keeping them all on track. Floral designs, options and costs… the list goes on.

 Using one company that can supply multiple services reduces the number of emails to send or calls you need to make to confirm everything is running smoothly. Working in the wedding industry for over 20 years, there is one thing that we know every bride and groom wants – and that is a stress free and enjoyable wedding experience.

 We can provide you will all the things for your decor, your cake and your car. Everything that isn’t the dress, the stationery, the venue and the photographer really! You can take a look at our services here >>> http://www.icedandspliced.com/weddings/ 

2. Multiple service bookings mean package deals & budget savings

If you are able to book one supplier for chair decoration, venue dressing elements and your Wedding Cake, for instance, there is potential for a package deal that means you get the best value for your money.

This can also mean that some delivery & collection expenses can be reduced. Using more than one supplier would mean each company could include a delivery and collection fee for the supply of their items in your invoice.

One company supplying several services can dramatically reduce these costs.

As an example, your Cake Maker could charge you for supplying and collecting the stand used to display your Wedding Cake.Your Venue Stylist and chair dressing company could also have a collection fee to cover the time and fuel needed to return to your venue the day after your Wedding to collect their products.

Choosing one company instead of three immediately reduces any additional costs, which means you have that money to spend elsewhere within your Wedding, making your budget stretch to that item you dreamed of, but were struggling to cover the cost of.

When it comes to deals and special offers, we don’t do that at Iced & Spliced because we know our prices are already good value based on what you get, including quality and experience. However, when we are used for more than one service, we do create a bespoke package to incorporate all a bride and groom have booked with us, making sure you get the most out of your budget.

3. One person committed to bringing your vision to life

Having one person responsible for key design areas of your wedding means that that person can ensure all colours match, the theme runs through the entire Wedding and styling elements complement each other to perfection.

This gives a cohesive feel to your wedding as all of the important areas are under the watchful eye of the person who knows the colours, textures and ideas you want to bring into your Wedding Day and how you’d like to implement them too.

This not only makes your wedding day less stressful, because you are not worried about everything working well together, it means that you only have to talk about your vision once and know it is all going to work! This is one of my favourite parts of the experience we give our couples – sitting down with them in our consultations and bringing the dream to life.

 

Thoughts of a Multi Service Wedding Supplier

I know I’m bias, but I think having one company providing several services for your Wedding is an excellent idea. It is better for you as a bride and it is better for the supplier.  

Over time more elements have been added to our service list making it easier for couples as they just have one touch point during the planning process.

 

The Iced & Spliced Experience has come to mean many things.

It’s attention to detail and years of experience, with passion and commitment mixed in too.

It’s quality products and a service of the highest standard, which allows us to achieve the day of your dreams.

It’s someone to bounce your ideas off, who will give you help, advice and will be honest with you, going that extra mile, every time.

It’s a calming influence when you start to fret, someone who can see the bigger picture & guide you back to the right path for you & your big day.

Offering interconnecting services allows us to oversee bringing your dreams and ideas out of your head (and Pinterest board) and into reality.

The time leading to your Wedding should be exciting, full of all the fun things like visiting your venue, doing the rehearsal, collecting your wedding dress!

And the same is true for your wedding day. You want to wake up in the morning and feel excited, happy and ready to say “I do!” not worrying or stressing that your suppliers are not going to turn up and deliver what they promised.

Iced & Spliced by Cakey Wakey are here to help you really enjoy your day and the planning before it. The #icedandsplicedexperience is something not to be missed.

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There aren’t enough words to recommend Jo for all your wedding needs!! She really is a complete genius in her field!! Our cake took our breath away and exceeded any expectations we ever dared to have! She’s knowledgeable and patient (especially with an ever changing mind of a bride) and just so so attentive! Jo also dressed our chairs and tables with runners and once again, took our breath away! Look no further than Iced and Spliced!! Thank you for everything Jo

 

– Bethany & Liam Holmes

Wow what can I say about this amazing company…. They did a lot of decorations at our wedding which looked superb and lots of people commented on how amazing everything looked. They also provided our post box which had our names on which was lovely, however save the best till last THE CAKE!! Completely blew my husband and I away, we had an image in our heads as to what it would look like but nothing prepared us as to how amazing it actually looked. We had 4 different flavours and all were gorgeous, the cake was that nice that I have placed an order for cupcakes for another event I am attending in the next couple of months!! 100% recommend Jo

 

– Katie & Darren Batchelor

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3 important things to tell your Wedding Car company

3 important things to tell your Wedding Car company

Blog, Cars

3 important things to tell your Wedding Car company

So, you’ve booked the Venue, picked the Church or decided on a Civil Ceremony & started to think about all the pretty things associated with wedding planning, like the cake design & flavours, flowers & colour scheme, but you’ve potentially missed a vital piece of the wedding puzzle…. How are you going to get there?

That’s where the world of Wedding Transportation steps up to the mark

So many options, lots of choice, so again it can be a minefield.

The first thing to decide on is your style.

Is your dream to arrive at your wedding in something modern, vintage or quirky? Once you’ve decided, you have the basis for your internet search for local companies with that style of vehicle.

In this blog post I want to share with you a few hints & tips to help you. As part of our wedding business we hire wedding cars and there are key things we need to know from our couples to be able to give them a quote and to help us to make suggestions on the best car we have to fulfill your needs. You can read more about our car service here http://www.idoweddingcars.uk/

1. Vital Information

Your Wedding Date

The date of your wedding is the most important piece of information needed. The car company will instantly know which cars are available for your date, & if they’re already fully booked they can inform you straight away, allowing you to get back to your search quicker.

The Postcode

The next thing to include in your initial email or call is the post code for your collection on the day. This allows the company to locate the area without giving the full address, which could be confirmed later, once you’re happy with the costs and are ready to proceed with the booking. We know that at this stage you haven’t always decided on all of the details but as long as we know the area that you will collected from we can provide an accurate quote.

The location of the wedding

To ensure you get an accurate quote you will need to share the location of the ceremony  and the reception, if the two places are different, so that the journey can be calculated correctly.

 

2. Who gets to go for a ride?

The obvious answer here is the Bride and the person giving her away, but, there are alternate options here too. So giving a bit more thought to what you would like the car and driver to do for you opens up more possibilities to make the journey to your ceremony a special experience for your Bridal Party too.

There are some things to consider here, the main one I’ll cover in part 3, but as a start, here’s some ideas of the information to consider:

Would you like Bridesmaids taking ahead of you? If the answer is yes, how many of them are there?

You might be asked to confirm if any Bridesmaids are under the age of 3. This isn’t because we don’t like children! It’s a safety element. By law, any child under the age of 3 needs to be secured in a child seat to travel in any car.  Some wedding vehicles aren’t equipped with seatbelts, so the secure fastening of a child seat is impossible.

Just a helpful tip there on something that could throw a spanner in the transportation works!

Another important person who shouldn’t be overlooked is of course the Mother of the Bride

Will she travel with the Bridesmaids?

Could she be the person giving the Bride away?

It can be so difficult to step delicately through family situations these days, so please don’t be offended if the supplier at the end of the email or social media message asks a question you find difficult to answer, talk it through and there will always be a reason for a seemingly random question!

 

3. Getting to the Church on time

So, the key information has been shared, now what?

Well, for us, when we have an enquiry and we get clarity on the information shared above, we would look at the locations, distances and if multiple journeys have been requested. Taking all of this in we can look at how this works for your wedding timeline.

For instance, if the two locations are 5-10 minutes apart, it’s not a big deal for one car to collect the first passengers before returning to collect the Bride.

However, if the distance is 15 minutes or greater, the round trip for that first journey means that those first passengers would need to be collected early, to allow time for the car to return to collect the Bride and then get back to the venue for the ceremony. This means any Bridesmaids would be waiting at the venue for a long time, possibly outside in the cold, before you arrive. This is something to consider.

Options here would be to look into a second car to transport the Bridesmaids on their own, but departure time would be at the same time as the Bride’s.

This could be a car to match the Bridal car style, or maybe a nice car owned by an understanding family member, which could also help with your budget.

A second matching car is a nice idea if your ceremony and reception venues are separate locations as the second car could be used to take your Parents on to the Reception, perhaps with your partner’s Parents, as again it adds that specialness to the day for them as well. Just something to consider.

Thoughts of a Bridal Car Specialist

The journey to your wedding is full of anticipation, excitement & let’s admit it, a pinch of nerves too. Arriving in style at your wedding is an integral part of your day.

The journey after the ceremony, with your new Husband or Wife on to your Reception venue is the only point in the day where you’re alone, to absorb what’s happened & to actually take a breath & take it all in.

Preparations on the morning of the wedding can be frantic, a real whirlwind, so that simple journey to the venue can be a welcome relief from the mayhem, as pleasant as the mayhem may be!

Even if your ceremony and reception are at the same venue, having a short drive together, just the two of you, can help to calm you down and allow you to enjoy the rest of the day’s festivities with ease.

Iced and Spliced by Cakey Wakey Wedding Suppliers Nottingham, Derby. Leicester

The final tip I have for you come back to your choice of car style. When contacting companies, it’s not just about the cost of a car. You need to look at what you get for your money, as no two services are the same. You need to look at like for like with car styles too. There’s no point comparing a modern Rolls Royce to a Vintage Rolls, Jag or Beauford, as all of these cars are poles apart.

  • Find your style, look for companies offering the same and don’t be offended if your request for a price match is a flat ‘no’, especially if the cars are a lot different.
  • Look at the small print, or ask if you’d be charged extra if you went over a set amount of time. Delays happen, other suppliers have a job to perform too, so you’d need to know ahead of the day if there are any penalty charges that could be incurred. Nothing worse that an unexpected invoice after the day.
  • Lastly, consider how you’d feel looking back at your wedding photos in years to come & regretting your choice of car style, or on missing that special feeling of arriving for your ceremony at all.

Any wedding car plays an important role in your day. Pick a style that suits your theming & style, but also reflects your personalities.

Look at websites & Social Media feeds to get an insight into past customer experiences & reviews of the service, plus any images of those couples on their wedding day, with the car style you’re interested in, to help you visualise you on your big day. You can find us on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/idoweddingcarsnotts/ 

You can read more about our wedding car service here and get in touch if you would like to chat about whether we could help you travel on our special day in style.

Iced and Spliced by Cakey Wakey Wedding Suppliers Nottingham, Derby. Leicester

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The 3 most important pieces of information your cake maker needs to know when ordering your wedding cake

The 3 most important pieces of information your cake maker needs to know when ordering your wedding cake

Blog, Cakes

The 3 most important pieces of information your cake maker needs to know when ordering your wedding cake

 

Planning a wedding can be very overwhelming. So many things to think about. So many people asking questions you probably don’t have the answers to or haven’t even thought about yet.

So, I thought I’d put some tips together to help you give the information your cake maker needs to know when you come to enquire about your wedding cake, which will make the cake selection process run as smoothly as possible.

1 Wedding Date and Venue

 

The first piece of information your cake maker will need is your date. This is important as they will need to confirm if they are available before you can progress to the next stage.

Like Florists & Venue Stylists, Cake Makers can potentially turn their hand to producing more than one cake per date. But, at some point, their limit for a week will be reached & further bookings could be refused. This is the way we work and it means that every single couple we work with gets the focus and attention they deserve.

The second piece of information needed here is your Venue. Not only will this help your cake maker with logistics, if they do have another cake to deliver on your date, but it will also help them with suggestions & design ideas if they have a knowledge of your Venue & its style. This knowledge can be so helpful because I am sure your head is full of ideas and if the cake maker knows the venue then they can give suggestions as to what would work well within the setting. I love this part of what we do – the ideas!

2. How many people do you need your cake to feed?

 

You should take into account your total number of guests, including the evening party, when thinking about portion numbers. This will have an impact of the size of cake you have which will also impact the design.

Most couples keep the cake intact until the evening, when the cake cutting precedes the first dance. That way your evening guests get to witness some of the significant traditions of your wedding, which could be missed if the cake is served as dessert after your meal or cut earlier in the day.

The cake them becomes the sweet part of your evening buffet.

But… there will be some people who don’t like cake (they’re just weird!) or people who think they’ll take some home with them at the end of the night, who will know will be too wasted to remember much at all, never mind grabbing a slice as they hit the taxi’s.

So, the best idea is to reduce your portion numbers slightly, to avoid having lots of cake left over after the big day. For instance, if your top number is 150, reduce your cake size request to 120, or for 120, reduce to 100 portions.

Keeping the top tier intact, for you to enjoy while opening your gifts the following day is also an idea, as most couples are too engrossed in their day to remember to have a piece of their own cake & miss out!

3. Design Inspiration & Colours

 

It’s so helpful, from a cake designer point of view, for you to have an idea of what you’re drawn to visually, or what your dream wedding cake looks like.

It’s not often I give permission to Brides to hit Pinterest with my blessing, but it can be a useful aide if you really don’t have a clue where to start.

Another good idea is to check out your potential cake maker’s social media feeds & website gallery, as that will feature their most recent work and can help you decide if something on there sparks an interest, possibly with a few tweaks and alterations to make the design more personal to you. Looking through these galleries also showcases what that cake maker can do and if they’re the right fit for you.

Colours & some design pieces will only fall into place once your Bridesmaids dress colour choice has been made, as that leads to your floral shades & lots of other design elements. But don’t panic – you don’t need to have ALL of the details set out, that is what the consultations are for and that is how we build the perfect cake for our couples. I’ll do another blog about details soon!

Opinion of a Cake Maker

 

Most cake makers will offer the opportunity for you to try their cake flavours during a cake tasting or consultation meeting. Some charge for this meeting, with the amount paid deducted from your final balance if you go on to book with that supplier, while others offer it as a no obligation, complimentary extension of their service which is what we do – we think it is so important for you to know that you have chosen the right supplier before you part with any money because we will get to know one another pretty well during the process!

 

It’s nice to try before you buy, so as part of our #icedandsplicedexperience, any couples who arrange a cake consultation meeting get to take a box of our most popular flavours home with them, to try in private. No one there to judge you if you get covered in crumbs! It gives you the opportunity to get other’s opinions too, so sharing the samples with family members helps them to feel included in some of your wedding day choices & you never know, they might even offer to pay for the cake for you!

The final things to consider with your cake choice is the allergy & special dietary requirements minefield.

Should you need to take into consideration any ingredients that need to be omitted through diet, allergy or religious/moral convictions, don’t design your entire cake around a few guest’s needs. Instead, consider having some separate pieces made to satisfy any special diet needs, like Gluten Free or nut allergies, or for those who follow a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.

That way, these guests are catered for in a considerate way, while your other guests are able to enjoy the cake flavours you’ve picked in full, & will be more than willing to help you devour your wedding cake

I hope that that helps you to think about the details. If you need any help, you know where we are, just pop a comment in the box below and we can chat all things cake…my favourite subject!

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3 things to consider when covering the chairs for your Wedding

3 things to consider when covering the chairs for your Wedding

Blog, Chair Covers

3 things to consider when covering the chairs for your Wedding

The world of chair covers is a bit of a minefield.

Do you opt for the stretchy kind, that are meant to fit almost any chair? Or do you pick a custom fit, linen style that doesn’t need to be fixed under the feet of the chair to secure them?

This guide will hopefully help you dodge some bullets in the crazy world of chair coverings.

1. Spandex/Lycra

These are the stretchy ‘one size fits all’ covers.

What you need to look into when picking your style of cover is the actual chair you’re covering.

Size is important to the fit of the Spandex cover. Despite them stretching to any size, attention should be paid to how they actually fit your Venue’s chairs.

By this, I mean is there a ‘slope’ formed between the back of the chair & the seat? More common on a chair with a high back, this happens when the Spandex cover is stretched to its maximum, over-extending the cover. It can be uncomfortable for your guests to sit on as the ‘slope’ pushes them forward.

There’s also a greater risk of the covers springing from the feet of the chair when they’re moved.

Other problems arise when the spandex covers are too big for the chairs if the Venue has a smaller style of chair. Being too big can be due to the covers being over stretched previously on larger chairs, as mentioned before. If there isn’t enough chair to stretch the cover properly, the covers can resemble Nora Batty’s stockings, not a pretty sight!


2. Polycotton/Linen Covers

As the name suggests, these covers are made from a mix of fabrics, & hang to the floor, meaning they don’t need to be attached to the feet of the chair.

These covers have a more luxurious look, as they are thicker material than their Spandex cousins, which means the colour of the chairs padding is disguised better. I don’t know why, but lots of venues do tend to have chairs with horrendous patterns on them, which can be visible through thinner cloth.

This type of cover is better if made to measure for the chairs at your venue, so be sure to ask your cover supplier if they are a custom fit.

The Linen style covers form a perfect backdrop to any style of sash dressings.

3. No covers at all?

If you’re lucky, your Venue will have chairs that look fabulous & don’t need covering at all. Yippee!

This chair style is usually the lovely ‘Chivari’ or ‘Cheltenham’ style, which can come in a range of colours.

Or if your Venue is one of the upcoming ‘Urban Chic’ type of places, the chairs may be more of an eclectic mix.

These chairs don’t need covering at all, unless you really aren’t a fan of them, or the seat pad colour clashes badly with your theme.

However, you can make them look more of a styling point of your room, by   having them ‘dressed’ with sashes.

This is ideal for adding your colour to the room & for softening the chairs a little too.

Opinion of a Venue Stylist

I’m often asked ‘how do you tie bows like that?’ The answer is simple….. practice, & lots of it!

Over the past 6 years, which was when we added the chair dressing service to our business, we’ve tied thousands of sashes in lots of different ways.

Our service stands out from others in how we design the look of the chair dressings. From unusual bow styles to multiple sashes, the options are endless.

We love to use buckles & brooches to add points of interest, textures & a hint of opulence to our dressings, creating a wow factor as your guests enter your Ceremony or Wedding Breakfast room.

 

One last piece of advice.

The old adage ‘if it’s too good to be true, it probably is’ is true in most cases, but especially when it comes to Weddings.

If you’re asking a company about chair covers & their cost is a lot lower than other companies, ask the cheaper company what sort of cover you get for that price. Is it Spandex or a ‘proper’ cover?

You will find companies will tell you they have covers to fit the chairs at your venue, but won’t tell you they’re Spandex, unless you ask.

It’s too late to correct that mistake when you discover this on the day of your wedding. You only get one chance to impress your guests, & if your socks aren’t knocked off, theirs won’t be either!

If you’re interested in more information about our chair dressing service, or any of our other services too, we offer an exemplary service for a very reasonable price so please feel free to contact us in the contact form below or take a look at our portfolio for some ideas by clicking here.

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3 things to consider when choosing your Wedding colours

3 things to consider when choosing your Wedding colours

Venue Styling

3 things to consider when choosing your Wedding colours

Pantones of 2017

At the start of every year, the Colour Gods get their heads together to decide which tints, tones & shades should be on the list of colours to be considered to make your wedding day right on trend.

I’m going to select 3 of the top colours & make some suggestions about how you can implement them flawlessly into your dream wedding.

1. Greenery

This is a vibrant, almost luminous shade of Green, as the name suggests!

Although not the top of my list, it seems to have struck a chord with many of the big names in the wedding industry.

You hear all about ‘The year of Kale’ in Bridal magazines, & if Green is your colour of choice, don’t let yourself be limited to a particular shade of it.

Anything goes. From the palest hint of Mint to the darkest Forest Green, go with what you love.

Teamed with neutral flowers, Rose Gold or Copper accents & tonnes of foliage for variety of the Green shades, along with adding texture too, Greenery might just knock your socks off!

2. Fuchsia Rose

As the name suggests, this is an intense shade of Pink!

Bright & bold, & possibly best suited for a Summer wedding, it’s sure to add a dash of sunshine to your venue.

This colour looks fantastic when teamed with Navy, so if your Groom is wearing the very trendy Navy suit, adding colour via a Ruche Tie, Waistcoats, Bridesmaids dresses, flowers, or on the chairs would look fabulous.

But, if you’re a little worried about it being just a little too Pink, how about keeping your maids in the Pink, a pop of the same in your flowers & centre pieces & then have the chairs dressed with a Navy sash, if they need that extra touch?

 

3. Sand Dollar

I adore this neutral palette! It’s elegant, timeless & compliments most skin tones.

Feminine & romantic, & considered not too Pink by most Grooms, shades of this Nude tone adds a small enough amount of colour to your wedding without it becoming a hugely distracting element.

Teamed with Lace, it hits the ‘Vintage’ look to perfection. Or add in some bling for a Hollywood Glamour style, using diamante & crystal decorations for an opulent theme.

Opinion of a Venue Stylist

Whatever your choice of colours, one thing to think about is the decoration & colours used at your chosen venue. Play to its strengths, disguise its weaknesses. Any good Venue Stylist will help you select the right things to draw the eyes of your guests away from things that might not gel with your style.

If your venue is contemporary in style, it’s possible to use any colour, as the neutral tones of the venue will push your colour forwards.

However, if the venue is more traditional, opt for colours to brighten the space & then add your shade in strategically!

The old adage ‘less is more’ is often spot on.

There’s a little known tool you can use when picking your colour palette.

The Colour Wheel can be used to find what will work the best with your primary colour. You don’t want them to clash!

Colours adjacent to each other on the wheel are classed as complimentary colours, so will suit the main colour you’ve selected.

However, if you want your colours to pop, look at the colour directly opposite your shade on the wheel, as these are contrasting colours, which also work perfectly as a team.

Fabulous flowers by The Greenery. Click on the image for more information.

At Iced & Spliced by Cakey Wakey, we’ve helped lots of couples with their colour options, either by toning it down or going for it all guns blazing. Follow us on Instagram to see our latest designs!

One final piece of advice

My last piece of advice would be to leave your colour choices until AFTER you’ve bought your Bridesmaids dresses. From experience, it only takes one of them to refuse point blank (which is code for throwing a massive strop) to  wearing what’s in your head & you’re right back to the drawing board with ALL of your plans.

It’s all part of the fun of planning the biggest day of your life, so have fun, go with what you like, & if that one Bridesmaid does throw a spanner in the works,  sack her! How important was she anyway?

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Just pop a message in the box below & we can have a chat about how to implement your colours, whatever they may be,  into your day.

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