Finding your Wedding Style … The Series … The Finale!

Finding your Wedding Style … The Series … The Finale!

We’ve looked at all sorts of styles, themes and ideas over the past few months, so I thought I’d do a summary of what we have covered, in the hope that it’s inspired you with the designing and planning of your own Wedding Day.

 Exquisite Aisle at Horsley Lodge

Styling your wedding chairs

Trying hard not to repeat myself is hard when it comes to what to do to the chairs for your wedding, as it really is a matter of working with what your Venue provides… or hiring in chairs that are more in keeping with your styling ideas.

Completely covering the chairs, leaving them bare or dressing them with sashes or drapes in colours to compliment your palette comes down to the chair style, to begin with, and your budget.

Elegant ceremony dressing at Shottle Hall

Your Wedding Cake

From magnificent, sugar flower encrusted towers or Semi Naked, fresh flower decorated sponge displays to totally unique, personality and passion driven sugar creations, there is no end of ways the cake of your dreams can be decorated to reflect your ‘youness’, the venue’s decorative style or the theme you want to run through the entire day and styling. The world really is your oyster

Caught by the Photographer taking a Wedding Cake shot at Shottle Hall

Table Decorations

I’ll admit it… I ADORE fresh flowers! There’s just something about them that makes my heart smile (but not the really smelly ones of course!)

Tall clear glass vases adorned with a mass of gorgeous blooms gives such an opulent feel to a traditional wedding, while the same flower balls on top of the recently popular flower towers are the epitome of contemporary elegance.

Rustic table centres are more free flowing, wild and countryside inspired. Bringing the outside in is very on trend, especially with Marquee & Tipi style wedding venues.

Hayfever and allergies play a bigger role now when it comes to floral selection for some couples, so the use of silk flowers is becoming more popular for couples wanting to avoid anything but ‘happy tears’.

But… always be aware of quality with faux flowers. As with everything, cheap isn’t always good, & good isn’t always cheap.

Crystal Candelabra with fresh flowers & Waterfall chair dressings at Shottle Hall

Your Top Table

One of my biggest tips is never ignore the importance of your Top Table. It’s the focal point of the biggest parts of your day, so make sure that there’s something at the centre of the table at least, to frame the happy couple during speeches & toasts.

Even if you decided to go against convention and have a round ‘Main’ table instead of a long Top table, ask your Florist or Stylist to create one centrepiece bigger or styled in a different way, to ensure the most important table in the room stands out from the rest.

Feature ‘Main’ Table at Shottle Hall

Additional Decorations

I love arriving at a venue on the morning of a wedding to find that the couple have gone to the trouble of having bespoke signs created.

On display at the main entrance, they’re a lovely way to welcome your guests to your wedding day and make a fabulous keepsake too.

Talk to your stylist about their ideas for dealing with dark or overlooked spaces in your venue. If they’re a regular at your venue, they’ll have a wealth of knowledge on how to create a photo stop or or little pockets of happy in spaces that need to be covered or dressed up a touch.

               Mirror Table Plan at Shottle Hall

The Style Series

Read about Rustic Style here >>> http://www.icedandspliced.com/styleseriesrustictheme/

Read about Traditional Style here >>> http://www.icedandspliced.com/styleseriestraditionaltheme/

Read about Contemporary Style here >>> http://www.icedandspliced.com/contemporary/

Read about mixing Fil, Characters and Boho Style here >>> http://www.icedandspliced.com/filmcharacterboho/

A final word from me

I really hope this series has helped you with ideas and tips on how to achieve the look you want, maybe suggesting things you’ve not even considered, and has inspired you to look closely at the finer details that run through your entire wedding day.

We developed the #icedaandsplicedexperience with exactly that in mind.

One company providing multiple services

One person helping you plan the best day of your lives, ensuring colours and themes match through every transition of the celebrations.

One person to email to ask for advice, recommendations or to run ideas past.

Most importantly with one person to deal with, there’s less stress and worry, as that one person will ensure that everything is designed and executed exactly as you’ve wished for it to be.

If you’ve enjoyed this series and would like to find out more about booking a consultation to explore how Iced and Spliced by Cakey Wakey can help you bring your vision to life, then please contact me to arrange a meeting.

I’d love to chat about your day over a lovely cuppa in our Showroom.

I do love to hear new visitors ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ when they step over the threshold & discover the space beyond the door. It’s another heart smile moment for sure.

Thank you for taking the time to read the Styling Series. What a wonderful way to round it all up and finish the year on a high!

See you in 2020 with a new blog.

Now, what to write about in the New Year?

Hmmm…. Stay tuned to find out

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

Finding your Wedding Style… The Series…Film/Character/Boho Wedding Theme

Finding your Wedding Style… The Series…Film/Character/Boho Wedding Theme

In the final blog of the Iced and Spliced wedding styling series I want to focus on how you can inject a bit of youness into your wedding by making your personal interests, hobbies and joint loves part of your wedding day.

Whether it’s your partner’s favourite Marvel characters, a mix of both your favourite films, or all things Disney, there are ways to pop your personalities and vices into your special day without it taking over the entire theme. Little nods to your (possibly weird and wonderful) interests.

So, how can we incorporate a few of your favourite things into your wedding? (see what I did there?)

Styling your wedding chairs

As always, wedding chair dressings depend entirely on the chairs supplied by your venue. Hiring in chairs that lend themselves better to the style of dressing that best suits your theme is worth considering if the venue does not have anything suitable. Full chair covers may not sit well in your carefree, festival vibe. They’re a little too straight laced for some tastes, so investigate hiring costs versus covering the existing chairs, and think about how you’d feel about the overall look instead of the cheaper option.

Once your chair style is sorted, look for ideas that suit your theme, like which colours will work to bring the styling together well.

For example, will you match your colour palette to the shade your Bridesmaids are wearing? This gives a uniform look to the room, a colour thread to tie everything together.

Or, will you pick different colours for each table? These would then compliment the theme for each table, relevant to the main feature, giving each table a uniqueness of its own, a great way to incorporate different film characters for example or elements of individual interests.

If you’ve picked a Festival/Boho theme, styling your wedding chairs can include lengths of multi coloured ribbon, tied to the back of each chair. Perfect on the Chivari style you’d usually have included with Tipi & Marquees that seem to be the basis for any Boho wedding theme. This style of chair dressing can be costly, good ribbon is expensive, so consider dressing alternating chairs to give the effect and splash of colour you want, without burning through your budget (Top tip..alternating dressings  only really works when there are even numbers of chairs at the table)

A Wedding Cake for a film buff!

Your wedding cake doesn’t have to be all frills and flowers. Designing a wedding cake unique to both of your passions makes the cake a real focal point of the day. Your cake designer will sit with you, talking over the themes you want to incorporate, share ideas on the best ways to achieve what you want, in a way that looks visually appetizing as well as capturing those things you both love.

Top Tip: There is an old saying that ‘you eat with your eyes’, so give careful consideration to having your cake entirely in Hulk Green, as some colours can be off putting for a lot of people!

If you’re not 100% sold on an entirely themed wedding cake, you’ve always dreamed of a flower adorned, all white sugar masterpiece, why not consider having a ‘half & half’ design?

Christened the ‘Reveal’ Cake, this idea gives you the best of both worlds. A lovely delicate front design, which is displayed during your Wedding Breakfast, with the fun, more relaxed and personality driven back of the cake turned into the room for the Evening Reception, essentially your ‘After Party’.

These cakes can be a lot of fun! I love creating them!

Film lover’s wedding cake at Shottle Hall  /  Floral cascade & unique cake topper with a Disney twist at The Nottinghamshire  /  Floral cascade’s Marvel ‘reveal’ side at The Nottinghamshire

Wedding Table Decorations

Your table decorations are where you can really get creative!

A mix of flowers, with ornaments or figures to reflect a particular film, pastime of even your  favourite football team, makes the room dressing a fun part of the day, as well as a talking point for your guests without being too imposing on the overall styling.

Raiding the loft for those toys from your childhood, you know the ones, the sort you couldn’t bear to part with (or thought they’d increase in value if you kept them safe) is great fun. You never know, you both may have the same piece and can have a laugh at who played with their toy more. ‘Mint in box’ isn’t a term we want to hear here… break that seal.

Film themed table centres at Shottle Hall  /  Vibrant floral decorations at Shottle Hall by The Greenery  /  Cheese Tower as an alternative to a sweet wedding cake at Shottle Hall

 

Table Runners & Top Table Dressings

Pretty much anything goes here. Opt for runners & dressings to match chair dressing shades or the main colour associated with each table’s character or film theme and genre.

Even some sequin sparkle would work under themed centre pieces, as a unifying colour across the space.

Additional decorative items

These details are where you can go really crazy.

I love the ‘Be our Guest’ signs some couples use to welcome their guests to their day. Although that phrase is mainly associated with Disney’s Beauty & the Beast, it’s a perfect way to introduce your guests to a day that will be a lot of fun.

Tone down the overall effect by using small pieces to give subtle references to your theme, and use these pieces to dress a neglected corner,  window ledge or mantlepiece, making them part of the decorations and staging but being less intrusive and gaudy. These little details are perfect for your photographer to snap and can become a real talking point for your guests. 

Unique Wedding Favours at The Vicarage Boutique Hotel

 

Hints & Tips

Although it’s lovely to use your favourite things as a theme for your wedding day, including them in a subtle way is far more effective and makes an elegant wedding with a twist rather than something that can resemble a children’s tea party!

Using items that refer to a film in a more grown up way keeps your theme at the forefront, but gets your guests thinking more deeply about each piece’s meaning, getting them talking among themselves, a real ice breaker for people meeting for the first time, when the only real link between them is knowing either or both of you.

Printing information about each table’s theme, maybe even a mini quiz, will help guests understand the ideas behind the dressing. Pop them in a frame, so they can be passed around the table, gets the conversation flowing, helping your guest feel included and may even get them to revisit their own childhood if they too owned that same toy or loved that film.

Your wedding is all about you, your coming together as one, starting a new chapter in life and I really believe that your styling can still be classy whilst packing a personality punch when done in the right way.

Using your loves, passions and memories makes for a pretty unique day.

Marriage is all about compromise. A lot of the time the Groom isn’t comfortable, bothered or allowed to talk about the ‘pretty’ things, so having his input into even small parts of the wedding makes a Groom feel like he’s been included in decision making.

Even if it’s a football stadium themed table plan, or a tiny Marvel character hidden among the delicate floral pieces on the tables or how he popped the question, let your imagination run wild & enjoy the best day of your life together by having fun.

I hope that this blog series is helping to guide you in how to choose your wedding style, one that will suit your venue, your personalities and your vision for your wedding day. Bringing all of this together in the weddings we style for our couples is such an important part of what we do and we love looking back at all of the gorgeous weddings we have been involved in.

 

 

Contact us at http://www.icedandspliced.com/contact/ to arrange a private consultation meeting, where we can talk all things wedding together, in the comfort of our showroom.

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

Finding your Wedding Style… The Series…. Contemporary Wedding Theme

Finding your Wedding Style… The Series…. Contemporary Wedding Theme

Finding your Wedding Style… The Series…. Contemporary Wedding Theme

 

The definition of the word ‘Contemporary’ is ‘of the present time; Modern’ and for me, that pretty much sums up the Contemporary Wedding style. It can really be anything you want it to be, based on the fashions and colour palette of the time.

Every year seems to have a different idea of what’s on trend. The Pantone of the year is announced every January, but realistically those colours don’t appear in wedding styling until the following year (if at all, there are some pretty random colours picked at times!)

 

So, how does this all relate to styling your wedding?

 

Double drape contemporary chair dressings at Horsley Lodge

 

Styling your Wedding Chairs

 

Double Drape & Waterfall chair dressings at Shottle Hall

As I’ve said before, chair dressings come down to the chairs your wedding venue offer as part of your package and it may be that you don’t need to cover your chairs if they are already beautiful. Saying that, there are still some pretty ugly chairs out there that do benefit from being styled! A well dressed chair can make all the difference to that wow when you walk into the room.

Inspiration for how to dress your wedding chairs, so they’re ‘in style’, can be found featured in your favourite wedding magazines, on social media feeds for those magazines or, of course, on Pinterest. Search ‘Contemporary Wedding’ in the search bar and you will be blown away with ideas. 

For me, a Contemporary chair dressing uses Chiffon Drapes, to achieve a softness that other sash treatments can’t. Single fans, double drapes and waterfalls in colours to match or compliment your shades are very popular currently (sorry for the lingo here but your chair dresser will know what they mean!). These styles add elegance to any chair. Even when your venue’s chairs need to be completely covered, to hide an uncomplimentary colour or frame, there are still ways to use Chiffon drapes.. As you can see from the images below which show some weddings we have recently dressed (you can see more over on the gallery here >>>http://www.icedandspliced.com/weddingchaircovers/

Double drape chair dressing with floral accent at The Nottinghamshire  /  A work in progress at Shottle Hall  /  Hood style chiffon drapes on covered chairs at The Nottinghamshire

TAKE A LOOK AT OUR WEDDING CHAIR PORTFOLIO AND SERVICE HERE >>>

 

 

 

The Contemporary Style Wedding Cake

 

Contemporary monochrome tiered wedding cake at Osmaston Park. Photo credit HBA Photography https://hbaphotography.com/ 

Contemporary Wedding Cakes have lots of texture , sometimes with bold use of colour, geometric patterns and, very on trend at the moment, marbling… (this one is my favourite! It takes time to get the effect right but it is worth it!)  Every marbled cake is unique, as the technique used means you never know what the result will be until the icing hits the cake which is kind of exciting! Don’t panic about this though (for the control freaks out there!!) the effect, when done properly, will always give a marble effect so you can release the panic!

Ruffles and pleats also add texture to a tier, helping other decorations to stand out as their own statement piece and this fits in well with the contemporary style.

Using tiers of different depths also gives interest to the cake’s overall look and form the perfect base for any sugar (and real) floral decorations, which I’m pleased to say couples are leaning more towards, as sugar work is my ultimate love.

Contemporary wedding cake with foliage hoop at Osmaston Park   /  Rose Gold drip wedding cake at Colwick Hall  /  Watercolour style decoration & sugar flowers at Colwick Hall

TAKE A LOOK AT OUR WEDDING CAKE PORTFOLIO AND SERVICE HERE >>>

 

 

Wedding Table decorations

 

Candelabra dressed with foliage at The Nottinghamshire

I love love love the options available when it comes to Contemporary table decorations, this is one of my favourite styles for table decorations. Foliage is a popular choice at the moment as it adds depth and volume to decorative pieces, while keeping costs lower.

Rose Gold and Copper pieces have been a very popular request too, with flower filled geometric containers, lanterns and flower tower frames.

I’m noticing the switch to crystal and glass centrepieces, as an elegant alternative to the gold tones, as there’s no colour clash or issues matching different props, just clear, unadulterated sparkle, finished off with the beauty of candlelight. Who doesn’t love that! Oh – also make sure you check with your venue whether you can have candles lit on the table – some venues don’t allow this but we can provide and alternative.

 

Crystal candelabra at The Nottinghamshire  /  Modern floral tower & double drape chair dressings at Shottle Hall

 

 

Table Runners & Top Table dressings

 

 

Top Table drapes with cake in the background at Shottle Hall

Top Table dressings in a Contemporary wedding setting take their inspiration from the other tables in the venue that seat the guests. This way the theme runs through the entire wedding, like a thread (a lovely sparkly one!)..

Drapes to match the chair dressings are huge at the moment and add a real feel of luxury to the room without the luxurious price tag. Matching the dressings to the table decorations really helps to feed the theme throughout the day and looks stunning on the photos, really bringing the day together. Chiffon ruffled across a white table cloth is so opulent, adding layers of colour to the table which is very on trend. Chiffon ruffles can also be used to dress each place setting on the Top table, making a stunning alternative to a traditional swag.

Wedding Styling Iced & Spliced

Chiffon table runner at Shottle Hall  /  Double drape chair dressing with matching chiffon runner at Colwick Hall  /  Top Table drapes & side tied chair dressings in chiffon at The Nottinghamshire

 

 

Additional decorative items

 

 

Pick a seat not a side sign at The Nottinghamshire

Signs to welcome your guests to your wedding, instructions on where to sit, what time to expect each important aspect of the day are hugely popular at the moment, making them a must-have inclusion in a Contemporary wedding theme..

Taking inspiration from using foliage as a dressing, the sign shown above is a  a lovely introduction to your day for your guests, really helping to set the scene.

More is definitely more when it comes to this type of dressing as a little goes a long way in filling gaps and empty spaces that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Welcome sign with foliage dressing at The Nottinghamshire

 

 

Hints & Tips

 

Candlelit aisle with Double drape chair dressings at The Farmhouse at Mackworth

Although Pinterest and Instagram are fantastic ways to finding images of your perfect wedding styling, I would urge caution in their use, as you can get carried away trying to achieve an ‘Insta Worthy’ wedding. Bear in mind that some products aren’t available in the UK and importing them in can be pretty pricey!  The best way to use Pinterest is to use the images to help get your ideas and dreams across to your Venue Stylist, Cake Designer and Florist and don’t be disheartened if they tell you some elements aren’t possible, they are doing it with a kind heart I promise you.A good supplier will offer advice on what is available instead and a  great supplier will tell you what’s available as an alternative, but will then help to guide you in creating your dream, bringing the image into reality… albeit with small tweaks and alterations that won’t send your budget through the roof.

Contemporary Marble multi tier wedding cake at Shottle Hall

I hope that this blog series is helping to guide you in how to choose your wedding style, one that will suit your venue, your personalities and your vision for your wedding day. Bringing all of this together in the weddings we style for our couples is such an important part of what we do and we love looking back at all of the gorgeous weddings we have been involved in.

 

 

Contact us at http://www.icedandspliced.com/contact/ to arrange a private consultation meeting, where we can talk all things wedding together, in the comfort of our showroom.

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

 

 

Finding your Wedding Style… The Series…. Traditional Wedding Theme

Finding your Wedding Style… The Series…. Traditional Wedding Theme

Today I want to spend a little bit of time talking about the Traditional wedding style and how it can work beautifully to create a timeless and elegant wedding.

What does ‘Traditional’ actually mean?

It’s not old fashioned or prim & proper for sure! A traditionally styled wedding may get you thinking about a big pile of fluffy white Tulle. To me, a traditional wedding is  timeless elegance, luxurious fabrics, crisp linens and large, impressive floral statement pieces.And candles! Oodles of candles for the romantic ambiance only candlelight can give (pst – if your venue will not allow candles to be lit, we have an alternative that is still as beautiful).

Let’s look at all of the key parts of your wedding, from a Traditional wedding style view

Wedding Chair Styles

White chiffon waterfall chair dressings & statement floral centerpieces at Shottle Hall

How you dress your chairs always comes down to the type of chairs your venue includes in your package.If the chairs are particularly nasty, or you’re just not a fan of chair covers, one option would be to hire in alternative chairs that are more appealing to your style. These can still be dressed to match or compliment your colour scheme, using floaty fabrics for an ethereal feel to the settings. I talk more about chair covers in this post here  and you can have a look at some more ideas here http://www.icedandspliced.com/weddingchaircovers/ 

The Traditional Style Wedding Cake

Sugar Ruffle Wedding cake, with sugar flower cascade & cushion 

If I’m honest, traditionally designed wedding cakes are my ultimate favourites. I LOVE making them!  My signature Sugar Ruffles may be time consuming, but they’re well worth the extra time and effort they take to make for the effect they create. Teamed with Sugar flowers to match those used in your wedding, a neutral coloured cake forms the perfect backdrop for your colour palette.

If your dream cake is a multi tiered sugar confection, but your guest numbers aren’t large enough to consume something that big, ask your cake designer about the option of using fake tiers among real ones, to allow you to have the huge cake you’ve dreamed of, without having cake portions that could feed half of the county. This is something we do quite a lot to give our brides the effect they want without the need for spending additional money on something that just won’t be used. 

I love this style of cake because it really, to me, demonstrates a traditional wedding but still has a modern feel to it. Those sugar ruffles take time to do but I always look at them with love when I have finished designing the creation.  

Table Decorations for your Wedding Venue

A traditional wedding has centerpieces that make a grand statement. But that doesn’t necessarily mean huge & expensive. Mixing tall & short centerpieces add depth to the room, whilst also being kinder to your wallet.

Alternating the table decorations makes the eye travel across the room easier and allows you to opt for two chair dressings if you simply can’t decide between the two styles you’ve fallen in love with. As you can see from the image above, mixing the two styles of chair dressing works really well when they coordinate together. 

My love of candles is obvious in the style of centerpieces we offer and I’m especially in love with our new, all crystal pieces… the epitome of understated glamour & elegance. No true sparkly magpie will be able to resist their look and they look really beautiful as the day turns to night. 


Table Runners and Top Table dressings

Blush Pink Sequin top table swag at Shottle Hall

Traditional weddings have crisp linens, maybe something with a subtle shimmer like Taffeta for total opulence… but it’s not all got to be white.

If your budget won’t stretch to hiring in table linen and napkins, your venue should supply coverings as part of your package and these can be given a wow overhaul with a little imagination.

The options are endless here, from adding softness to your tables with lovely chiffon fabric drapes to match those used on your chairs, to all out sparkle with sequin runners and stunning swags.

Never overlook your Top table dressing either. It’s the main focus of the Wedding Breakfast and you will have the majority of the wedding breakfast photos taken here during dinner and the speeches so you want it to have a wow factor. Why not make a huge statement there as well. It’s your day to shine after all!

Additional decorative items

 

Mirrored Table Plan with floral dressing at Shottle Hall

I love a mirrored Table Plan at a traditionally themed wedding. It reflects light, looks amazing on display and gives your guests the first hint of what to expect as they enter the room to find their seat for the meal.

Decorated with flowers & foliage to match those in the main room adds more luxuriousness to the detailing of the wedding, Even a small spray of flowers to dress your post box or gift table makes a huge difference to a simple item.

 

 

 

 

Hints & tips

White Chiffon Waterfall Chair Dressings and Statement Floral Centrepieces at Shottle Hall

Although a monochrome wedding using white or ivory as a base has a richness to its look, subtle inclusions of your accent colour adds depth, impact and texture to any dressing.

From chairs to the tables and onto the cake too, it’s all about the small elements of  detailing that will wow your guests, making your wedding design memorable. These small details also mean your photographer has lots of beautiful details to capture, so you remember them as you look through your wedding photos.

Neutral Tiered Wedding Cake with Sugar Ruffles and Flowers at Shottle Hall

I hope that this blog series is helping to guide you in how to choose your wedding style, one that will suit your venue, your personalities and your vision for your wedding day. Bringing all of this together in the weddings we style for our couples is such an important (and fun) part of what we do and we love looking back at all the gorgeous weddings we have been involved in.

Contact us http://www.icedandspliced.com/contact/ to arrange a private consultation meeting, where we can talk all things wedding together, in the comfort of our showroom. 

 

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

Finding your Wedding Style…The Series…. RUSTIC

Finding your Wedding Style…The Series…. RUSTIC

Finding your Wedding Style…The Series…. RUSTIC

The Rustic wedding style has been one that has been around for a while and instantly brings up images of wood, string, lace & Gypsophila in little  jam jars. But there is so much more you can do with the style so I thought I would give you some ideas of how you can do Rustic in a different way. 

 

Wedding Chair Styling

How you dress your chairs for a Rustic themed Wedding effectively comes down to the style of chairs used by your venue. The style of chair should always be considered before choosing your chair coverings.

Chivari, Cross-back & Cheltenham chairs are lovely left untouched, but can benefit from a little styling, which brings another dimension to your ceremony and Wedding Breakfast and there are many different ways they can be dressed (take a look at our Instagram account or our portfolio for some ideas)  

A hint of lace, pure Hessian or the new coloured Hessian are a lovely way to add a dash of colour to your setting, while keeping true to your Rustic aesthetic.

If your venue’s chairs are in need of covers, the inclusion of a Rustic style sash brings your theme right back to the forefront, just like the pictures below

 

The Rustic Wedding Cake 

This is obviously my favourite part.. I could waffle on for pages about the options available on how to bring your Rustic vibe through to your cake.

The full Naked Cake is the first born in the Rustic cake world. Oozing with fruit of flowers…or both…this is the opittamy of the Rustic ethos. (Read the blog post here)

However, the favourite child of most Rustic lead couples appears to be the Semi Naked style, which features the simple lines of the Naked cake, but is more forgiving when it comes to being on display. The same floral or fruit based decorations can be used on a Semi Naked cake, so you have the best of both worlds.

If the idea of a Naked or Semi Naked cake makes you squirm, but the thought of an iced cake fills you with the same dread, then the Buttercream coated style could be the one for you. Not as traditional as an iced cake, but with a more ‘finished’ look, the Buttercream dressed cake is ideal, as it can still be dressed with flowers, to bring the natural nature of the Rustic theme to your cake and can be another link between your flowers, your cake and your venue. Our Moon Arch cake backdrop is the perfect accompaniment to any cake style, but it sits especially well with a Rustic themed wedding when dressed with fresh or faux foliage & flowers to match those in your wedding scheme.

Obviously any good marriage is built on a foundation of compromise, so if you want the all natural, but your partner is all about the icing…. Have both!

An iced layer, with Semi Naked upper tiers is a marriage made in heaven & keeps all parties happy

 

Table Decorations for your Wedding Venue

The simplest way to achieve a Rustic look for your tables is to collect, or buy, pretty glass jars, readily available from popular high street shops or online. Filling them with posies of flowers, sprays of Gypsophila or candles and putting them in groups gives a balance to the centre piece, allowing some element of DIY to the planning of your day.

Set on log slices, decorated with lace, string, or a simple paint effect, this is the ultimate in the Rustic look. Using brown kraft paper luggage labels as place cards & table stationery just adds to the detailing.

If you’re looking for something with a little more polish and a lot less wood, changing the jars to glass cylinders with floating candles, single architectural blooms and a mirror in place of the log slice, gives an elegant twist to the simplistic style.

Sparkle can also play a role in any Wedding, even one with a Rustic heart. We lovingly call this style of Rustic, with a hint of bling, “Glamourous Woodland”, as it has a theme based in nature, but with an element of all things shiny. 

Crystal mixed with wooden accents, luscious florals and textural foliage brings the woodland inside, channeling your inner Will & Kate.

 

Table Runners & Top Table Dressings

Having table runners on guest tables and some form of dressing on the Top table, helps to break up vast expanses of white cloth on the tables, but also adds another layer of texture to the room.

Rustic runners can be purely Hessian, or finished with lace for softness, while using the same coloured Hessian as on the chairs brings a pop of colour to the tables and helps to lift the table centres too. The effect of this look can be stunning when the combination is right.

Your Top table shouldn’t be overlooked when styling your Wedding Breakfast, as it gives a cohesive look to the room and it is also a focus for your photographer – there will be many photos of you sitting at the top table so you want it to look good.

Options would be bunting, which drapes across the front of the table, centred where the Happy Couple sit. Generic bunting is available and relatively cheap, although a bespoke piece can be purchased from companies offering a printing service, which adds a special personalisation to the dressing. This is something that you can use again and again, getting out as decoration for your anniversary and special family occasions!

The same style of runners used on the guest tables can be used to decorate the front edge of the Top table, as a background for any floral pieces. 

However, this style doesn’t disguise the table linen that well so it is worth considering what overall look you are after.

If lace features in your wedding aesthetic,  a full lace swag to dress the Top table adds a softness to the dressing. Hessian swagging doesn’t look great if I’m honest, definitely one to avoid. 

 

Additional Decor ideas for your wedding 

I’m often asked by lots of couples if I think they’ve ‘missed’ anything in making their venue look its best.

One of the things I always mention to my couples to take any wedding to the next level, includes SIGNAGE. Wedding Signage is a  lovely way to welcome guests to your day, giving them an idea of the timings so they know when they can expect to eat (no one likes a ‘hangry’ guest), where you’d like them to sit and also a way to include people who, for whatever reason, are unable to join you on your special day. Again, your signage is an item that you can keep and treasure forever as a memory of your wedding day. 

For a Rustic wedding, wooden signs with foliage, crates for table plans (so many options here too) and extra candle holders or pots of flowers in areas that are used for the wedding, but aren’t necessarily key areas, are all small, but effective detailing that your guests will love. These small details all add up to bring your wedding together and also make beautiful spots for your photographer to snap. These little corners of your day are memories that can easily be forgotten but as soon as you see the picture, it brings it all back.

 

Top tips & hints

Some words of advice to help you avoid the pitfalls of the Rustic style wedding would be:

1.Try to keep the ‘we’re collecting jars’ to a small circle of family & friends, or you could end up with more jars than Sainsbury’s. This also relates to the new trend of using your favourite tipple as centerpieces. You may like Gin or Jack, but unless you want the recycling centre to think you’ve got a major problem, keep the shout out for saving unusual bottles low key.

 

 

2. The use of Gypsophila in weddings is HUGE! From table centres to Bridesmaids bouquets & buttonholes, it seems a relatively cheap way to bring flowers into your wedding.  But… achieving the fullness of a Gypsophila bouquet or posy for filling jars is quite a skill, so my advice would be to ask a professional florist to tackle these for you. They have access to the freshest, best quality blooms too & have the knowledge to make this simple style look a million dollars.

My final word of advice would be to not get overwhelmed by all of this! Reach out to your suppliers to how they can bring to life what you have in your head and if you need someone to help you get it out of your head and into real life, why not book a consultation with us and we can help you bring together the ideas into something that will work for your wedding and your budget.

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

 

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Benefits of one key supplier

Benefits of one key supplier

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.

DROP US A MESSAGE

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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