PHOTOS OF THE BRISTOL VINTAGE WEDDING FAIR @ THE DAFFODIL

We were incredibly lucky the other weekend to have the fabulous Frances Taylor - Bristol Wedding Photographer and her partner, Chris Cardwell of FT Pictures taking our official photos for the day.  Frances and Chris are a partnership and you can see how well they work together from these results.  They're so relaxed and laid-back and yet don't miss a detail! They even managed to get a good pic. of me - which is pretty rare!  Thanks to Frances and Chris for giving us some fabulous memories of the day!  Here's just a selection of our beautiful venue and some of our amazing exhibitors!

DETAILS FOR THE 21ST!

We're all really looking forward to meeting all you fabulous brides and grooms, bridesmaids and Mothers of the Brides!  Just to make sure you have what you need, here's a little bit of information for the day.

There's a small entry fee on the day of £2, half of which will go to Cheltenham's Open Door Charity (see the last post).  Anyone under 16 has free entry.

Doors open at 10.30 and close at 4.00 pm  There will be entertainment during the day until 3.00 pm and The Daffodil will be serving their Matinee Menu from 1.00 pm upstairs in the mezzanine bar.  

The address of The Daffodil is 18-20 Suffolk Parade, Cheltenham GL50 2AE.  There's on-street parking in the streets nearby, but if you're planning on spending the day in Cheltenham, the nearest car parks are: 

http://www.thedaffodil.com/PDF/Daffodil-Location-Map.pdf

http://prestbury.cheltenham.gov.uk/website/Google/car%20parks/car_parks_map.htm

The Daffodil have some goodie bags with info on the venue and we have some West Weddings magazines to give away.

Looking forward to seeing you all on the day! 

P.S.  Thanks to Adele of Tin Can Floral for the beautiful photos for this post! 

MOOMIE SWAN - THE BRAINS BEHIND THE BRAND!

Every now and again you come across someone's work and you know you're going to love everything they do - Moomie Swan is one of those people for me!  She's the designer of our fabulous promotional artwork

We worked together for the first time on the artwork for the Bristol Zoo fair earlier this year but I'd known Moomie for several years and had loved her work, so I was really excited when she agreed to work with us on the fair artwork.

There's something really evocative about Moomie's work - it's like our world but in a slightly parallel, far more interesting universe!  Take a look at her blog to immerse yourself into her world.  I'm working with her on avatars for my businesses and I'm totally intrigued with what she'll come up with (watch this space!).  What's more, she is just so easy to work with - I just give her a brief and she comes up with pretty much perfection!

I love the quirkiness of her characters, and each piece of artwork tells a story - you want to know the background - who they are, what's their story - what will happen next!

If you want artwork or a portrait in Moomie's quirky style, get in touch.  She is quite amazing!  moomieswan@googlemail.com

FT PHOTOGRAPHY - CAPTURING OUR DAY AT THE DAFFODIL!

We're incredibly lucky to have the wonderfully talented Frances Taylor - Bristol Wedding Photographer and her partner, Chris Cardwell, as our 'official' photographers at The Daffodil on Sunday!

Having worked with and known Frances for several years now, I can tell you how passionate she is about photography - her camera is practically an extension of her arm and taking pictures is an every day part of her life.  If there's a photo to be taken, Frances will capture it beautifully!

Frances is just lovely to work with - laid-back, funny, easygoing, but with an incredible eye for detail - when you think she's just snapping away, she's actually making fabulous memories as second nature!  

Now working in partnership with Chris Cardwell, they cover all types of photography but specialise in wedding photography, engagements and family portraits.  Their gallery gives you a taste of their amazing range and fabulous style and their clients love them.  You'll see the pair of them around the venue on Sunday, so do give them a smile! 

We love working with them and we can't wait to see the photos for the day!

WE'RE SUPPORTING CHELTENHAM OPEN DOOR

As I'm not local to Cheltenham, I asked The Daffodil to nominate a local charity for us to support and they suggested Cheltenham Open Door.

I did a bit of research and chatted to some of the volunteers there and I'm really impressed by what they do and hope our contribution will help in a small way.  £1 of every £2 entry fee will go direct to the charity.

They don't just help the homeless but a myriad of people with different social needs but all are vulnerable, disadvantaged or lonely.  The charity, which was founded in 1992 by Flip Thornett-Roston and initially based at Grosvenor Hall, works to relieve poverty, hardship and social or emotional distress.  In 1988 the charity moved into 39 Grosvenor Street, where they're now open on all year round on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10.30 am to 1.00 pm serving tea, coffee and a hot meal at lunchtime.  They also open on Sundays from 9.45 to 11.45 to serve a packed lunch takeaway. 

At Christmas they open as a 24 hour shelter and move to St Luke's Hall, where they're open from lunchtime on the 24th, Christmas Eve, through to after lunch on the 27th.

Open Door are a drop-in centre where everyone is welcome and they don't judge or ask questions.  They deal with people with mental health issues, eviction problems and any social needs people have.  They have shower facilities, an area where people can get clothes and food stores distributing food parcels.  They also link to other organisations, so can point people in the right direction for where they need help, including Cheltenham Housing Aid, Turning Point, CCP, meaning they can help individuals find help where they need it.

Everyone working at Open Door are volunteers, working on different shifts.  They cater for about 50 people a day and have shifts of 3 or 4 each day.  They are totally reliant on voluntary donations and, if you want to help they always need donations of soft food, clothes, bedding, tents, sleeping bags and anything they can pass on to people needing help. 

If you want to donate, volunteer or help in some other way, why not call them on: 01242 577418.

THE DAFFODIL - FOR FILM STAR WEDDING DAY GLAMOUR!

Let me introduce you to the star of our Wedding Fair - The Daffodil!

I had been looking for a venue in Cheltenham for a while.  There are some  beautiful buildings but I wanted something that made my heart thump and my senses go WOW!  A friend had mentioned The Daffodil to me so I googled it and got quite excited.  But I've been disappointed before, so I made an appointment to meet up with their Events Manager and take a look.

The minute I saw the frontage I knew I was going to love it ... and walking into the building just knocked my socks off!  I am a MASSIVE film fan ... but my true love is vintage films - black and white, period films - glamorous, gorgeous and my style inspiration.  Well The Daffodil reflects all of that.  I was so thrilled when they said they'd like to host my vintage wedding fair.

Cheltenham's first purpose built picture palace, opening its doors to the public on the 5th October 1922, its Art Deco style was an instant success.  It was the height of glamour, with an upper circle lounge area for relaxing pre-feature, perfume vending spritzers in the ladies powder room and the country's first 'kissing seats' designed for courting couples.

The advent of television caused it's closure and, after several different incarnations restaurateur Mark Stephens fell in love with its potential in late 1996.    The Daffodil was lovingly restored with many original features reinstated and is now one of Britain's most unique and dramatic dining rooms.  

A dazzling open kitchen has replaced the silver screen, displaying a different kind of theatre, overseen by renowned Head Chef, Tom Rains, serving daily and seasonal specials combined with well established favourites.  The restaurant has established a great reputation for producing delicious and unpretentious classic dishes using the finest seasonal ingredients.

Not only that ... The Daffodil is licensed for civil wedding ceremonies, with a bespoke planning service to provide everything you need for a fairytale day.  Up to 140 guests can dine on the day or you can have a more cozy, intimate affair.  Whatever you want, the Daffodil can truly make you feel like a film star for a day!

On the 21st, the fully licensed cocktail bar, set in the mezzanine circle balcony and overlooking the hustle and bustle below, will be serving their Matinee Menu so, when you're overwhelmed by all the gorgeous exhibits, why not sit back, enjoy the view and pretend you're back in the '20's!

BRISTOL VINTAGE - MAKING THE WORLD MORE GLAMOROUS CUP BY CUP

Katie and I started up Bristol Vintage over 6 years ago now. Katie was getting married and loved the idea of having vintage crockery at her wedding. We were both mad vintage hoarders and had started to collect cups & saucers wherever we could find them - car boot sales, auctions, charity shops, friends, relatives ... and Katie's wedding day was amazing!

Photo Courtesy of Pete Cranston

Katie and I had known each other for several years and knew we'd love working together and suddenly we had the perfect business - vintage crockery hire.  Once we'd started we couldn't stop collecting, and now we have afternoon tea crockery for over 300 people, 100 Babycham glasses, a full dinner service for 150 people and lots of props, including Mabel, our beloved vintage bike, working gramophones & typewriters, sledges, picnic hampers and rugs and our recently acquired vintage-style photo wall!

Yes, we're a little obsessed, but we love what we do and we just can't resist collecting more for our brides!

Although Katie left the company after her third child, we still meet regularly to bounce ideas of each other and Katie can often be seen waitressing at one of our events, along with our fab team of the loveliest waitresses you could find!

We supply crockery for afternoon teas for two, up to a full wedding including set-up and style and waitress-service. We can introduce you to fabulous caterers, stunning dressmakers, delicious cakes and pretty much everything you need for the perfect vintage wedding.

I'll just have a small table of crockery & props at the fair as I want to focus on my exhibitors, but please do come and have a chat if you'd like more information. I'm really looking forward to meeting you all!