so... what is a venue plan?

I don't wish to gloat, but I can't help loving my job!!

Ok, Ok, not all the time... I admit it can get tedious when I have six hours of guillotining and folding ahead of me, but the Sky Plus Box and a cheeky glass of Pinot will usually work wonders and the evening hours pass by quite happily.  (I know lots of working Mums who are not as fortunate as I!)

However; one of my favourite jobs has to be preparing a venue plan.  I have offered this service for several years now, as not only does it give me a platform upon which to set the tone for the wedding, but it gives my clients a box full of inspiration which is really personal to their day, as well as various sketches so they can actually visualise how things are going to work at the venue.

Angie got in touch with me earlier this year to share with me her plans for her Australian Wedding.  Engaged to Jonathon with two beautiful daughters, they are flying out to Perth, Western Australia to tie the knot at the Aravina Estate this Christmas.  What started as a bespoke stationery design soon turned into some help with supplier sourcing and has now evolved into the production of a venue plan.  I keep waiting for the call saying I can fly out to help on the day!! (Still waiting Angie....)

Angie and Jonathon have never met me face to face, but through lots of phone calls, emails, Tweets and goodies in the post, I have been able to help Angie get everything in place so she can land in Oz and relax knowing everything is in hand.  And just as importantly, when she walks down the aisle, everything will look as she imagined.

Here are a few snippets from Angie's venue plan and bespoke stationery to give you a flavour of her upcoming day.

From top to bottom...

>>A sketch of the top table :: Showing a vintage mix of fresh flowers in a jugs and vases, with hessian chair back wraps and luggage label place names attached. Paper flowers will hang from the room beams to soften the large reception room at the estate and help frame the stunning views.

Venue Plan :: From £200 please click here for more details

>>Flight Information holders :: Ideal to keep all your guests tickets together and remind them of any important details and numbers.

bespoke Stationery Item embellished with glitter and all neat and tidy bow :: £2.75

>>Confetti Order of the Day :: If you're going to take it all the way to Oz, then make sure your stationery is multi functional!  These cute confetti boxes double up as an order of the day using an embellished luggage label.

All neat & tidy favour box :: £1.60

Luggage label :: from £1.25

>>Well... the venue is a vineyard! :: Little bundles of tasting notes as the couple are having wine tasting after the ceremony and larger luggage labels to hang from welcome bottles of wine to refresh the weary travellers on arrival in Oz!

Single sided information cards :: from 90p

Luggage label :: from £1.25 

Well, I had better be off, I have a New York design that needs tinkering with and a pair of fabulous purple shoes to source.

Have a good day wedding peeps.

With love, Hannah

frighteningly good ideas...

Can you believe it's October?  And not just October, over half way through! Well with pumpkins creeping into shop windows along with ghostly white faces I had a hankering for designing something with a subtle Halloween edge.  And what better place to show it off than the Wedding Fair with a Difference, hosted by the lovely Save the Date team at the Roundhouse in Derby.

Having looked at the exhibitor listing, I knew the day was going to be wall to wall with fabulous quality suppliers, with a heavy emphasis on vintage theaming perfect for a summer garden party.  But what about the brides who have seen one too many Lacy table cloths?  What about those girls who want more pizazz than pastel? My cunning plan was to hook them in with a Little Fish feast of monochrome splendidness, all embellished with a sprinkle of black glitter and a smidging of zesty orange detail.  And do you know what?  I think I may have pulled it off!

Taking inspiration from our seasonal colours and my 'Yes Ma'am' design, I focused on all things British to finish off a tip top wedding with a modern edge.  of course, there was more than a little fun thrown in for good measure!

From top to bottom...

>>Photo Booth :: These moustaches went down so well, nobody could resist having a go!  They make great accessories either on the table or with a photo booth.

Tash on a stick :: £2
Double Layer sign :: From £2.65


>>Ribbon Wrap Invites :: Great for keeping your invitation, wedding information and RSVP card all wrapped up with a gorgeous Little Fish Events handmade embellishment
With three inserts, ribbon and heart :: £4.00


>>Snippet Thank You Cards :: Just send me little snippets of your favourite memories from the wedding day, so I can create these super cute thank you cards. Stylish and so personal!

Rounded corner single sided cards :: £1.10

Add ribbon :: plus 60p

>>Read All About It :: Personalised newspaper, featuring the story of how the bride and groom met and filled with chocolate fish and chips - serve them on the dance floor about 10pm as a scrumptious pick me up.
Newspaper provided as a PDF for you to print and fold :: £35

Printed and rolled ready to place :: £1.00 each.

Please add 25p for guest name personalisation.

Please note :: Prices exclude sweets


>>Tag You're It :: Double layer invitations with mini RSVP tag attached to the front - really unusual and gorgeous with the black sparkly backing card!
Double Layer Invites :: From £2.25


>>Thing-a-mi-bobs :: Without a doubt, every one's favourite item was the... well the... thing-a-mi-bobs.  No I don't know what they are called either, you made them at school when you were bored and used your thumbs and fingers to open and close them as you counted - I recreated them as a bride & groom 'pub quiz' and personalised them so they doubled as a place name. 

thing-a-mi-bobs provided as a PDf for you to print and fold :: £35

Printed and folded ready to place :: £1.50 each. 

Please add 25p for guest name personalisation.

>>Favours :: Ooh, a cup of tea, complete with a mini quotation card and finished in a black favour box with an orange 'all neat and tidy' bow. How very proper!

Favour box with all neat & tidy bow and single diamante :: £1.60

Hand tied tea bag (from a fabulous collection from Northern Tea Merchants) with mini poem card :: £1.60

>>Flying the Flag :: With confetti making some of out venue a little hot around the collar, why not offer your guests these mini flags instead.  All the colour and festivities, less litter!
Flag with embellishment and bead to the top :: £2.35

A big thank you to Black Eyed Susan, of Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield for her gorgeous blooms which were just stunning.  To the lovely Lynsey of Bimbo Design for manning the stand with me and getting up ridiculously early on a Sunday morning, and to Darren Cresswell, Photographer extraordinaire for making us laugh so hard we got cramp in our cheeks!

I hope you all enjoyed the stand on Sunday and today's Blog has given you a little sprinkling of inspiration on this chilly October Wednesday.

With Love, Hannah x

win a pair of tickets to the wedding event with a difference

I can not believe it's only six days until The Wedding Event with a Difference. Where does the time go? Hosted by the lovely Abbi & Lydia at Save The Date Magazine (if by any chance you have been living in Siberia and haven't logged on, then do so... immediately!) this is without a doubt the region's premier show.  If you're looking for unusual ideas, quirky finishing touches and quality at every turn, then head to Pride Park this Sunday with a pair of flat shoes in preparation for being 'wowed'.

And just to give your Monday morning a little sparkle, I have in my possession a pair of tickets to give away.  Hooray!  All you have to do is send one teeny tiny email naming three suppliers exhibiting on Sunday.  And to give you a head start (just in case the sight of Gary Barlow in tweed on Saturday night has left your head a little woolly... ooh) Little Fish Events is one of them.

You'll need to be quick off the mark though as I will be drawing one lucky winner from the hat on Thursday at 10am, so make sure you get your entries into hannah@littlefishevents.co.uk in plenty of time.

Just to whet your appetite, here are a few little teasers of what to expect:

:: The chance to have a go at designing your own wedding stationery with me at the Little Fish Event stand - the winning idea will have the design made into fifty invitations by me - for free!

:: Over 60 stands of incredible exhibitors demonstrating what they’re all about.

:: The uber chic Creative Corner where you can meet a range of highly unique and creative companies who are sure to inspire you.

:: Feeling peckish?  Then rest your feet at ‘The Kitchen’ and enjoy delicious food courtesy of the fabulous Fiona Herbert Catering Company.

:: Next stop – The Lyrical Lounge. Within a stylish tipi tent outside, you can enjoy a drink at the Belvoir Fruit Farms stand before taking a seat and listening to some amazing music from a range of very talented musicians.

:: If you're bringing (dragging!?) your man with you then the ‘Blokes Corner’ is a must. Not only are there the necessities for your big day such as suit hire and stag do accessories but you can enjoy a sample of real ale courtesy of Nutbrook Brewery and test out your gambling skills at the casino table.

:: Last but not least, there's three opportunities to enjoy the catwalk show (and rest your feet) with a great range of incredible dresses by talented designers, all showcased from boutiques and shops within the East Midlands.

For more information and to register for tickets, visit http://www.savethedatemagazine.co.uk/ and I very much look forward to seeing you there where I will be showcasing not one but two of my new designs launched last month.

Have a super week.  Love, Hannah