We’re always pretty chuffed when we set up our stand at a wedding fair and take a step back – we pride ourselves on making it as colourful and eye-catching as possible! Well a few months ago we ran into Donna from Fabulous Flora whilst exhibiting at Belle’s Bridal Bazaar, and found someone who takes colour and pattern as seriously as we do! Not only are her stands bright and colourful, but she makes some pretty special button bouquets (which we’re hoping to get some pics of soon!).
Whilst we were chatting to Donna, she mentioned an amazing shop on Brighton called Dodo Vintage, and how it would be pretty special if we could do a shoot there with some of her floral arrangements. Well we are never shy of looking at gorgeous old objects, and jumped at the chance. When we arrived, we completely understood why Donna had fallen in love with the place, and it was absolutely perfect as a backdrop to set off her flowers – the mix of shabby chic and industrial pieces worked beautifully with both the softer palettes and the bolder ones. We love your flowers Donna, and congratulations on your newly opened shop in Worthing!
“Step inside the abandoned fairground, where nothing is as it seems… Once filled with the bustling sound of thrill-seekers and sightseers, the arcades now ring out their solemn silence and the carousel stands still. Now, only ghosts roam these rides. But when the day is at its coldest and the wind is oh so still, Little Ruby Red cake toppers venture out into the mist and explore this desolate world. If you look closely, you might just spot them…” Jen, Little Ruby Red
We came across Little Ruby Red at Belles Bridal Bazaar in Brighton and loved Jen and her awesome little sculptures so much, that they got a special mention in our blog post! As the ultimate in custom made alternative wedding cake toppers, they range from cutesy Pokemon characters to a zombie bride and groom. When we chatted to Jen about how to shoot such a diverse selection, the idea of using a fairground really hit home, the contrast of the bright colours and weathered rides perfect for all of her toppers. And perfect for Jen’s philosphy – as she says on her website, ”Nothing is too big, too small, too simple or too crazy… let your imagination run wild!”
Anyway, what do you think of the result? Think Jen was rather pleased: “GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS!!!! I am completely overwhelmed with excitement – I don’t know where to start!! They all look incredible, I am now going to dedicate the rest of my evening to a proper thorough browse…Ah you guys, I am just SO BLOODY THRILLED with them, ha ha! You guys ROCK!!! I can’t thank you enough!!”
We had so much fun with this shoot – Palace Pier in Brighton was such an amazing setting! In fact, it’s possible to get married on there (something we considered ourselves when we were planning our wedding!). Maybe one for all you zombie brides and grooms?
We just love the concept of a bridal boot fair! In the build up to our wedding, we spent many a dawn at our local boot fairs stocking up on coffee and fresh doughnuts…sorry, rummaging through old junk to find the perfect treasures for our wedding. So what better way to simplify the experience than to provide one marketplace where brides and grooms can sell on some of the prize finds from their own wedding, and sprinkle in a few special wedding vendors too?!
As you may or may not know, we got married ourselves last year, and visited a bridal boot fair in Brighton on the off-chance that we might might find something to add a special sparkle to our own wedding. And we did! The crystals in Penny’s bouquet were upcycled from a lovely bride who had made gorgeous crystal bouquets for herself and her bridesmaids. Well this year, we decided that Belle’s Bridal Boot Fair was the perfect opportunity to recycle the three crates of crockery we had amassed over a year of wedding planning! We met a number of other brides and grooms doing the same, some of whom had spent ages DIYing bits for their own wedding.
Of course, it’s not easy working a stall for hours at a time, chatting to excited couples! Sometimes you just have to take a tea break, so The Tea Set and Doily Days had set up a kitchen with mouth-wateringly tasty food. Plus there were Tunnock’s Tea Cakes – say no more.
Whilst there were plenty of beautiful pre-made items on sale, up on the stage couples could find all the bits and pieces they needed – along with some expert knowledge – on how to make their own bunting, jewellery, and flower displays. This was the perfect spot for the DIYers out there. As a ‘seasoned’ origami expert (having made about 300 butterflies for our wedding after an amazing tutorial from my sister-in-law), I really appreciated this addition to the Fair!
Prize for the most colourful stand we’ve ever seen at any wedding-related fair went to Donna from Fabulous Flora – you just couldn’t not look! Not only that, but she had an incredible colour tattoo to match! Anyway, here are a few more from the day – I might have had a bit too much fun photographing, but there was so much amazing stuff!
This is just a selection of our favourite photos from the day, but we’ll be posting all the photos on Facebook soon!
Here are some of the lovely exhibitors:
Natascia Fileppi -The Vintage Milliner
Photo Booth Boutique
Vintage Events
Rockin’ Mark Vis
Sussex Love Bug
Sussex Cutting Garden
Wooden Angel Vintage
Make Fabulous Events
Erika Langley Bridal
Button Bridal
Doris Loves
Frockalicious
