Back in September, I had the pleasure of spending the weekend with some of my favourite suppliers. It was so lovely to see the beautiful vineyards in full grape swing this time around and there was a steady flow of lovely couples and their families throughout the weekend.
The weekend was captured absolutely beautifully by Charlotte Razzell. I'm so grateful she is letting us share her pictures.
I always felt a little uncomfortable going to open days and wedding fayres when I got engaged, when well meaning and likely lovely suppliers would jump at you and usher you along to their table, so came up with something a little different!
I decided to paint on of my cakes for a little interactive twist.
People seemed to really engaged which is exactly what I had hoped! Win!
I had cakes in both the sailcloth marquee and the tipi and I love how different the styling was in both.
Missy from Melissa Rose Design opted for a bright fusion of pinks and oranges giving the tents a real festival of colour vibe.
We decided to go for an ombré look for the ganache cake which I covered in the most beautiful flowers from the one and only Brothers farm.
Dahlia season was in full swing and Dan gave me more than enough to work some floral magic.
(One of my own photos from the day)
Katie from Style and Wonder went for a beautiful pastel, 1920’s travel with a romantic feel in the gorgeous tipi.
I was inspired by all the glass and earthy tones so opted for minimalistic textured two tier in a nude shade.
I loved the birthday cake I made myself back in June and wanted to roll with the idea of this cake so I could use some of my vintage bottles and some of the more delicate flowers from brothers farm.
Love my car boot vintage bottles and those flowers are so beautiful!
Meet some of Dorset's best Wedding Suppliers.
I will only recommend other suppliers if I have had the pleasure of working with them and in all honesty, if I like them. I would find it very hard to recommend someone if they were rude to me or I saw them being rude to others, no matter how wonderful their work was.
So, without further ado, let’s meet some of the lovely lot from the open weekend.
The tents -
Coastal tents - Carla and Owen are a world of knowledge. They were so thorough when chatting to their couples and incredibly patient answering any questions. They have a brilliant team, their craftsmanship, attention to detail and customer interaction is brilliant and to top it off are both genuinely lovely to work with.
They have also incredibly managed to build this fantastic business around having their little one which in itself is a full time job, I should know, which also gives them a big tick in my book.
The venue -
English Oak Vineyard - Andrew and Sarah have made something really special here and the fact a fair few people don’t know this beautiful vineyard is a stones throw from Poole (myself included) make it even more special.
There is plenty of space under the beautiful oak trees for one of Carla and Owens brilliant marquees or for smaller weddings they have a gorgeous converted barn. They also make the most delicious sparkling wine.
The décor -
Melissa Rose Design - Missy has real flare and a keen eye for detail. She transforms a space amazingly and anyone who has worked with her will tell you how lovely she is. I love how different her designs have been the last two open weekends!
Style and Wonder - I love the tones and detail Katie uses in her creations. There is a beautiful botanical softness she has to her craft and her sustainable outlook is right up my street, using British grown flowers when she can and reclaimed furniture.
She has a really calming presence, which is definitely what you need when it comes to wedding planning.
The photos -
Charlotte Razzell Photography - After Insta stalking Charlotte for a while it was so lovely finally meet her and she was just an awesome as I hoped she would be.
I love her relaxed, capture the moment photography style. She makes you feel completely at ease (so important when choosing your photographer) takes stunning photos and genuinely a lovely person.
Lola rose photography - Kelly’s photography style is beautiful with a real softness to it. I love how natural her shots are and all the attention to detail images she captures. She is clearly passionate about her work when you chat with her and it really shows in her art.
The food -
Ako Dining - Liv and Zac have an infectious passion for their business. It’s hard to not smile when you are in their presence and their sweet treats were blimmin delicious! Damn you and your perfect macarons. I’m not envious at all!
Zac is an amazing pastry chef (French background) and I loved hearing about what makes him tick as cook.
Chilli pepper catering - I have worked at a couple of events with Martin now. The food him and his team make is really delicious and he really knows how to run an event smoothly. Always trying to help other suppliers and always Mr calm!
The Drinks -
The copper still mobile bar - Both times the horse box has been at the tents it’s always been dressed beautifully and couples have been coming away with the biggest smiles after been given their drinks. Hayley is super friendly and clearly loves the business she is building!
The Stationary -
From Sally with love - Sally is such an artist. Her creations are so beautiful and the design flow beautifully through from invites to place settings and menu boards. She I also absolutely blooming lovely to chat with.
The entertainment-
Switswoo - I can sometimes find that photo booths at weddings can look like an afterthought, but not the lovely Sarah’s. The backdrop, the styling and even the camera itself are so stylish and fit perfectly within the space.
Sarah is so passionate about her business and it shows when you get to chat with her.
H R Sings - Hannah has the most beautiful, calming voice. How she can sing for hours on end I will never know. Especially when the quality of her singing remained the same throughout.
Carterello Band - A fully customisable band from a couple of musicians to a full 12 piece party band! I have heard great things about these guys and their testimonials alone speak volumes.
Hampshire Wedding DJs - Simon managed to single handily change my view on wedding DJs! I admit I have previously been put off some as I have encountered a few too many cheese on toast types, but the way he explained how himself and his team run events and that they are more a form of entertainment, whether that be for the high energy dancing or the warm summer evenings with chilled music, he has really changed my mind!
The Splendid Loo Company - Lovely clean, luxury toilets perfect for marquee and tent weddings.
Dorset Generator Hire - Keeping us toasty
All in all, a pretty great weekend, meeting some lovely couples and brilliant suppliers!
If you are in need of a beautiful wedding cake inspired by nature, I would love to hear from you!
I adore anything floral and handpainted and learning all about your special day and coming up with a gorgeous design to suit it perfectly is a highlight of the process!
Head on over to my contact page and let's get planning your dream cake!
Happy Monday everyone.
Tash x