Featured Wedding - Rouge Violet

Purple is officially en vogue this year!

2011 is going to be full of Violet, Lilac, Heather and Plum! With a number of Timeless White Brides-to-be selecting purple as their theme colour of choice, I have been considering how we can do something that will make the theme stand out...and I felt this risque colour combination really made an impact.

Lilac and Poppy Red is a candy sweet way of making a Purple theme stand out this year

The Dress

This year, sultry dresses are definately in. Something with a high-fashion look, miles from what your guests might be expecting to see you in will be sure to set the aisle alight. If there's anyone who knows how to design dresses with elegance and flare, it's celebrity designer Jenny Packham. "Amata" has got everything the Lilac and Poppy Red theme needs to fit right in with the stand-out colours, there's sufficient sparkle, sheen and glamour to tie in beautifully with the modern twist. Jenny Packham gowns are stocked at Cuco Couture in Ayrshire, Perfect Bridal Rooms of Aberdeen, Pan Pan in Edinburgh and Anne Priscilla in Glasgow.

"Amata" by Jenny Packham

We also adore this lace and charmeuse gown from the 2011 Collection by Enzoani, the shimmer of the charmeuse will hugely compliment a Lilac and Red bouquet and will have you feeling a million dollars at the altar. Enzoani gowns are stocked at a number of boutiques across the country, including Avorio Bridal in Fochabers, Emma Roy of Edinburgh and Anne Priscilla in Glasgow.


"Farrah" by Enzoani

 The Details

Hire in some gorgeous silver chiavari chairs to your Reception (And your Ceremony if your venue allows!), use pale white or cream seat pads and have a luxurious purple sash tied around the back of each one. Silver chiavari chairs, including seat pads will set you back approximately £250 for 100 from John Brown cater hire but will make a huge impact on the colourings at your reception.


Chiavari chairs will give you an extra way to incorporate your colours

 Keep your venue light by using white tablecloths and incorporate lilacs and reds into your table centrepieces. What's beautiful about this theme is that you can use so many varieties of flowers - Roses, Heather, Hydrangea, Tulips, Poppys and the most sumptious vanda orchids can all make an appearance in your bouquet. Silver charger plates adorned with soft lilac napkins will help to keep your theme looking soft but neat. Adorn the centre of the table with Red tealight holders, available from M&S to give soft and subtle red glow.


Lilac and Silver will give your theme a pastel hue

For favours, include flashes of red by giving a charitable and meaningful gift of a lapel poppy. Using a hole punch, make a small hole in the top corner of each place card and insert a poppy into each. Not only do these make affordable favours, but they support a fabulous cause. You can purchase 50 Poppy lapel pins for £36 from the Poppy Shop. 

Red tealight holders will give a soft glow of red come evening

That's all for the TW Rouge Violet featured Wedding theme, as always if you'd like some advice on how you can re-create this, please do call or email! We love to hear from you all!

With love, TW x

Images from: jennypackham.co.uk, enzoani.com, stonegable.blogspot.com, sugarspunpurls.wordpress.com

Featured Wedding - Classical Glamour

This month’s featured Wedding design is one of my all time favourites – Classical Glamour. Combining the elegance of a bygone era with the luxuries of modern living, Classical Glamour can be tailored to suit any season, and with Autumn and Winter swiftly approaching, I felt that this was a perfect time to cover this theme. With a palette of warm Whites and Creams, adorned by the glow of candles and the striking classical sound of a piano you can be assured that a Classical Glamour Wedding Design is a traditional theme that will be remembered for all of the right reasons.

The Venue

The Sir Walter Scott Suite, Balmoral Hotel

Think old school grandeur and modern luxury for your venue – your venue is a key part to ensuring that your theme is obvious and apparent and it really should be just perfect! Two Scottish venues which are the epitome of Classical Glamour in Scotland are The Balmoral Hotel on Princes Street in Edinburgh and the soon to re-open Glasgow Grand Central Hotel. The Balmoral hotel, made fabulous not only by its luxurious 5 star rating and outstanding reputation but also for its beauty is a perfect host for an elegant reception. The Sir Walter Scott ballroom (above) will bedazzle your guests with its grand pillars, ornate cornicing and spectacular views of Edinburgh Castle. Or, if you’re looking for somewhere new to host your Wedding with a grand old twist then the soon to re-open Glasgow Grand Central Hotel is the ultimate location. An iconic hotel to Glasgow, the restoration taking place at the Glasgow Grand Central promises a stunning and sumptuous Wedding Venue in the heart of Scotland’s largest city – and who could imagine hosting a Classical Glamour themed Wedding anywhere other than in “The Grand Ballroom” (below)!

Artists impression of The Grand Ballroom, Grand Central Hotel

For more information on Weddings at the Balmoral Hotel please click here or for more information on the Grand Central Hotel please click here.

The Dress

Castigliano - "Wisteria"

In order to be Classically Glamorous yourself, you should attempt to find a beautiful satin, sultry dress resembling none other than something from a Bond Girls wardrobe - only in white! For that special, sexy but sophisticated gown, why not try on Caroline Castigliano’s “Wisteria” for size (above). The elegant crossover organza straps along with the soft fishtail skirt are truly a statement of classical sultry style. You can make an appointment at the beautiful Edinburgh Castigliano store by visiting here. Alternatively, something by the fabulous Australian dress designer, Essense of Australia, could fit the theme extremely well, for example this beautiful dress (D1126, below) would be certain to have all eyes on you, with the gorgeous bust detailing and the stunning cut-out back. Essense of Australia gowns are stocked within a number of Scottish stores across the country, to find the stockist nearest you, click here.

Essense of Australia - "D1126"

The Details

Serve a luxurious drinks reception of Champagne and Raspberries to your guests as they arrive to prepare their palettes for the timeless elegance that awaits them within your Reception room.

Focal point - Grand Piano

For a special ritzy touch, hire a Grand Piano and Pianist, make this the focal point by placing it in the centre of your Reception room and have your Pianist play while your guests dine. Local piano businesses, such as Gordon Bell Pianos in Aberdeen, often hire Piano’s out for special occasions and prices start from £300. Click here to visit their website.

Instant Glamour - Crystal cut Glasses

For your table centrepieces, have beautiful tall Candelabra adorned with flowers on each table and light the candles to set a cosy ambiance as the day transcends into night. For an extra touch of old school glamour, hire in some exquisite crystal cut glasses from John Brown Cater hire for a bargain price of roughly 90p per place. Click here to view prices and order a catalogue.

Voila! Classical Glamour in an instant!

As always, if you have any questions or queries related to this post, please feel free to contact me here.

Happy theming!

With love, TW x

(Images from; thebalmoralhotel.com, thegrandcentralhotel.com, carolinecastigliano.co.uk, essensedesigns.com, corbisimages.com)

Featured Wedding - Vintage Tea party

For this month's Feature Wedding, I took inspiration from the nice weather we have been experiencing over the last couple of months. For me, Afternoon Tea is something that rather suits the Summer sunshine better than the Winter climate and with this in mind, I have designed this Feature Wedding. This feature draws upon traditions of old, some glamour, and yet remains a relaxed ambiance for your guests to enjoy throughout your big day. Matte Gold's, Mirrored Glass, Pinks, Oranges and Yellow will create a striking effect that is soft rather than harsh but still bright.

The Venue

Hire a gorgeous Marquee complete with all the fittings and linings of your choice. Many marquee suppliers give you the option to select from a variety of carpet fittings, linings, sizes and shapes and even have fairy lights for you to string up! Best Intent marquees can provide you with a Marquee with all of the important fittings, furniture and loo's suited to 100 guests from £3,500 + VAT. Pop the marquee up at almost any venue you like – from your own back garden (Advisable only if it is fairly level!) to the beautiful grounds of a stately home. Steph, of Best Intent says "People expect marquees to be expensive, but we have had more interest than ever during the recession", "A marquee offers complete choice and flexibility, and as such a marquee package can be tailored to meet any budget". To view a selection of the gorgeous marquees and fittings available from Best Intent, click here.

The Food

Of course you'll be eating Afternoon Tea. Organise for your Caterer to have a buffet style Afternoon Tea, displaying scrumptious sandwiches, yummy scones and huge homemade cakes in their masses will have more of a Wow effect on your guests and will leave the centerpiece space on each table free for you to get creative with. Be sure to ask about including some classics on the Menu – like Tunnocks Tea cakes (Less than £1 for six in supermarkets) and Caramel Wafers. Look into all the lovely variations of Tea (and don't forget coffee's!) to serve up to your guests along with their traditional delicacies – Fruity Teas, Herbal Teas, English Breakfast and Earl Gray are all bound to go down well! Overall, this afternoon fine dining option should work out to be somewhat cheaper than a traditional 3 or 4 course meal, and it will also leave your guests with some steam to head into the evening with – Just be sure they don't go hungry later by serving up some Homemade soup and Rolls (And I'm sure they wouldn't mind if any leftover Sandwiches or Cakes appear either!).

The Dress

Keeping in mind the vintage but classic style and the relaxed atmosphere you'll have by serving a gorgeous buffet, opt for something simple but classic that leaves you with some room to breathe and that won't leave you feeling too hot in the heat! We love this Vera Wang number (right) from the 2009 collection but if that's a little out of your budget (£4000+), opt for something similar like this Atelier Aimee dress, £1257 exclusively available from the International Room at Caroline Castigliano in Knightsbridge, London (A good excuse for a Girly shopping spree with your Mum or Maid of Honor!). Additionally, many of Jenny Packham's designs would suit the day also – you can try on several of her styles at Perfect Bridal Rooms in Aberdeen, Anne Priscilla in Glasgow and the gorgeous Pan Pan in Edinburgh.

The Ceremony

Host it outdoors at a licensed premises, perhaps in a venue like the David Welch Winter Gardens in Aberdeen's Duthie Park, or the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. If you are planning on hosting your Wedding at a Stately home, you can be almost certain that they will have a space in which you can be married outdoors. Cover your aisle with petals for an enchanting effect to walk down the aisle – place some Hurricane lamps at either side to add to the ambiance in the space. You can buy a pint of Petals for roughly £10 from many Wedding favour and confetti suppliers and can hire some gorgeous gold detail hurricane lamps from 88 Events. Though be sure to check that this is in line with the policies of your selected venue as many disallow confetti/petals and naked flames.

The Details

Sleek some gorgeous Duchess Satin tablecloths in Timeless Ivory over your tables from 88 Events for a sumptuous sheen, top these with the gold lined crockery available to draw on the gold tones and add an interesting contrast between the crockery and the centerpieces. For your bouquet and centerpieces, bring the Summer sunshine indoors, make the most of the Summer blooms and use Pinks, Yellows and Oranges to brighten up your marquee. Place cake stands on round mirrored plates in the centre of your tables and fill them with Rose heads and petals, finish by placing 4-6 tealights around the centre to provide some ambience (Provided your marquee supplier allows naked flames inside the structure). Place your table names or numbers in shining mirrored photo frames for added effect. You can purchase Cake stands fairly in-expensively, especially if you aren't too bothered about them being brand new – EBay have a fantastic selection. You can also get some lovely and unusual designs from here

, and they can always double up as gifts to give to your most special female guests. You can purchase 20cm round mirrored plates from here for £1.59 each and grab some tealights and holders from almost any supermarket. Have some fabulous gold rimmed mirrors strung up around the inside of your marquee to give a feeling of more space and more glamour! String up a couple behind the bar to give people something to talk about while they are waiting to be served (The reflection of what's happening on the dance floor!).

That's all for this post, however if you have any questions or would like to contact me, please do here.

With love, TW x

(Images from; Bestintentmarquees.co.uk, Bridesmagazine.co.uk, Marthastewartweddings.com and EBay)