COMPETITION: Pin it to win it

From now until December 24th, 2012, the VanillaRetro "Pin it to Win it" competition will be available to enter.
The rules are simple... you will need either a Pinterest account or Facebook account to take part.

HOW TO ENTER WITH PINTEREST:
1. take a stroll through the Wedding Suite Section of my online Etsy Store.
2. pick your favourite design (the design you wish to have for your wedding) from those featuring my "pin it to win it" orange badge.
3. using the PIN IT button, pin your chosen design to your own WEDDING Pinterest Board along with the notes #vanillaretro and #PinItToWinIt
4. then Follow VanillaRetro on Pinterest

HOW TO ENTER WITH FACEBOOK:
1. Go to the VanillaRetro Facebook Page and LIKE the facebook page.
2. Go to the "Pinterest Competition Photo Album" and LIKE your favourite design.it will not work if you Like the design directly from my Etsy shop, you must actively do it in the album on facebook.

The winner will be selected at random and revealed on 26th December 2012 - this will be announced on the VanillaRetro Facebook page.

Please note, only the Wedding Suites are available to win - whichever item it is which you have Pinned or Liked will be the design which you win (if using pinterest, ensure that the photo selected features the Pin it to win it badge - this will make the pin easy to locate on pinterest).
The Winner will be contacted by Vanillaretro for your wedding details and then the prize will be emailed over.

Please note, the prize is for a PERSONALISED DIGITAL FILE, for you to print at home.
You may only enter the competition once via pinterest and facebook. There is no purchase necessary to enter this competition.

Best of luck!
Vanilla Retro

Retro Wedding - Milkshake Stationery Suite

If there is one thing which is definitively 1950's, it's Pink Milkshake and Diners. There is something innocent about sharing a milkshake, something which now only belongs in a bigone era. Unless you want to reinvent the notion at your Wedding. And now you can!

FREEBIE: Hallowe'en Candy Box Template

I love autumn, its my favourite time of year. It's when all my favourite Holidays occur, and in a little over a week it will be Hallowe'en...

So here is a little freebie for you all - a Printable Template for Hallowe'en Candy boxes. The template is scaled to A4 szie and will print two boxes per page. Look great filled with Jelly Worms!

Happy Hallowe'en Everyone!

Festive Printables

It won't be long now before we're decking the halls and mulling our wines, and those of us who love the homemade elements of the festive season will begin making our Chutneys and Pickles for gifts. I shall be making both this year, along with the normal Christmas Cake - all of which need time to mature before handing them out amongst Friends and Family.

Before I nip out to get supplies, I thought I'd share with you my new Festive Printables available to buy from my Etsy shop...

Spring Wedding - a window box of colour

 I myself am currently planning a spring wedding and the Beauty of Spring, to me, lies in the colour. The budding life which flourishes in March, April and May is stunning - a fresh palette of green grass, yellow daff and an assortment of vibrant tulips.

Its easy to take inspiration from nature in design. Yet my latest design takes its inspiration from something a little more conformist: a centrepiece which has been making the rounds on pinterest. Its regimental, but fighting to be free. I've used a similar approach in my new Wedding Suite - the floral motifs offer the freedom of a garden in bloom whilst maintaining the uniformed colourway of a modern bridal bouquet.

I hope you like it.

Pinterest LOVE... #1

I'm slowly but surely getting into Pinterest. I admit, I don't totally get it... but i'm ploughing on regardless. And here are my latest fave pins...

A Super Cute Burlap Table decoration, complete with stunning floral arrangements.I particuarly love the neutral palette here: subtle peachy tones with cream and taupe

A nice idea for a more rustic Wedding Cake Table:

 

How should you decorate a Barn venue? With lots of twinkly lights of course!:

 

And finally, a beautiful visual signage idea so your guests know where they're going:

 

All this Rustic Love has been a great source of inspiration to me this past week, and has helped develop this new Wedding Stationery Suite.

 

 

 

 

Spread the Rustic Love people :)



Autumn/Winter 2012 Wedding Invites

Here are my newly launched Autumn/Winter 2012 Wedding Stationery Designs...

SCANDINAVIAN FLORAL WEDDING SUITE:

 

 

ART DECO TYPOGRAPHY WEDDING SUITE:

 

 

BLUE FLORAL BADGE MOTIF WEDDING SUITE:

Now available to purchase on Etsy

A Tangerine Dream

My personal Wedding Colour Palette is maybe a little unconventional. But there is something so refreshing and inviting about Tangerine & Mint to me. Neither one is vying for the centre stage - the orange, in moderation, highlights the cool mint, which in turn showcases the vibrant orange. I think either one alone wouldn't quite do it for me - the mint would be too wishy washy (I struggled to find a better abjective, sorry) and the orange too overwhelming. But together, something beautiful happens...

All of the above items are available to purchase from Etsy stores, just click on the item name below and whoosh, you'll be taken straight to the shop selling it.

Orange Chevron Clutch Purse
Orange Striped Paper Straws
Keep Calm Bottle Top Favors
Mint Heart Wedding Cake Topper
Mint Beaded Necklace
Orange Necklace
Mint Polkadot Bowtie

And, if you so wish, you can view my complete Treasury here

All the Fun of the Fayre

 

So today was the Port Sunlight Village Festival - a local festival to me and one that attracts a huge number of visitors to the area. Not one to miss an opportunity, I jumped at the offer to have a stall at the local pub, The Bridge Inn, to showcase my designs. Though I market specifically as Wedding Stationery, all of my designs can be altered to suit any occasion and hopefully today will lead to a bit more local business. Anyway, here are a few photies taken today - hope you like!

 

Rock 'n' Roll Wedding Invitation

I do love the music of the 1950's and 60's, the purr of an electric guitar and the soulful lyrics of Elvis Presley. And I'm sure I'm not alone. So, thus inspired my Record Sleeve Wedding Invitation, styled on the Record sleeves of the early 60's.
I've shown it here in a vibrant yellow, but this can be altered to whatever colour you like. It's designed to print onto a 149mm square folded card, with the inside featuring a mock vinyl record containing all wedding details.
The Personalised file is available to buy for just £14.95 to print your own, or if you prefer, contact me for a quotation on printed quantities.

Getting Groomed: Bow Tie Blues

The Groom is often overlooked in the grand scheme of a wedding. We focus on The Dress, The Cake, The Venue, and ultimately, The Bride. But a Wedding Day is for two people, and I’d like to celebrate the Groom and say that, without him, there wouldn’t be a wedding at all. So I present to you “Getting Groomed”; a series of posts for the men we love, and some wedding items which will make them feel all lovely and adored on what is their Big Day too. So lets begin...

Amanda Jo Handmade of Utah, USA

Amanda Jo Handmade makes a delicious selection of quirky and beautiful bowties. Using Cotton, Cotton Blend and even Silk, Amanda looks to use the best quality fabric and hand selects prints she feels will really stand out from the crowd.

"I put a lot of thought, time and love into every listing. All of the items I sell are designed and handmade by myself and all sewing is done in my home studio. I love my work and providing people with a handmade item. To me, the fact that a product is handmade instead of mass-produced means that it has soul and is in no way a "cookie cutter" item"

.Though she has a great selection of designs already listed on her shop, she also offers a custom service if you would prefer a different coloured pattern to those shown, though they may take a little longer to receive, it’s well worth it to get a colour match which works well with your wedding palette.

Though I absolutely adore each and every one of her bowties, I’m secretly coveting this pale blue patterned one for my husband-to-be. If you want to spoil your man for the Big Day, I highly recommend you take a look...

Vanilla R.

Alternative Bride: Bouquets and Boutonnaires

Groomsmen Boutonnieres

I recently came across a fabulous shop whilst perusing Etsy the other day and was so in awe of the products, I just had to ask Tammi, the shop owner of JewelBeGorgeous if i could feature her on the blog... and I'm delighted to say she hopped on board and gave me a little interview about her shop, her inspiration and a few of her current listings:

The Princess Bride Bouquet

I started it all when my eldest daughter announced she was engaged. I thought I could save on wedding expenses by doing the wedding flowers myself. My daughter had seen a brooch bouquet in a wedding magazine and asked if I could make her one. I was definitely afraid at first, but reminded myself that I can be quite crafty and good with my hands once I start something.

Voila! I was so very pleased with my final product and I had such overwhelming response that I decided why not make these by request. I had such pleasure and enjoyment making the bouquets for the wedding and wanted to continue to make them for others. I also try to keep the cost down from others that are being sold. Weddings are costly enough and every bride deserves that one special touch without breaking the bank. I'm all about making happiness.

I am very picky about the type of florals I use and brooches as well. I get most of my brooches by shopping antique shops and occasional garage sales. It's surprising the beautiful pins that you can find at a garage sale. I use local floral and craft stores for the other supplies, but specialty supplies like berries, burlap, fabric, ribbon, etc is really dependent on the vision of the bride. I want to do my best to use all the details the bride gives me to make sure the bouquet becomes a fluid part of their story for the day!

Vintage Brooch Bouquet

Curiosity sufficiently piqued? Good - now go and buy lots and lots of boutonnieres, and then come back here and read my next post - its going to be a good'un I promise :)

Vanilla R.

Getting Groomed: Vintage Vests

Though it is perfectly acceptable to hire a full top hat and tail ensemble - and the choice for many a groom – it is becoming increasingly popular for Grooms to compile a more vintage and quirky outfit for the big day. Waistcoats or Vests are becoming a big hit and there is nowhere better to search for the perfect item than Etsy. One store you might like to visit is Stop The Clock…

Tara, the shopkeeper of Stop the Clock Vintage, runs her store in a town nestled in the foothills of Denver, Colorado.

“I specialize in vintage wares from the 1940s through the 1980s with a focus on outfitting modern families who have an affinity for eclectic vintage style.”

For groomsware, Tara currently has some beautiful Vests and jackets which are worth taking a look at. I particularly like this Corduroy number and am rather fond of this 1950’s piece too, complete with cute horse buttons! Oooh – and keep a beady eye out for her new range of Vintage Ties soon to be listed…

If you’d Like to see more of Stop The Clock on the web, you can find Tara here:
theSHOP , on PINTEREST and on TWITTER

Thanks for stopping by, and come back soon for more Groom related finds!

Vanilla R. x

Like a Kid in a Sweet Shop...

 

I just couldn't resist sharing this absolutely delightful retro wedding spread. I honestly think if i went to a wedding and saw this table in the corner, piled with candy and sugary treats, I'd just wee myself with excitement. Then I'd eat the entire lot.

 

To view even more fabulous photos of this couples' Retro Sweet Wedding, hop along to Katelyn James Blog - you'll be dribbling with envy I promise.

V x

Retro Chic: the Birdcage Veil

I just adore birdcage veils and think they’re perfect for Retro style weddings where a traditional long veil just doesn’t cut the mustard. For shorted wedding dresses I think they’re just the cutest accessory and very Jackie Kennedy. Here are my favourites from some of my fellow Etsy Sellers…

BeChicAccessories has one of my particular favourites: the polka dot birdcage veil – a bargain price of just £24 ($36) for this stylish design. This Birdcage veil is made of dotted tulle with embroidered organza lace atop for an informal and playful feel.

Justforkeeps supplies a great selection of wedding accessories, of which this quirky retro polka dot veil really takes the biscuit for an amazing £26 ($40). A layer of polka dot tulle is underneath a layer of french netting with a bow formed on top from the tulle, using a silver hair comb to fasten.

TheLittleWhiteDress covers all kinds of wedding apparel and has something for every budget. This veil is made of French netting and costs a little of £14 with current exchange rates, or $22 to our American friends. Pair up with their blossom hair comb as shown in the picture for a really striking effect.

And for those who would like to add a homemade accessory to their bridal attire, why not try Ericabstudios for a make-your-own kit at just £6 (that’s only $9!)

Finally, for European Brides, you can’t go wrong with Arterabridalveil for a beautiful handmade veils from just £23… also available to view here

Wedding Cake... top of the toppers

Wedding cakes can take a large portion (pun intended) of your Wedding Budget, often costing in the region of £400-500 for a 3 tiered design with decoration. And let’s be honest, though the ingredient cost doesn’t amount to much, the skill of the bakers and their smooth operation on your big day is where the main cost lies. Yes, an impressive wedding cake really can be memorable and a wonderful addition to your Wedding… but honestly, if you’re really working to a tight budget, making your own can be a much more cost effective solution.

So, I’ve taken a look at some budget decoration options in the way of Wedding Cake Toppers. Gone are the day of the traditional Bride & Groom atop the tower – there a literally hundreds of design choices for the modern couple to choose from and I’m happy to say that many are available at really great prices. Here are my favourites to buy on Etsy:

MissSarahCake is based in the UK and has some really quirky designs: These toppers are laser cut from 3mm acrylic and is approximately 15cm (6 inches) wide, perfect for fitting on a standard 20cm (8 inch) cake. Featuring lyrics from well known love songs, these will last for years with gentle handling so are a great keepsake. You can choose your phrase, acrylic colour and can even get a custom design just for you. Prices begin from £16.99 and work great on simple cakes for a cool contemporary look. My Favourite? What Liverpool girl wouldn’t appreciate a Beatles Quote: “Love, Love Me Do”

BrightBride is based in the Ukraine and sells handmade Wedding Cake Banners – I just adore this “Just Married” bunting design. Using a natural raw cotton, you can choose from the online range or get a design custom-made, and they simply sit atop your cake. I think these are perfect for a Vintage Styled Wedding or Outdoor Event. Prices begin at a little over £15 with the current exchange rate and no icing skills are required! – a snip!

Stickonbutterflies supplies stick on butterflies from their base in Australia. A unique way to make a homemade cake really impressive. With the price at just over £14 for 20 3D butterflies, a cake can be dramatically transformed for minimum cost. Great for springtime or summer weddings and a real talking point – who wouldn’t find these adorable?!