So many great suppliers, so little time! We’re back with the third in our series of blogs introducing the top team that will be making our Event Under Canvas one to remember. With just a few weeks until we open the gates for our first tipi and sailcloth tent showcase we have been absolutely overwhelmed by the response from prospective brides and grooms so far. It seems a lot of you are just as excited to spend a few hours in the company of these fantastic people as we are so don’t hesitate to give us a yell if you want to set up a time to chat in the flesh!
For now, you’ll have to make do with a window into the worlds of the mouth-watering B’s Cake Creations, the enchanting Donimo Magic, the delicious Duck & Pheasant and the perfectly put together Polly Pickle Designs….
B’s Cake Creations
About:
CAKE! One of our favourite and often most delicious parts of a couple’s big day. Bryony, the genius behind the sponge, has always had a talent for baking and a desire to demonstrate her creative side. Having trained as a graphic designer she’s got a real eye for detail and that totally shines through in her cakes, which she first started making to mark special occasions for her children, friends and relatives. But it was the moment she made her first wedding cake that Bryony really struck gold and she has barely turned the oven off since. Her speciality is crafting realistic sugar paste flowers that couples can keep as a memento after the event, carefully designed to marry with the rest of the floristry and overall colour scheme – what a ‘sweet’ touch…geddit?
It’s a long old process, creating the perfect wedding cake! Bryony begins by covering the cake boards and leaving them to dry so that they don’t mark when the main event is put in position, before moving on to crafting any sugar paste decorations. Next up is the Swiss meringue buttercream for the filling, the chocolate ganache, the fresh cream and the cake itself (literally salivating here). Once the component parts are all ready to go the real fun starts and she begins to build, with the finishing touches put in place in situ…excuse us while we nip off for a quick angel slice, this cake talk is just too much!
“I love meeting the bride and groom and designing a special cake that will really WOW everybody” says Bryony. “After the bride’s gown, the cake is what people tend to look at next…and of course it has to taste as good as it looks!”
Naked cake, iced cake, rice krispie cake…we’re all about equal opportunities when it comes to cake to be honest but Bryony has really seen it all. She’s made everything from footballs, cartoon characters and cameras, to a pair of 38DDs (complete with piercing) at the request of previous customers so we were keen to hear what we could expect if Bryony were left to her own devices on the ULTIMATE Events Under Canvas wedding creation…
“It would have to have at least four tiers – a chocolate, a lemon, a spiced carrot and a vanilla coated in chocolate and covered in fondant. One tier would have pearlescent polka dots, one with a lustre finish and a plain tier in between. I’d embellish it with peonies or orchids and weave in some gold accents for good measure”.
To quote Babe (and why wouldn’t you), “that’ll do pig, that’ll do”.
Top Tip:
Keep your design simple and elegant for maximum impact and avoid a buttercream finish in the summer…you don’t want a melty cake!
How can people get in touch?
If this has whet your appetite for one of Bryony’s creations you can reach her on her mobile; 07795425426, by email at [email protected] or via her Facebook page; B’s Cake Creations.
Polly Pickle
About:
Gemma Titmarsh (aka Polly Pickle) first discovered her love of weddings when she took a job as senior designer at You & Your Wedding magazine, and it was a passion that continued to grow as she moved into roles with ELLE and Cosmopolitan Bride. Her insider knowledge of the industry and wedding know-how has certainly stood her in good stead since she decided to swap her life in the big smoke for family life with her husband Jef, baby Austin and Dexter the beagle, to embark on a career as an independent stationery designer.
Now, her days are spent working on commissioned bespoke invitation designs, personalising orders from her range of existing collections, meeting with couples at home to chat through their visions and putting those all-important finishing touches in place (usually accompanied by a cuppa of an evening) before the happy post heads out.
“I’m always on hand to chat and offer ideas” says Gemma. “I like being able to guide couples through the process because it can be confusing to know what stationery is needed and when. I’m here to help!”
We know that a whole lotta love goes into each and every one of the designs from Polly Pickle and we would be hard pushed to choose a favourite, but we wanted to know if there was one in particular that Gemma loves to work on:
“The Ombre Watercolour design is always really fun to create and lovely to see in different colours, depending on what the wedding colour scheme may be. I love it when couples go for a pop of colour as it gives me more mileage to be creative and have fun with it!”
All good chats must, unfortunately, come to an end but we couldn’t let Gemma go before finding out whether 2017’s MASSIVE passion for all things ‘greenery’ was going to be continuing throughout 2018 and by the looks of it, it’s here to stay:
“My Botanical Eucalyptus design is undoubtedly my most popular this year; the invitation suite and matching on the day stationery. I’m really glad it is as the foliage is so classy and sophisticated – it’s a timeless look. Greenery, foliage and eucalyptus in particular is still very on trend at the moment”.
Long live Greenery!
Top Tip:
Get organised! Invitation suites require a lot of finalised information and details that your guests will need so it’s a good idea to start compiling it all in advance, ready for when you need your invitations so there are no hold ups.
For a super sleek wedding look match your stationery, from save the dates or invitations through to all of your on-the-day stationery, including personalised name tags, menus and table plans. When you get your wonderful photographs back after the wedding you’ll see the beauty of these details and how worth it they are to create a polished look and style.
How can people get in touch?
You can reach Gemma via her website, www.pollypickledesign.com, by email; [email protected], or drop her a Facebook or Instagram message!
Donimo Magic
About:
Joe Baker is absolutely magic. No, seriously…he’s literally a magician and he blows our tiny minds. He’s a real people person, loves a good chat and a laugh and he is always on the move – whether that be travelling to far flung corners of the globe to perform or just joggling around the nature reserve he’s lucky enough to have on his doorstep (yes, we said JOGGLING. That’s jogging, while juggling. Ultimate magician keep fit).
Our favourite Donimo story pretty much sums him up:
“Recently, when I was returning from a job in Brazil a customs officer stopped me to check my bags. As a magician my bags always contain novel items which means I often get pulled over, so to prove my credentials I magicked a paper hat out of a newspaper, which his colleagues made him wear as he waved me through.”
No day is ever the same for Joe. We know him best under the Donimo Magic banner, but he has also developed a character called Donimo the Silent Clown. This guy is a retro silent movie type who performs physical comedy and magic without words (imagine a cross between Stan Laurel and Tommy Cooper and you’re there). His award-winning show has been performed in Vegas, Paris and Monaco in front of the likes of Prince Charles, the Sultan of Brunei and a host of other famous faces. If that’s not your cup of tea then how about Pheonix the Fool? The mysterious court jester who looks like he’s just walked out of the middle ages with his bag of tricks and his flute. As Phoenix, Joe performs spell binding close up magic and gets up to all sorts of mischief…all while wearing the most impractical shoes we’ve probably ever seen.
We are suckers for a good magic trick, but we wanted to find out why Joe thinks it’s still such a popular choice with couples on their big day…
“People love live magic, presented well” says Joe. “It always brings laughter, joy and an element of genuine surprise. I think it’s stayed so popular because it really breaks the ice and warms the atmosphere – acting as a great kick starter for conversation. It’s entertaining without stealing the limelight from the bride and groom, the true stars of the show! Having an accomplished magician who knows exactly how to work the room takes the pressure off the newlyweds and gives them space to relax and just enjoy their special day”.
How can people get in touch?
You can find out more about the many faces of Joe Baker on his website; www.silentclown.com, on his Facebook pages; DonimoMagic or Phoenix the Fool, or just give him a call on 07763802308.
TaDa!
Duck & Pheasant
About:
Introducing Matt and Kate, the people who brought you the Duck & Pheasant and the mega minds behind Gather Bars. Initially just the two of them, they’re now supported by around 30 people who share their drive and ethos, dipping in and out to help keep the business running smoothly at any given time of year. Matt is a clever old bean and he also does all their sign writing by hand, while Kate has pulled the short straw and spends much of her time getting all the licensing in place to be able to bring you their lovely libations.
An instantly recognisable site, The Duck & Pheasant Horse Box Bar was their first project wayyyyyy back in 2014 after they got the idea while sitting in front of the TV one night. It proved so popular (…as you might imagine) that the fleet has rapidly expanded and now includes no less than nine different bars – that’s three trailers, three indoor pop-ups, a tricycle and two purpose built as permanent fixtures for venues!
The ‘Duck’ was one of the first horse box bars in the country would you believe, and is one of only a handful which only serves beer from smaller local brewers alongside its impressive range of wine, spirits and traditional soft drinks…is anyone else thirsty??
We cannot get enough of these brilliant bars in all their glorious forms so we asked Matt what 2018 has in store…
“This year for us is all about our collaboration with Mersea Island Brewery and our new range of ales that they have brewed for us. Mark’s beers have always been a big seller so this year we have teamed up to bring our guests a Golden Beer – Bullion, an Amber Pale Ale – Session, and a Stout – Squid Ink. We are also still really excited by gin and have a few new surprises on the menu for this spring which are sure to go down a treat!”
We can confirm that the Events Under Canvas team is also really excited by gin and will gladly offer ourselves up as taste testers, should they be required!
Top Tip:
Our top tip would most definitely be DO NOT try and do it all yourself. We get so many emails and phone calls from people that thought they could and then realised how much work is involved, but by the time they contact us it’s too late and we are already fully booked! Trust us and let us guide you through the process. We do this week in week out and love what we do, so we know what works and what doesn’t!
How can people get in touch?
The best way to contact the team is via email; [email protected], equally a phone call on 07811860593 works just as well but there are times when their hands are full so email with as much detail as possible and they’ll get back to you.
And so ends another round of introductions. An Event Under Canvas is going to be a wedding fair with a difference – an interactive amalgamation of some of the region’s most impressive suppliers, all housed under our range of captivating canopies. Join us on 14th and 15th of April from 11am to 3pm for a close up of our tipis and a wander round our stunning sailcloth tents, stretch tents and glamping village, as well as a chat with one of our utterly charming team! For more information, find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or give us a call for an old fashioned chin wag on 01206 298074.