With a wonderful season drawing to a close, it was only right we sat down with Le Papillon for a cup of tea and slice of delicious cake.

We caught up with Neil for an insight into his baking world and to discuss all those delicious flavours!

What first made you fall in love with baking?

Baking has always been a big part of my life, I knew from school age that I wanted to be a pastry chef, and studied patisserie at college straight after school.

How would you describe your style of cakes? 

We have a pretty broad range of styles, usually more natural looking with modern twists.  Our main focus though is flavour, being from a chef background, our foundation has always been great tasting cakes!  Too many cakes look nice but are let down with taste and texture.  This is where we are different.

What made you decide to work in the wedding industry?

This happened organically for me. Weddings were always a side part of the business but eventually over took everything else!  Now we are almost exclusively weddings.

Can you explain a little about what couples can expect when they book with you? 

I like to think our process is really relaxed and stress free.  I’m not one for over complicating a process.  We generally will help find you a style you like and then work from there.  You will get to taste our full range as part of the process too.

What is your favourite part or parts of a wedding day? 

Definitely the reception!  The Ceremony is obviously really important, but I love the buzz of the drinks reception, canapés, champagne and then the party!

What top tips and advice do you give to couples ahead of their wedding day? 

Try to relax!  People overthink way too much.  Quite honestly if your guests are well fed and watered they will have a great time.  Don’t sweat the details.

What do you love most about Millbridge Court? 

Well recently the pizza oven!  I’m a bit of a pizza enthusiast myself and have a wood fired oven at home.  I just think this is such a nice addition to the venue.

What cake trends are you seeing for 2023?

Taller, slimmer cakes for sure, lots of natural details and simplicity.

And lastly…what is your favourite flavour of cake?

My favourite cake is probably carrot cake.  I love the spice!  I do also love our chocolate hazelnut cake which reminds me a lot of Nutella.

Anyone that has had the pleasure of having their hair &/or make up done by Olivia will be able to tell you she acts as an honorary bridesmaid. Not only will she make you feel beautiful but her attention to detail means she will also keep you on track with your timings, ensure you are well hydrated and position the train of your dress just perfectly for those all important first pictures.

Essentially, she has you covered!

We sat down with Olivia to give you a little glimpse into her world.

Botanico joined us as a Millbridge Court Partner is 2019, after wowing us with her incredible chocolate cupcakes and we just had to share her talent with our couples.  Not only are her cakes delicious (the Guinness cupcakes are a team favourite) but each one is a piece of art – hand crafted flowers and details are exquisite!

We spoke to Naomi to give you a little glimpse into the world of floral cake artistry.

What first made you fall in love with baking?

I’ve always loved cooking and baking from an early age and would always be hanging around in the kitchen watching my mum preparing and cooking.  My mum rarely baked cakes (or any sort of pudding for that matter) so perhaps it was nothing more than my sweet tooth and desire for treats that inspired me to learn to make my own!  It wasn’t until I was in my twenties that I realised I could combine my love of food and art and make some really pretty and eye catching cakes!

How would you describe your style of cakes? 

I like to say that Botanico cakes are a beautiful marriage between art and cake.  I would say my style is romantic, elegant and quite ‘modern heritage’ too.  I love a bit of texture too so you’ll quite often see these used on the fondant or buttercream covering, adding a bit of interest underneath those pretty flowers.

 

 

What made you decide to work in the wedding industry?

My passion is creating beautiful sugar flowers so that is naturally a great fit for the wedding industry.  Aside from that, I love getting to know my wedding clients and their ideas for their big day.  I get so excited discussing colours and themes – it’s always so amazing seeing it all come together on the day too!

Can you explain a little about what couples can expect when they book with you? 

I usually start off the process with a phone call to discuss initial ideas and themes.  I tend to ask lots of questions to gain as much information as possible that will help me design the perfect cake.  It’s quite common for couples not to have any of the answers though, so I’m always very happy to guide them through options.  Many of my clients decide to book the date before even trying samples as they have come to me through recommendation.  Of course it can be done the other way around too, where I can send a sample box out prior to securing the date. I like to think I offer a very friendly and professional service, which really is tailored to each individual couple and their needs.

What is your favourite part or parts of a wedding day? 

My favourite part has to be finishing setting up the cake and taking a few photos of my finished creation in its final position.  I always have an image in my head of what the final cake will look like, and of course my hand drawn designs to work from.  However, nothing feels so good as seeing in the flesh (and secretly high fiving myself on how amazing it looks, ha!)

What top tips and advice do you give to couples ahead of their wedding day? 

One of my top tips would be to choose your suppliers early, as the best ones can get booked up quite quickly.  I would also say choose suppliers who’s work you love but also ones that you get on with personally, as it’s so important to have a great working relationship.

What do you love most about Millbridge Court? 

How many words am I allowed?!  I totally adore Millbridge Court.  Not only is it an absolutely stunning venue, it has the most wonderful team.  Their list of preferred suppliers are all so talented too.  I’ve often thought that if I wasn’t a cake designer, Millbridge would be a place I’d love to work.  Every wedding and Details Date Night I have attended just looks stunningly beautiful.  It really has such a great feel to the place and it’s so well run.  I love it!  It never fails to impress me, and I do have high standards when it comes to this type of thing!

What cake trends are you seeing for 2023?

 Florals, florals and more florals!  They are always popular for weddings of course.  I think different styles of flowers –  handmade from sugar, piped, pallete knife painted, handpainted will all feature heavily again next year. I think floral colours are also going more bold too which is exciting.

 

If you are looking for an incredible cake for your celebration get in touch with Naomi to discuss your ideas.

We love nothing more than seeing our home filled with guests and helping our couples plan their special day.  Hosting our Date Nights is another excuse for us to do just that!  On these evenings we collaborate with our handpicked MC partners to create a special experience for each and every couple.  With preparations underway for our next Dinner Date Night, we wanted to whet your appetite with some inspiration from our 2022 tastings.

In March we picked a rustic set up with vintage oak tables, and it was the first time Jonny MP joined us for a Date Night and we were delighted that he dived into the kitchen to capture the team from Kalm Kitchen plating up lots of delicious dishes.  Muted Affair enterainted our guests during the drinks reception and provided ambient music for the meal.  Farnham Sound & Light provide a bit of sparkle with a fairy light wall and the tablescape was finished with beautiful blooms from Gill Pike and delicate stationary from Gable & Grain.

When we reached September the team took inspiration from the autumnal days to come, with an earthy colour palette accented with gold and pink. Lavendar Hill not only adorned the tables and canapé trays but created a hanging installation in the Dining Hall.  For this evening the ethereal vocals of Lauras Paper Heart filled our front lounge for the welcome and continued over dinner.  The charming tassel place cards were provided by LouPaper and the fantastic Farnham Sound & Light were back with the super popular fairy light wall, if you don’t have a lighting installation booked for your wedding… what are you waiting for?!  This fantastic evening was captured by the wonderfully talented Matthew Lawrence.

By November we were ready to embrace the icy months so chose a modern winter palette.  The majority of couples attending our last tasting experience are holding their weddings with us in Spring, so we kept a hint of vibrance showcasing our latest cocktail…Pink Paloma, which was quite the hit!  Kalm pulled out yet another amazing dessert station with ‘Table of Tarts’ which a certain member of the team now has an eye on for their upcoming wedding…

A big thank you goes to LouPaper and Farnham Sound & Light for joining us once again, this time with chic, monochrome stationary and a Dining Hall filled with fairy lights, which added warmth.  The tablescape was even more beautiful than we had imagined on paper, bought to life by the talented Hannah Berry and captured by new MC partner Catherine Carter.  Live music can help a create wonderful atmosphere, so we invited Music by Kate & Dave to join us with their bespoke musical arrangements.

Catherine Carter Weddings recently became a Millbridge Court Partner!  We loved working with her throughout the 2022 season and we have since caught up to give you a little glimpse into the world of a wedding photographer.

How would you describe your style of photography? 

Capturing both composed moments and raw emotion in elegant timeless frames.  I use a layered strategy, merging documentary, fine art style and a hint of editorial.

What first made you fall in love with photography?

I have always been an artist from a young age and loved exploring different mediums, painting, drawing and photography.  Photography won my heart, I love being able to create beautiful images from raw organic moments.

What made you decide to work in the wedding industry?

I am a true romantic and I love working with honest true moments.  I love each and every wedding I go to.  Seeing the individuality of each day from the dresses and suits to the flowers and the stationary.  There are so many layers to a wedding and to be asked to be a part of someone’s day.  Being trusted with those very important memories is a real honour.  Weddings are so much fun and it is such an exciting industry to work in!

Can you explain a little about what couples can expect when they book with you? 

My approach for each wedding is to put you at ease and get to know you well and find out what is important so I can capture your beautiful unique wedding story in a way that is right for you.  Whilst creating stunning photographs is my priority, I also wish to make the experience as stress free as possible for you and your family and friends.  You may see me popping my camera down for a minute and helping carry a dress, put a buttonhole on, straighten a chair or help a guest.  To me, this is all part of the wedding photography package and the top priority for myself and all of your suppliers is to make sure you have the perfect wedding you have dreamed of.

What is your favourite part or parts of a wedding day? 

I love the morning of a wedding, it is such a special part of the day for you to really soak in that the wedding is here and for me to witness all the excitement and happiness is so special. I also love the time for the couple photos, again it is such a special time where I urge you to take a step back and let the day sink in and have some time as a couple on your own. This is where the magic happens, emotions are high and by embracing that time together I step back and capture beautiful moments between the two of you.

What top tips and advice do you give to couples ahead of their wedding day? 

Embrace every moment and emotion! You have planned this day for many months and you have to let go of the day and enjoy each part, if anything goes slightly wrong it doesn’t matter, as long as the two of you get married everything else falls into place. Take that time to step back and let it all soak in.

What do you love most about Millbridge Court? 

I love the intimacy of Millbridge Court, it is such a stunning venue that keeps all of your friends and family close together. I also love the people that work there and the other suppliers that I often work with there too. Everyone always pulls together as a team and we all want the same – to create a beautiful day for you.

What photography trends are you seeing for 2023?

Blur-motion photography, which captures movement – these images especially in black and white can look amazing!

Veil shots have been very popular this year but I think it will carry on into 2023 especially those beautiful bridal portraits in the morning using the veil and creating those elegant artistic photographs.

 

Top L: Florist – Buds Floristry Bridal Attire – Flora Bridal – Bridal Indulgence MUA – Sophie Mills Bridal

Top R: Florist – Designed by Carley Bridal Attire – Enzoani Bridal Hair – Rebecca Elgar

Bottom L: Florist – Made with Grace MUA – Olivia Mills

Bottom R: Florist – Flower Pocket Bridal Attire – Enzoani from Surrey Brides MUA – Olivia Mills

L&R: Florist – Designed by Carley Bridal Attire – Enzoani Bridal Hair – Rebecca Elgar

Middle: Florist – Flower Pocket Bridal Attire – Enzoani from Surrey Brides MUA – Olivia Mills

Florist – Buds Floristry Bridal Attire – Flora Bridal – Bridal Indulgence MUA – Sophie Mills Bridal