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.

Earlier this year, we had the pleasure of hosting a super stylish Styled Photoshoot which was conceptualised, organised and designed by Wedding Planner, Natalie Ellen, who teamed up with a host of incredible Suppliers who helped bring her vision to life.

With the full Photoshoot recently having been featured on the hugely popular Wedding Chicks blog, we wanted to share some of the beautiful images from the day with you, alongside a chat that we had with Natalie to find out a little more about the Shoot, the collaborators, her Top Wedding Planning Tips for newly engaged Couples and much more.

Hi Natalie, tell us about you & your wedding expertise…

I’m Natalie and I’m a wedding planner at Natalie Ellen Weddings. I offer bespoke wedding planning for modern, fun loving couples, designed to match your personality and style. My clients tend to be modern couples who are veering away from tradition – they want beautiful, stylish weddings with personal touches throughout and that suits me and my style perfectly!

 

Can you talk us through the concept for your styled shoot and where you drew inspiration from?

This shoot was the result of a first meeting with Poppy from Poppy Wild Floral – we met for a coffee to put a face to the name and to have a good chat about what we do, and within 30 minutes we were concocting our perfect shoot together. Those first scribblings quickly evolved from ‘cool floral installation in modern/stylish space with sage green’ into my favourite mood board yet – Poppy created the most beautiful colour palette to work from and everything went from there – the vision became ‘contemporary, playful with a little edge’ and each detail was designed to bring that to life. It’s always my goal to create something different to provide inspiration for contemporary couples, something people can screenshot or pin to recreate for their own wedding. That part always takes a bit more thought but it’s worth it when you see the idea come to fruition on the day.

 

How did you choose who to collaborate with?

At any one time, I  have a wish list of suppliers I’d love to work with, whether that’s for the first time or someone I keep coming back to because they’re so good at what they do. This shoot was definitely a combination of the two! Working from our moodboard, I selected suppliers who I knew could nail the brief and add their own creative touches. It’s so important to bring on board people who not only ‘get’ the vision, but creative experts who see what you’re trying to achieve and go that one step further. Getting the team right is the hardest part of the planning, but it’s incredible seeing everyone come together on shoot day!

 

What made you choose Millbridge Court as the location for your beautiful Photoshoot?

Millbridge Court has been one of my favourite wedding venues for years! The contemporary style of the space is right up my street and I love how versatile the venue is – there are so many different areas couples can utilise throughout the day, whatever the season! It was a no-brainer to style our ceremony space in front of the beautiful tall windows where natural light beams into the room, those windows alone are such a selling point for couples visiting the venue!

 

Every element of the shoot came together so perfectly, what advice would you give to couples who want to make sure all of the different aspects of their day are cohesive?

It can be so difficult to take a step back to see the whole picture when you’re planning all the little elements of your wedding, but my advice to couples would be to not let the little things overwhelm you. Always start with an overall vision of what you’re trying to achieve and with each decision, reflect back on your Pinterest board or moodboard and think ‘does this fit with what I want our day to look/feel like?’ You might find that the answer is no, but if you LOVE an idea then you can absolutely adjust your vision to suit – use it as a guide but don’t let it stress you out if you go a little off piste. It’s your day!

 

Are you seeing any trends emerging for 2021-2022 weddings?

This is a tricky question to answer right now because we’re potentially talking about a post-coronavirus environment. As we continue getting used to this strange situation we’ve found ourselves in, I’ve noticed people really prioritising quality time with their loved ones – it’s saddened me so much that people have had to dramatically reduce their guest numbers but it’s seen a rise in truly beautiful intimate ceremonies and I think some couples have started to consider a smaller celebration as a result.

In terms of design trends, I’d say we’re definitely seeing a steer towards what I’d call ‘the new pastel’ – brides are opting for dusky pinks, sage greens and subtle peach tones in their bouquets, with plenty of beautiful foliage to add a natural, wild feel to their day.

I’m hearing more and more couples talk about the desire to go local with flowers & produce, with many actively trying to create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly day, whilst also supporting smaller local businesses after such a hard hit this year.

Perhaps not so much a ‘trend’ but something I’ve really noticed in planning weddings for next year is that couples are less afraid of shunning traditions and doing things their own way – whether that’s a favourite food van instead of a sit-down dinner or a joint speech from the bride & groom, this is something I love as I think it’s so important to really personalise your day!

 

What are your 3 Top Tips for planning a successful Wedding?

Firstly, always remember this is your day and it should reflect you as a couple. Forget what you ‘should do’ and focus on what you really want!

Secondly, planning a wedding is hard work! Accept help from friends and family or consider bringing on board a wedding planner to make it a stress-free process.

Lastly, take inspiration from everywhere – interior & fashion trends, the seasons, places you visit, foods you love. And remember to think of all the senses! Scent in particular can evoke such strong memories so think about finding a special wedding scent, or dotting your favourite candles around the venue. Those smells will always bring you back to your big day!

 

*Click here to see the full feature of this Photoshoot on Wedding Chicks*

The Team:

Planning & Design- Natalie Ellen Weddings

Shoot Assistant- Kelly Amy Events

Photographer- Philippa Sian Photography

Florist- Poppy Wild Floral

Floral Assistant- Anthology Floral Design

Stationery- Made by Wood and Wood

Cakes- Anna Lewis Cakes

Hair & Makeup- Hannah Monk Hair & Makeup

Hair & Makeup Assistant- I Do Bridal Services

Hair Accessories- Lilley Studio

Model- Georgia Dispenza

Rentals- Hire The Look

Ribbon & Styling Fabric- PomPom Blossom

Table Linen- Just 4 Linen

Wedding Dresses- Morgan Davies Bridal

Here on the MBC Journal, we love sharing posts featuring gorgeous flowers, delicious food & oodles of styling inspiration for the Halls & Arbor Ceremonies- this week however we wanted to focus on some of the smaller styling details, so we’re sharing a selection of imagery showcasing some of the beautiful Signage that Couples have had created for their Wedding Days at Millbridge Court.

For the creation of ‘Welcome’ signs, Ceremony signage, ‘Order of the Day’s’ & Table Plans, some Couples have called upon the expertise of talented Stationers, Calligraphers & Graphic Designers, with others seeing it as a fabulous opportunity for some DIY Decor & we always find it so wonderful seeing how perfectly these details tie in to the overall decor once they’re put in place on The Big Day itself, whether that be through the colour palette, the addition of beautiful florals or giant balloons.

So, if you’re at a stage in your planning process where you’re beginning to think about Stationery & Signage & are looking for inspiration regarding designs, styles or potential Suppliers, then look no further than the gorgeous images below.

Xx

(Links to Supplier’s websites can be found at the bottom of the post).

(Top- Photographer: Sophie Duckworth, Florist: Boutique Blooms, Second Image- Photographer: Benjamin Wheeler, Sign: Loupaper Wedding Stationery, Third Image- Photographer: The Springles, Bottom: Photographer: Kate Gray Photography, sign: Loupaper Wedding Stationery)

(Top- Photographer: Paul Rogers, Florist: White Lilac; Bottom Left- Photographer: Claire Penn Photography, Sign: Soo Yeah Studio; Bottom Right- Photographer: VLA Photography, Sign: Me & Es Designs)

(Top Left- Photographer: Philippa Sian Photography, Florist: Boutique Blooms, Sign: Love Lane Events, Bottom Left- Joe Burford Photography, Sign: Love lane Events, Florist: Lily & Myrtle; Top Right- Photographer: Nataly J Photography; Bottom Right- Photographer: Philippa Sian Photography, Bubblegum Balloons, Designed by Bride)

(Top- Sign: 2 Little Birds, Photography: Leanne Jade Photography; Middle- Photographer: The Springles, Sign: 2 Little Birds, Flowers: Still Life Flowers; Bottom- Photographer: Emma Russell Photography, Sign: 2 Little Birds)

(Top- Sign: Farnham Sound & Light, Florist: Blush Floral Design, Photographer: Philippa Sian Photography; Bottom- Sign: Love Inc Ltd, Florist: Boutique Blooms, Photographer: Anneli Marinovich Photography)

(Top Left- Photographer: Jamie Dunn Photography, Table Plan: 2 Little Birds, Florist: Lavender Hill Company; Top Right- Photographer: Benjamin Wheeler, Table Plan: 2 Loupaper Wedding Stationery; Bottom- Photographer: Kate Gray Photography, Table Plan: Loupaper Wedding Stationery)

(Top Left- Photographer: Lincoln Pictures, Table Plan: Nats Paper Studio, Florist: Hannah Berry Flowers; Top Right- Photographer: RS Brown Photography, Table Plan: 2 Little Birds, Florist: Hannah Berry Flowers; Bottom- Photographer: The Springles, Florist: Still Life Flowers, Table Plan: Nats Paper Studio)

(Left- Photographer: Philippa Sian Photography; Right: Photographer: Emma Russell Photography, Florist: Topiary Tree by Carrie Macey, Table Plan: 2 Little Birds; Bottom Left- Photographer: Kate Gray Photography, Order of the Day: Loupaper Wedding Stationery; Bottom Right- Photographer: Rebecca Searle Photography, Mirror: Owned by Couple, Lettering: Decal from Etsy, Florist: Hannah Berry Flowers)

(Top Left- Photographer: VLA Photography, Florist: Blush Floral Design, Sign: Stationery made by Couple, Hoop from Bramblesky (Etsy); Top Right- Photographer: Nataly J Photography, Table Plan: by Couple; Bottom- Photographer: DM Photography, Florist: Hannah Martin, Sign: Hoop, Couples own, Stationery: Vista Print)

(Left- Photographer: Philippa Sian Photography, Lettering: Beyond V, Florist: A Wild Handful; Top Right- Photographer: Lemonade Pictures, Quote board: Made by Groom, Florist: Hannah Berry Flowers; Bottom- Photographer: Emma Russell Photography, Sign: 2 Little Birds)

 

Stationers:

2 Little Birds

Beyond V

Bramblesky

Loupaper Wedding Stationery

Love Lane Events

Nats Paper Studio

Soo Yeah Studio

Lighting Hire:

Farnham Sound & Light

Love Inc Ltd

Me & Es Designs

Photographers:

Anneli Marinovich, Benjamin Wheeler Photography, Claire Penn Photography, DM Photography, Emma Russell Photography, Jamie Dunn Photography, Kate Gray Photography, Leanne Jade Photography, Lemonade Pictures, Lincoln Pictures, Nataly J Photography, Paul Rogers Photography, Philippa Sian Photography, Rebecca Searle Photography, RS Brown Photography, Sophie Duckworth Photography, The Springles, VLA Photography

Florists:

A Wild Handful, Blush Floral Design, Boutique Blooms, Hannah Berry Flowers, Hannah Martin Flowers, Lily & Myrtle, Still Life Flowers, Topiary Tree by Carrie Macey