lucy loves... wins Best Stationer at the Bristol & Somerset Wedding Awards

So it's an even prouder sister writing this this morning! Lucy only went and blooming won the award for Best Stationer at the Bristol & Somerset Wedding awards on Friday night! A-MA-ZING!

I never had any doubt of Lucy's talents but this is the icing on the cake for the first official year of lucy loves...

I think Lucy is still in shock to be honest but I cannot wait to share a photo of Lucy with her trophy when she gets it in the next few weeks. I know I am biased as I am her sister, but she really does deserve this accolade. Lucy works so hard and is so incredibly talented and now she has an award to show it!

The lovely Olivia of Host Management, a fellow winner (Best Wedding Planner) on the night, has written a lovely post about the night. As Lucy was not able to make it, it gives everyone a glimpse of what sounded like a fabulous event.

Well done again Lucy. So proud.

love amy x

lucy loves... Off to Wed Wedding Fair aka my first wedding fair

The lucy loves... stand at the Off to Wed Fair

It was quite a daunting process turning up at the Paintworks on Sunday 23rd February for the Off to Wed Wedding Fair. With a car packed full of kit and Amy's help, we embarked on lucy loves... first ever fair.

But now I'm not quite sure why I thought it was going to be so nerve wracking... It was brilliant. Lizzie & Paul (of the fantastic Tschornow Photography), the event organisers, did a great job pulling together a lovely mix of wedding suppliers from the area, whilst creating a relaxing and welcoming environment for both the suppliers and all the guests that came through the doors.

The ethos behind organising the wedding fair was to help provide brides and grooms with inspiration by bringing together a diverse range of suppliers whilst giving guests a personal service.

The fair was due to start at 11am but by 10.45am there were already guests arriving - now that's a good sign! To help create a buzzing environment there were a range of musicians providing entertainment and a caterer (Minno Kitchen) cooking up delicious pittas packed full of tasty treats which also smelt (and tasted amazing). Guests also enjoyed some bubbly on arrival which was a lovely touch.

We met and chatted with lots of couples and hopefully provided them with inspiration, ideas and advice for their big day. We also got to meet lots of lovely suppliers including;

• Vintage Button Bridal Design who had a beautiful and creative range of handmade jewellery
• The very talented Wild About Flowers florist
• Stunning handmade dresses by Karen Reilly
• A fab company called The Brolly Shop providing beautiful umbrellas
• Scrummy cakes by All Amy Cakes
• Brett Symes and his amazing wedding photography
• Mother and daughter crockery and tea party organisers Peachie Vintage
• Styling company Forget Me Not Events who we chatted with over Twitter and told them about the event and so it was lovely to meet them in person

Vintage Button Bridal Design's beautiful stand

One of Karen Reilly's stunning dresses

Some of Peachie Vintage's crockery

Forget Me Not's styling on the Under the Stars venue in Bristol

A hint of the Brolly Shop's stand and the busy crowds at the fair

One of Brett Symes photos which is actually Lizzie & Paul the event organisers!

Lovely example of Tschornow Photography

Wild About Flowers' gorgeous stand

Amy from All Amy Cakes' chatting cakes!

I have already had enquiries from couples I met at the wedding fair, one before I had even left! It's all very exciting! It was so lovely to chat with other suppliers and meet more of this lovely community I becoming more and more part of every day. And I cannot wait until the next Off to Wed Fair.

love lucy x

lucy loves... Bristol & Somerset Wedding Awards

Proud sister alert!

As you know I work with Lucy doing a bit of blogging, admin, attending wedding fairs and other wedding based events amongst many other things for lucy loves... I also took it upon myself as a member of lucy loves... staff to enter Lucy into the Bristol & Somerset Wedding Awards.

And much to Lucy's surprise and my delight, lucy loves... has been shortlisted as a finalist! I am so proud of Lucy and her incredible work. The business has only really been up and running just over a year but this is a very fitting accolade for Lucy's hard work and amazing talent.

I did think it was a bit of a long shot being such a new company but what is excellent about the awards is that although clients can vote for their suppliers, it also goes to a panel of judges so that small and new businesses have a fair shot. Also the event is organised by the Wedding Wishing Well Foundation and supports this amazing charity as well.

To become a finalist is amazing and unexpected so early on in the lucy loves... journey. Sadly we cannot attend the award ceremoney on Friday night but will keep our fingers crossed.

Congrats Lucy and thank you to the lucy loves couples who voted.

love amy x

lucy loves... Alex & Claire's engagement print

As you may know, as well as designing wedding stationery I also design a range of personalised prints. These have been incredibly popular and I am always being asked to design prints for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries (in particular 1st anniversaries as paper is the 'gift') and christening presents.

I was asked recently asked to design a print for Alex & Claire to celebrate their engagement. I was asked for the print to be in a navy, deep pink and white colour scheme (which will be the wedding colours) with lots of words which represent the happy couple all detailed in the shape of a heart.

The print is finished off fantastically in this square shape frame. Perfect!

All my prints come either framed or unframed and in a range of sizes. I love doing them and have a feeling the heart shape design is going to be a popular one!

love lucy x

lucy loves... Aine & Peter

Aine & Peter with their bridesmaids and ushers. Photo courtesy of Kathleen McCreesh Photography

Aine & Peter's wedding took place in the chapel where Aine's grandparents had got married 100 years before, set in mountains in a small village where her father's family is from, in the centre of Italy. It was an absolutely stunning setting which was also very sentimental, especially as Peter's Uncle was the Priest on the day. How lovely is that?

They enlisted lucy loves... help to create their invitations, table plan and menu cards. It was a simple yet elegant design which worked perfectly with the red and white colour scheme, whilst also highlighting the couples travels in South America (where Peter romantically proposed). The invites also gave guests a sneak of where the wedding was going to be taking place using photographs of the beautiful church and square.

Aine and her four bridesmaids looked like pure Hollywood and Peter and his four brothers who doubled as groomsmen also scrubbed up pretty well!

Classic invitation with red envelopes

 

South American map table plan with luggage tag detail

Order of Service with red ribbon detail

Congratulations Aine & Peter. It was lovely to have a small part in your wonderful wedding and I look forward to hearing about your travels take you next.

love lucy x

The lovely list

• Photographer... Kathleen McCreesh Photography
• Dress... Alison Jayne Couture
• Bridesmaids Dress... The Pretty Dress Company
• Suits... Slaters
• Stationery... lucy loves... weddings
• Venue...  La Grotte Hotel

lucy loves... Kirsty & Mike sneak peek

The Maltese Postcard Save the Dates

So far I have designed and created Save the Dates and Invitations for Kirsty & Mike's nuptials which are taking place in Malta in the Spring, so I thought I would give you a little sneak peek on this wet and grey Friday.

This lovely pair wanted their stationery to reflect the fact they are having a destination wedding. For the Save the Date I designed a postcard to look and feel like it had been sent from Malta but also carried their blush pink and cream colour scheme. The travel theme continued as I went on to design passport inspired wedding invitation, again in their beautiful colour scheme. 

The passport style invitation

I created a motif for them to use across various pieces with it featuring on the front of the invite and in the form of a sticker to seal the envelopes and finished off with ribbon on the spine to add a little extra detail and finishing touch to soften the look.

I am now cracking on with Orders of Service, signage, table plan, etc and cannot wait to share all of this with you after Kirsty & Mike's big day.

Lx

lucy loves... The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation

Today's post is all about an amazing charity called the Wedding Wishing Well Foundation. When I heard about this wonderful organisation I had to share it with you all.

In 2009 the charity's founder Naomi Thomas was diagnosed with breast cancer. A year later Naomi was told the cancer had spread and was therefore no longer curable. At that time, Naomi and her finance Graham were desperate to get married but as many people will know, cancer can bring a financial strain on a family, which meant getting married wasn't possible.

Then in 2011 a local wedding planner offered to help Naomi organise her wedding and also find wedding suppliers who would work for free. And on 6th June 2012, Naomi and Graham got married.

And after her big day, Naomi wanted to help others in the same way that she had been helped and from there The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation was born. Naomi said:

"I was overwhelmed with the enormous generosity of all who helped to make my wedding a perfect day and it was made even more special knowing that without their support, it simply would not have happened".

The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation works with couples in similar situations to Naomi and Graham. They exist purely to help organise and fund weddings for terminally ill people. They raise money to ensure that as many costs associated with the couple's wedding day are covered. For this to happen, they work very closely with generous wedding suppliers, who kindly donate their services for free or at a reduced rate.

Naomi has been rightfully been awarded, not once but twice, for her unbelievable determination and courage in setting up this incredible charity.

lucy loves... would be delighted to support The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation and hope to do so very soon. The Off to Wed Fair I am exhibiting at is also supporting the charity on the day.

You can support the charity now by simply donating through their website, just click here.

What an amazing organisation and what an inspirational and very special lady Naomi is.

love lucy x