7 Imaginative, Thoughtful and Unusual Stag & Hen Party Ideas.

Stag and Hen Do's.. The biggest guilty pleasure known to 20 & 30 somethings of today. Even if you've a few kids, a sensible job and a mortgage they are the one occasion when doing something supremely embarrassing is just taken as a given. Your dear friend; old uni mate, brother's sister's fiance is about to get married, and we all fall into a gutter at the end of a 'sophisticated' cupcake decorating session.. 

How about something totally different that (depending on your friendship group) may just make for a really fun, bonding, and nourishing weekend.

  

Woodland Adventures in Shropshire! The brilliant fun folks at www.outback2basics.co.uk provide Bushcraft fun with great food in the great outdoors. Campfire cooking, crafts, foraging and more. Camouflage up and track the Stag/ Hen. What more do you need?

Here's one for the brave at heart. Bring your closest friends and family and get even closer by shedding your layers with each other for a session of Naked Movement with the fabulous Gauri Algar in Bristol or your own space. Naked games, Twister, Striptease all in a safe space facilitated and held by Gauri. www.gaurialgar.com

Something Outdoorsy? How about the perfect hangover cure - Coasteering! Climbing the       beautiful Penzance coastline then jumping into the ocean! Explore caves and work as a team for some memories you will all share forever. www.kernow-coasteering.co.uk/

Kidnapping. Ok less of the thoughtful but defiantly in the unusual and imaginative categories ... European Kidnapping

Cocktail Making with a twist on the Gin trend? These folks have a Vintage boat shaped bar with a mixologist who trains you up in the art of Gin Cocktails! Jam Jars or Vintage Glasses available! The Vintage Gin Bar

Blind Driving, the most physically daring way to get closer to your friends. Would you trust them to guide you blind around a racing track? Maybe one for before the pub crawl Blind Driving

Burlesque Dancing with the Manchester Queen of Burlesque herself Bella Besame. She will help create a fun, daring atmosphere where you all have a blast. www.bellabesame.co.uk

Article written for Freestretch the Stretchtent company. The perfect alternative marquee or canopy for your wedding. 

www.freestretch.co.uk

A Very Festooned Styled Shoot!

Pheweeeeee did I have fun doing this one. Boho, colourful, eclectic, relaxed, broke all  the rules and threw some feathers in for good measure.

Roll out the Dahlias, Vintage Gin Bar, Real Ale and dance about in a bright purple Vivienne Westwood gown. That's my idea of a good Wedding shoot!

Hair & Make Up by Kassi Ellis 
Photography by Charlotte at That Photo Booth Company
Floristry & Styling by Festoon
Gin Bar by  The Vintage Gin Bar
Ale Bar by The Outdoor Ale Bar Company
Yurt & Canopy from Yurtmaker
Dress by Vivienne Westwood 
Yurt by Yurtmaker

With love from www.festoonsworld.tumblr.com

Formal Wedding Floristry? No, we want Natural, Relaxed, Local, Foraged Flowers!

Since starting work as a wedding decorator, and informal florist, I've spoken to so many couples about what they want for their wedding flowers. The average couple in their early 30's today don't know exactly what they want from flowers because an explicit shape and colour scheme looks quite dated. They want something a little different, not contrived, and they often have a hankering after the natural or eco friendly. Local, foraged, wild flowers that are of the season fit this bill brilliantly.

My favorite way to work is with a super wide brief. This is perfect for an artist who works with what they find seasonally. Find a florist or an artist friend with an eye for colour, knowledge of the fixings and of the life span of certain flowers out of water and you will have the most visually, texturally, exciting and fragrant wedding flowers going.

The request for 'something different' is met with an excited raised eyebrow from me! In the last year the two favourites have included adding foraged feathers to the bouquet, herbs for a traditional slant and vegetables. 2016 is going to be the year of the vegetable bouquet, mark my words.

Watch this beautiful Costa Sister's video for Vegetable bouquet inspiration!

And my favorite thank you from a bride this year: "Thank you Ruth for my beautiful bouquet (you know the bride loves it when she refuses to throw it to the single ladies!) Wild, beautiful, natural, foraged flowers.... exactly what I dreamed of, and you delivered it perfectly."

Flowers by Festoon, supplied by Gill Yuile & Stokesay Court Flower Garden

 

Bit of Veg action on the old Buttonhole!
Festoon is teaching this technique at The National Vintage Wedding Fair 18th Oct in Manchester

A January foraged Posy by Festoon.

 

     A lovely Flower Crown made by the wearer at a workshop led by Festoon for her 8th Birthday Party. Pic by Emma Playstead.

 

 

 

 

Village Hall Wedding - Wistanstow Shropshire 2015

Wow what a wonderful wedding this was. We were all super proud of how it turned out. The bride Rachel had an excellent eye and knew exactly what she wanted (apart from the flowers but more on that in a later blog post..) which made for a brilliant look.

A stunning, colourful, village hall, country Wedding ensued!

Festoon decorated the venue and created those bouquets! The incredibly jolly and super talented Andy Li is responsible for these stunning pictures. And Kasi Ellis made the beautiful natural hair and make up look for Rachel. And I worked with the wonderful Artisan Flower grower and Florist Gill Yuile on those flowers. Extra flowers such as the David Austin roses that were so prevelant this summer were from another local grower The Flower Garden at Stokesay Court.

Festoon hire items as seen above! Vintage suitcases, gold glitter table numbers, vintage tablecloths, wood cuts, vintage vases, vintage books, hessian haybale covers and fairy lights & festoon lights.
www.festoonsworld.tumblr.com