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.

 

 

 

 

Shropshire Wedding Venues

I am constantly inundated with excited couples trying to find their perfect wedding venue. It seems they come to me as I throw the style of wedding they want and tend to work in the style of venue that they are sniffing out.

Festival style, vintage, rustic, quirky weddings can of course be held in your average manor house, castle or stately home but the people who come to me often want something a little different and usually with a different budget in mind.

So here are my top 5 Quirky Shropshire Wedding Venues. Some without pictures as we like to keep them secret, but come through me and we can go and view them!

1. A field over looking Wenlock Edge! You can have the full festival wedding experience, set up a yurt such as Henry's gorgeous Yurtmaker.co.uk Yurts or how about a Stretch Tent from Freestretch.co.uk? Contact me for further details festoon@live.co.uk.

freestretch.co.uk tell Will Ruth sent you!

2. The Sun Inn at Leintwardine. Not strictly in Shropshire, just over the border in Herefordshire but very close to Ludlow and all that delicious foodie-ness. Rustic, parlous pub. Original flagstone floor, original wallpaper. Large eco-build extension on the back and vintage furniture. Oh yes and fantastic real ale! festoon@live.co.uk for further details

Festoon co-ordinates weddings at The Sun. festoon@live.co.uk

3. Wistanstow Village Hall. The largest village hall in the country apparently and it really is gorgeous. It includes a small field over looking incredible countryside, lots of parking and beautiful woodwork inside.

From Rock My Wedding

4. Wilderhope Manor is actually a youth hostel but has recently had a refurb and is now a brilliant combination of grand yet rustic. Remote enough to have a big knees up with gorgeous grounds and accomodation for guests on site yet close to Much Wenlock and Bridgnorth. Tents can also be erected outside.

Contact Wilderhope on 08453719149 or Wilderhope@yha.org.uk

5. A brand new use for a very old barn. Potiphar's Barn in Munslow is suitable for private dining, exhibitions and now for weddings with a custom made canopy extending the space out into the farmyard. Marvelously eccentric owners to top it off - you can hold something very magical here!

Available with or without ducks. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Potiphars-Barn/642098342579697?fref=photo 

 

 

 

Festoon provides hire items to make your wedding or event a gorgeous one. Festoon lights, fairy lights, vintage crockery, vintage vases, vintage jars & bottles, wood blocks, Ale bar, Gin bar, hog roast and much more. 

www.festoonsworld.tumblr.com 

Ruth x

Vintage Pub Weddings!

The beautiful Sun Inn at Leintwardine has been taken over by a local man with some serious vision and passion for authentic, real ale pubs. Steve Illidge is the landlord at Dolphin in Shrewsbury and also the Black Boy in Bridgnorth and is bringing them back to life. The Sun Inn is his third and it has been whispered his big passion. Alistair Sawday has awarded The Sun it's 'Authentic Pub of the Year' award 2014, and once you step inside you will see why.

Faded original vintage wallpaper, wobbly stone floors, a Victorian parlour and a grade 1 listed parlour room that makes The Sun one of the last original parlour pubs in the UK, it looks like no one has set foot in it since the 60's.

Festoon was over the moon when Steve approached us to decorate and bring even more vintage charm into the already fantastic space. So underway is a little project bringing more original furniture, some upcycled pieces, a splash of colour and just a little more love to The Sun.

Festoon appears to be right at home as we will also be launching the pub's new(ish) eco build extension as a wedding and party venue. Think real ale, hog roast, vintage tea parties, bunting, wild flowers and traditional little weddings at great prices. Sunday 16th November 12 till 4 we are having an open day to show off The Sun at it's most lively. Festoon will be decorating the space as a wedding may look, cake & tea will be served on vintage china, Andy Li will be our roaming photographer, a photo booth by That Photobooth Company will be using the vintage wallpaper as a backdrop and Omie Megan Wedding make up artist will be providing free make overs to all! It's going to be a good one!

For any enquiries about using The Sun Inn at Leintwardine as a Wedding venue do contact me festoon@live.co.uk

Big Love x

Halloween Frocks Galore

Dear All Tilley's fans...

I have a few Vintage gothic delights for your weekend of ghouling. Fancy anything you see here for your naughty weekend shenanigans and I will post them to be on your doorstep for Saturday morning for free.. following paypal or bank transfer payment!

Gorgeous, quality 1960's pinafore dress. Size 10. £25

80's Gothic dress. Sheer sleeves, high sheer neck line. Hole to the hem hence price. Size 12/14. £15

Black 3/4 length dress. Empire line. Sequinned under bust and at the cuff. Size 12. £20

And the pièce de résistance a stunning, unusual little black dress. 1970's made in Paris. Best on a tall size 10 to 12. £35

Please email me if you want any of the above at tilleysvintage@hotmail.co.uk. Paypal is to the email address: ruthtilley@cheerful.com

Much red lipsticked kisses xx

Manchester's Vintage Fair

Manchester is my new love - damn I have somewhere else I want to live!

Subcity under the railway arches just off Oxford Road held the ever present Judy Berger's Manchester Affordable Vintage Fair.

Tilley's Vintage had almond and lemon cupcakes, floral vintage plates, a sexy candle burning and a corner full of dresses.

The Fur Debate

I spent this summer dancing at festivals into the night and watching the sun rise. The reason I was able to do this? My rabbit fur coat. I was the only person who felt none of the evening chill after bright sunny days wearing very little and I sat watching the sun rise very happily.

The other thing I spent the whole summer doing was defending my reasons for wearing it. There were many looks of surprise 6 months ago when I first donned the coat however I have noticed recently a marked decrease of shock on observers faces. Maybe fur is being more widely worn or maybe I have just become less sensitive. Indeed the first time I wore it into town I came back in tears certain that the students behind me in Starbucks had slashed my fur as it was hanging off at my elbow. I was mistaken and the pellets had just come apart. However one designer shop in York  had anti fur protestors outside when they first brought in fur trimmed coats, so people are still as sensitive and passionate about the issue as they were 20 years ago.

Today's papers are full of people eating locally; sourcing their food and using the whole animal, so eating more economically has become a real social issue. We are all becoming well educated about farming. Vegetarianism isn't the only moral option. I eat meat; I wear leather, as do the majority of the British population. Why should I not wear animal fur that has been farmed to keep me warm, when those pigs were farmed to feed me? I see no moral difference between the two. Equally I strongly respect and agree with my many Vegan friends who are mostly Vegan for health and environmental reasons. After eating with my Vegan friend all weekend at one festival I felt alive and full of energy (despite the amount of alcohol consumed) and very well fed with beautiful food, but I still wore my coat and she did not blink an eyelid. She knows I eat meat, why should I not wear the natural fur from that rabbit stew?

My second argument which I feel equally strongly about is that I would much rather wear a natural fabric than a manufactured fabric any day. Silk, wool, cotton, fur all let your skin breathe and last much longer than any nylon. They do not irritate your skin. They keep you far warmer than any man made outfit I have ever worn. Ultimately they have been manufactured naturally. There has been no chemicals or carbon used or created and I can wear my natural fabrics with no worry of extra hormones being put into our environment.

Thirdly I wear Vintage furs. These are recycled and re worn. They have a history. They would have been the central piece of a woman’s wardrobe, the very expensive piece that would hopefully last a lifetime. They have, and now they are lasting another lifetime. I wear my fur with respect for not only the previous owner’s life whilst wearing it but also of the animals that created it. They probably lived short lives but now they are being appreciated for decades to come.

I feel a shift away from the Cruella De Ville, long finger-nailed, immoral bitchiness that was previously associated with fur wearers. Surely fur is the natural choice that I feel morally and environmentally assured to wear.

 Tilley's Vintage Furs.

This beautiful 1950’s rabbit Fur was brought second hand in the 60’s at London’s Portobello road, so has already given two women a few decades of wear. Now it can give a third modern woman the chance to love and appreciate the natural beauty of this piece £75 at http://www.tilleysvintage.etsy.com/

The Dead Weather - Winter's Inspiration

Jack White and Alison Mosshart .. you don't get much cooler than this.

My Winter outfits have begun to surface, and out goes all my flowery dresses. I noticed today that as soon as the weather begins to turn, the leaves start to drop (or be savaged from the trees by the wind as they have been today - I have the biggest hair you've ever seen) and the big blue Yorkshire sky turns gradually greyer so do my clothes.

My Winter coat was found at Vintage at Goodwood, an original swashbuckling Royal Navy Admiral's coat, with beautiful big brass buttons, a huge tail, slit up the back, a hook... I'm assuming this was to hand a sword on, and shot though lining just adding to it's charm. The real deal.

The coat will be accessorised with plenty of eyeliner aka Jack White, lace, fur, big biker boots, tribal jewellery and a huge piece of embroidered Victorian black silk as a scarf/ skirt whatever tickles my fancy. I've also grown into white linen and lace petticoats worn under my knee high dresses, very Wuthering heights. A few designers for high street shops picked some up off my stall at Goodwood... you heard it here first!

I'm also mad for 60's Bridget Bardoe hair. I read in the Guardian recently that she never gave a damn about he appearance when she was famous and a bit of back combing on scruffy hair goes a long way. That's my girl. Oh, and a bit of nakedness never went a-miss either:

picture from cinemaretro.com