Guest Post - Wedding Inspiration – Indoor Festival wedding shoot

 

Guest Blog post  - By Ceremony By DesignWEDDING

Festival weddings have been popular for a few years now – and they are gorgeous. Generally outdoors, with tipis or barn venues, they are relaxed and fun. But what if the outdoor part doesn’t work for you? How do you get the same relaxed, grounded atmosphere, still stay within a budget, and keep an eye on sustainability?

These were the questions that we asked ourselves when we decided to do a styled shoot at The Subscription Rooms in Stroud. A popular events venue slap bang in the heart of the town, it’s a great location for a celebrant led wedding. The room we used for this shoot is the George Room. It is on the ground floor and fully wheelchair accessible. All the suppliers involved are local independent businesses who have sustainability as part of their approach to their work.

Rebecca - Dress

All photos are from Camilla Reynolds, our fantastic photographer. Rizpah’s playful makeup on a flawless base was from our hair and make up artist, Florence Wear. Isn’t this adorable? With the dress in the bold and beautiful fushia colour our Rebecca - Dress was the Center of attention as wedding dresses should be! With an asymmetric hem, which is on trend for this summer It makes a fantastic alternative to a white wedding and has a more playful vibe for a fun summer festival wedding!

The shoot was in early March, so we couldn’t rely on fresh British-grown flowers. We wanted to use a sustainable alternative to imported flowers. So we decided to go with colourful pompoms as a base for the bouquet, headdress and buttonhole. Gemma Sangwine got busy putting pompoms, fabric flowers and pinecones together and came up with the most joyous, colourful creations. Dried local flowers from Cotswold Country Flowers, along with Anthie & Hons, added impact. A striking wall hung wreath and brightly coloured meadow arrangements, show that British grown flowers are an option all year round.

In lieu of a traditional wedding dress, we chose a simple, colourful dress from us a local sustainable fashion designer Madia & Matilda. This made for a comfortable relaxed bride and maid of honour. And the dress can be worn over and over again, our Made of Honour Langa wore Tanya - Mutton Sleeve Dress. The groom wore British made clothing from James Lear of Arundel. The longer style blue tweed jacket, floral shirt and chinos can all be worn for years after the big day.

Rebecca - Aysmetric Hem Dress & Tanya - Mutton Sleeve Dress

Rebecca - Dress

As confetti is very much an outdoors thing, we decided to try out alternatives. Pompom confetti was a lot of fun to throw! And I made ribbon wands from the fabric strips I also use to make handfasting cords.

The Sub Rooms have two bars onsite and their catering is delicious! Their interpretation of a street food feast didn’t go to waste, as it was happily hoovered up by the models and suppliers. Delicious! And all served on vintage tableware – check out the gorgeous styling that Delight Vintage Teaset Hire put together (with the assistance of Vintage Mary Stroud – it’s always worth checking their stall on a monday morning for vintage treasures. My favourite teapot came from there <3)

We decided that a formal wedding cake didn’t fit our theme, and Shani from Hampton Cakes came up with the idea of making colourful decorated dougnuts, arranged on pretty vintage glassware.

While we were considering sustainability, we thought about transport too – and what’s more eco friendly than a bicycle made for two?

We loved creating this fun, informal wedding inspiration shoot – and I’ll share more of the ceremony inspiration in another post. Hope it’s given you some ideas for how you can make your wedding a perfect fit. Thanks to Rizpah, Langa and David for being such amazing models.

If you have invites rolling in for summer weddings we have more styles available to shop

Summer Essentials - What To Cary On

 

 

1. A beach bag

A beach bag is one holiday top picks you shouldn’t forget. Pick our shopper bag that folds up neatly in your luggage without taking up space. Perfect to hold your basics sunnies and towel, t-shirt or spare sandals;  as you head to sandy shores.

 

Sandy - Beach Bag 

2. A summer dress – Najiah  - Smock dress

Our Najiah  smock dress is so effortless, there’s no better excuse for  wearing this summer dress ; where it be a staycation or holiday. Be sure to pack Dina – Shift dress great for going from day to night for an evening meal and dress it up with heeled shoes and rattan  jewellery. To save space in your luggage, pick a style that looks equally as chic with some trainers and ear it in the day too.

 

Prism - Clutch Bag

3. A travel makeup bag

The only item you need from Madia & Matilda a keepsake to store all your  foundation, lipstick and mascara securely in one place in your bag or  luggage with a zip up our Prism - makeupbag is a good investment. Different sizes available and these make a great gift

4 . Water bottle

A must have essential for summer beach weather,  our curated brands water bottle by Neon Kactus will fit into any tote bag; new in to our curated brands selection

 

 

A Summer Staycation Checklist:

Aviation is the most polluting method of transport; producing 2% of all global carbon emissions. Although the temptation to fly across the world may be strong, the need to protect the Earth from climate change is even stronger. Booking a holiday in your home country will preserve greenhouse gas emissions and often money inside of your bank account. Equally (if not more) fun can be had when taking a staycation than abroad, as long as you arrive at your destination prepared for your adventure…

 

1. Lightweight rain jacket or poncho Due to global warming, the weather is highly unpredictable. Therefore, a lightweight rain jacket which can fit inside of your daytime bag is essential! 

 2. Refillable water bottle When sitting in the sunshine or hiking up a mountain, hydration is key. A refillable water bottle will prevent you from contributing towards plastic pollution which endangers life on land and in water. 

3. Sun cream Although the temperature within your home country may not compare to those abroad, sun cream is important for protecting your skin health. When purchasing sun cream, opt for products which do not contain oxybenzone and octinoxate as these chemical are harmful to aquatic life.

 4. Picnic blanket Whether sitting on the beach or in a field, a picnic blanket is essential for keeping your clothes clean and dry. This will help to prevent the need to wash your clothes and will therefore reduce the amount of energy consumed and microfibres released through machine-washing. 

 5. Sewing kit Sewing kits are extremely useful, if you find a tear or hole in your clothes when travelling. Learning basic sewing techniques will allow you to repair and prolong the life of your existing clothes, rather than spending money unnecessarily on new. 

 6. Playing cards Playing card games is a great way to bond with friends/family and take a much needed break from your smart phone. There are so many different games to play with a single pack of cards which can be used when and wherever. 

 7. A good book There is no better escape than within a good book. Whilst travelling to your destination or lying on the beach, reading is a great, therapeutic way to spend time on your staycation. 

8. First Aid Kit A basic first aid kit (including plasters, bandages and pain killers) is always needed for those blisters from walking and headaches from late night beverages. 

 9. Homemade snacks Carrying delicious, homemade snacks with you as you travel will prevent you from purchasing over-priced goodies at small, independent store. As well as saving money, a box of homemade snacks will save time (spent inside shops) and single-use packaging. 

 10. A travel bag A bag that is big and easy enough to carry as you travel will prevent you from purchasing single-use plastic bags. As well as saving money, re-usable travel/tote bags will prevent further plastic pollution caused by synthetic bags which eventually enter landfill.

Sincerely Madia & Matilda

3 tips to style a blazer

Blazers are the latest trend, there is so many ways you can style them. From dressy to casual, winter to summer, we are here to give you our favourite 3 tips for a stunning blazer look!

1. Casual combo 

Style your blazer with denim jeans, any type of jeans will look great. To make it look casual but smart you can add a white tee styled with a chunky necklace, our Ella necklace would look ideal. 

2.  Dressy

Switch it up to evening wear by changing those denim jeans to black jeans, paired with a polo neck for winter and a cami top for summer, such as our Ashley Lace Vest Top. 

3. A summer accessory 

Try a linen blazer that is a pastel colour to wear over your summer dress or skirt, it is the perfect summertime accessory and makes any look slightly more dressy for the season. 

Images from: https://pixabay.com/images/search/summer%20dress/

Sincerely Madia & Matilda 

Lilly - Pleated Skirt

 

Lilly Pleated Skirt in Cream

The Lilly Pleated Skirt is a must-have for the New Year. It comes in cream, pink, or black. The chiffon material gives a lightweight and comfortable feel to the skirt, perfect to wear casually or for an event. 

Lilly Pleated Skirt in Pink

You can create an instant winter look with a high neck jumper and tights, or you can make the skirt fancy with a blouse and heels. Its diversity and versatility makes it ideal for all occasions. The Lilly Pleated Skirt can be worn in all weather and is a staple piece for any outfit. 

Lilly Pleated Skirt in Black

The Lilly Pleated Skirt is also a great gift to purchase for friends and family who are looking for clothing to be used all year round. Now that the second lockdown has come to a finish, it is the perfect time to start filling your wardrobe with sustainable items that will last.

Images from: https://www.madiamatilda.co.uk

Sincerely Madia & Matilda 

#Foodie - Summer Salad

Nothing says summer like a fresh salad

shake up your greens with seasonal veggies like cucumber, chickpeas, avocado and tomato with rice and so much more!

For the recipe above you will need:
couscous
vegetable stock, boiling
can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Sliced on the slant radish

Spinach
pinnuts

1 Pomegranate

Add the couscous into a bowl, pour the boiling stock over and mix well with a fork. Cover with a plate and leave for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, tip all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Fluff up the couscous with a fork, stir in pomegranate with balsamic vinegar or a dressing of your choice, add some radishes and pinenuts. Mix well and pile on to a large serving dish.

To find similar recipe's check out this link to find out more, if you like us and looking to go plastic free why not check out the veggies from the organic delivery company

If your not one for sauces, we've got another dish you 

You will need:

Long grain Rice
Chickpeas
Cucumber
Tomato
Avocado

juice 1 lemon

With this dish all you will need to do is prepare the dish cook the rice and chop up the ingredients. Add in a some lemon Juice or dressing of your choice and its ready to go. A great quick meal for when you are busy. 

Anya - Jersey Blouse

Or if you are a connoisseur of salads, why not try this dish above

You will need:

Spinach 

Cabbage

Pomegranate

Butternut Squash

Walnuts

Halloumi cheese

Artichoke 

This dish will take a bit more preparation time and cooking skill.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and fry the courgette slices over a high heat for 2-3 minutes until dark golden brown. Lift out on to kitchen paper. Now chop the artichoke  and put the cut-side down into the pan, and cook for another couple of minutes until tinged brown on the underside . Then add the butternut squash to the pan.


If the pan is dry, pour in a little more oil and heat it up, then add the halloumi strips and fry for 2-3 minutes, turning them over from time to time, until crisp and sizzled brown. Pile on top of the cabbage and pomegranate, and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serve as soon as possible.



Find out more on BBC good food

Or for a light bite

An avocado filled bite with feta cheese, tomato, courgette 

• Just before serving, cut the avocados in half lengthwise, remove the pit and discard then fill with your filling. Just add feta, red pepper, green onion, olives, oregano, olive oil and vinegar, stir well, and set aside. A tasty light bite.

For more information select this link 

Sincerely Madia

& Matilda

Top 5 Tops - That Excite Us For Spring

5 tops that have us excited about Spring 

Anabel - Top

Oversized tees, ideal for casual sunday's 

Carrie - Top 

Zoe - Chiffon Blouse



Whatever the weather or climate we've got sustainable styles 
that will see you through

Maddison - Pleated Top

Shorter sleeves for warmer weather - plus new brighter tones 

for when your feeling your self 

Chloe - Sleeveless top

Sincerely Madia & Matilda