If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you’ll probably know that this past weekend I went to London for the first Etsy UK Wedding Event. It was a fabulous showcase of British Etsy sellers who are crafting beautiful wedding items and I was delighted to be invited to get involved.

I’ve long been a fan (and customer) of Etsy, a number of my TNWC businesses have Etsy shops, and I’ve always tried to support small hand,are businesses by featuring their work here on the blog.

No doubt there are lots of you who would have liked to attend the event on Saturday but were unable to, so I wanted to try my best to share the experience here on the blog.  With a little help from my sister Izzy Burton we’ve created a sort of virtual showcase of just some of what was on display at the event in the form on inspiration boards.

I do hope you enjoy having a look around!

1. Wedding stationery and custom wedding portraits from Jolly Edition (UK but recently moved to USA)

I was completely smitten by these beautiful wedding portraits, delicately painted, slightly quirky, and a truly lovely way to capture your wedding day.  They would make a beautiful anniversary gift or keepsake memory of your day, framed and hung in your home.

2. Personalise silhouette pillows from Olive Owl Art (Ireland)

I’m not hugely into personalised items, but these fun pillows were hard not to love.  I think they are a sweet and subtle way to bring a bit of personalisation into your home without being over-the-top.

3. Custom wooden cake toppers from Proverbial Daisies (London, UK)

The detail that goes into these pretty cake toppers is really impressive, even tiny pieces of net for brides wearing a birdcage veil, and each one beautifully painted to represent you and your Mr-to-be.

4. Wedding stationery from The Little Posy Print Company (Portsmouth, UK)

There was a fantastic array of British wedding stationery on display, and these ones captured that quirky style that you so often see in the USA that we long to see here in the UK – and here they are!

5. Fabric flower crowns from Rogue Pony (London, UK)

It seems like it will be a while before flower crowns dwindle in favour for brides and their bridesmaids, but if you want something that last after your wedding day this gorgeous collection of fabric flower crowns are a pretty alternative

1. Button boutonnieres from Bennett & Bates (Nottingham, UK)

I really loved the combination of items and colours used for these buttonholes, made up of vintage finds they would fit perfectly for a crafty, handmade wedding.

2. Personalised wedding ring pillow from Miss Shelly Designs (London, UK)

As I mentioned above, I’m not really into personalised wedding goods, but I do like the idea of certain pieces that are personalised and can be kept as keepsakes to pass on through the generations.  These prettily made ring pillows were one such item that I really loved.

3. Fabric flower bouquets from Hair Bows Wonderland (Manchester, UK)

I have never been a fan of silk fabric flowers – until now.  Gone are the notions that they are second-best to fresh flowers, with these bridal bouquets made from the most stunning fabric flowers I’ve seen.  Another beautiful item to keep and pass on.

4. Paper flower bouquets from Frances & Francis (London, UK)

These paper flowers are just so beautifully made and have a really unusual and striking look about them, I could see them being used especially as alternatives to fresh flowers for table centrepieces and you get to enjoy them long after the big day.

5. Wedding stationery from Curious Me (London, UK)

I truly am in-love with hand-illustrated wedding stationery at the moment, there are just so many creative people out there and this is a fab example of what you can get.  I particularly loved the style of these invites and the wording.

1. Wedding dress and bridal train from Willow Moone (Ireland)

This champagne coloured sequin wedding dress captured every girl’s heart at the Etsy event, mine included.  I had to hold back the urge to whip it off the hanger and try it on there and then.  This seller has a shop full of beautiful and unique dresses and accessories that you must take a look at.

2. Custom initials book sculpture from The Folded Page (Liverpool, UK)

Personalisation seems to be big at the moment, and I was won over by these incredible creations made from old books.  I would definitely display one of these in my home and think they would make a lovely wedding gift or decorative item to your wedding day.

3. Custom wedding stamp from Poumi (Scotland)

If you are wanting to have a handmade wedding, a customised stamp would probably be a top item to your ‘to buy’ list.  It’s lovely to see there are a number of UK Etsy sellers now creating beautiful designs so you don’t have to look abroad.

4. Wedding stationery from Marty McColgan (Ireland)

Not everyone is looking for whimsical, hand-illustrated wedding stationery, so for those couples wanting something a little more contemporary and humorous these fun take on Penguin book covers could be for you.

5. Bridesmaid matchbox invitation from Sepia Smiles (Northamptonshire, UK)

On display at the event were the favour box version of these and I really loved the idea of these prettily decorated matchboxes to hold a tiny favour for your guests.  I also discovered these ‘will you be my bridesmaid’ version on the sellers website – what a great idea!

6. Wedding stationery from Something New Stationery  (Saltaire, UK)

Another seller offering high quality wedding stationery in those kind of designs we so often see at US weddings, but made here in the UK.  It’s lovely to see this quirky style filtering through to British shores and these were nothing short of beautiful.

As well as the public event on Saturday, I also spent Friday with the Etsy team attending their press morning and a Q&A panel for Etsy sellers in the afternoon (image above). Along with Annabel from Love My Dress we had a wonderful group of Etsy sellers keen to ask us questions about marketing and getting work featured on blogs.

If you are a small wedding business creating beautiful products you think TNWC brides-to-be would like to know about, I am always open to hearing from you and seeing what I can to help you get some exposure. Just drop me a friendly email to charlie@thenaturalweddingcompany.co.uk telling me a bit about yourself and your business along with a couple of great photos of what you make.

Images: (1 – 3) Via Etsy UK Facebook page