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Charlie

TNWC South West Roadtrip Day 1: Huntstile Organic Farm and Clavelshay Barn

Charlie

Wow – what a start to my trip! I’m writing this on Sunday evening, so I’ll be sharing with you this morning what I got up to on the first day of my TNWC South West Roadtrip yesterday. Hope that makes sense!

I set off from home at lunchtime with a three hour drive ahead of me to Somerset. My first stop on the TNWC South West Roadtrip was Huntstile Organic Farm – a beautiful wedding venue set in the rolling Somerset countryside. This wasn’t my first visit to Huntstile, so I’m mainly just going to share with you some pictures I took today – if you’d like to read more about what I think of Huntstile check out my previous visit.

This was Huntstile yesterday, looking super pretty in the sunshine, flowers blooming everywhere, and buzzing with people.

Charlie

Join The Natural Wedding Company for our South West Roadtrip visiting some fab wedding businesses along the way

Charlie

The Natural Wedding Company – that’s me (Charlie) and my baby bump – are going on a roadtrip! Starting on Sunday 9th June I will be driving from my home in Cheshire, all the way down the country and into Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, finishing up in a little bit of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire about 10 days later.

Along my way I’m going to be stopping off at a number of the fantastic businesses that you can find listed on The Natural Wedding Company directory. There are many more fab wedding suppliers down in the South West than I am possibly able to see in 10 days, but I am doing my best to see as many as I can and report back to you, my lovely readers, about what I find.

Follow My South West Roadtrip

The whole aim of this roadtrip is not only for me to get to meet some of these businesses in person, but also to share pictures and details with you. I’m going to be taking my camera, my phone and my laptop, and each and every place I visit I’ll be capturing in pictures, words, and maybe even video (if I can figure that out!).

Each day I’ll be retreating to a B&B to write up my day’s visits, which you’ll then be able to read the following day on the blog.

As well as documenting my South West Roadtrip on the blog, I’ll be sharing photos on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I’ll be tagging all my images on Instagram and Twitter with #TNWCRoadtrip so I hope you’ll follow along and join me on this epic roadtrip virtually.

Charlie

Win a beautiful springtime blossom bow tie with matching pocket square for your groom-to-be from Mama Wolf

Charlie

*This competition is now closed 00:00 12/06/13*

So far this year we’ve had some really lovely competitions on The Natural Wedding Company blog, and I must say there are more lovely ones to come. Today I’m launching a competition from new TNWC business Mama Wolf to win this gorgeous springtime bow tie and matching pocket square.

I’m particularly delighted to have a competition prize that’s for the men in our weddings. Whether you want to win it for you groom-to-be, the best man, the father-of-the-bride, or maybe even a page boy, or even if you’re not getting married and you’d like to win it for a bow tie lover in your life, then read on for how you can enter.

When spring finally arrived on our British shores this year it has been spectacular – the hawthorn leaves unfurling and blossom budding all over the place. What could be nicer for a spring wedding that this springtime bow tie and pocket square?

Made from upcycled pure cotton, like all Mama Wolf products, they have been handmade with every effort to ensure they meet their ethical selection criteria (recycled, vintage, fair-trade, organic, up-cycled and natural fibre fabric).

What’s more, Mama Wolf created this bow tie and pocket square exclusively for The Natural Wedding Company readers, so you won’t find this design anywhere else! If you’d like to enter to win this delightful set, read on below for full details of how.

Charlie

Celebrating our second wedding anniversary with a bespoke apple blossom keepsake print from Lucy Says I Do

Charlie

Today Mr Rigg and I are celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary. Two years ago today (or at least this past weekend), we were saying our “I do’s” and celebrating with 70 of our closest family and friends. If you’re new to the blog and would like to see some photos from our wedding you can find them all here.

This year is pretty special as we’re sharing it with a new addition, a little person in my belly that likes to wriggle around and remind us that it’s here and on it’s way. Last year we celebrated with a picnic dinner on our allotment, this year it’s the cinema and a meal out – as we are being told so often we should make the most of this baby free time. Personally, I’m just too excited about this baby arriving to currently care about forfeited meals out and trips to the cinema.

Neither me nor Mr Rigg are particularly big on celebrating anniversaries, or buying each other extravagant gifts, but this year I felt the urge to create something as a lovely reminder of our wedding day. With so many lovely businesses featured on The Natural Wedding Company directory, I am always seeing beautiful ideas not only for weddings, but for holidays and gifts, and much more.

This was how I came across Lucy Says I Do. A relatively recent addition to the directory, Lucy Says I Do is run by Lucy Clark (of this incredibly beautiful wedding), who it turns out hired our wedding photographer Mark Tattersall to capture her day after seeing our wedding pictures. As well as creating rather beautiful wedding stationery, Lucy also designs prints incorporating your wedding vows, poems or readings.

Charlie

A vintage-eco wedding photoshoot with quirky styling and a brooch bouquet at The Pines Calyx

Charlie

Last autumn a group of local Kent wedding businesses got together to create a wedding photoshoot inspired by all things vintage and eco-friendly. They created a number of different looks and I have some of them here today to share with you, featuring some pretty vintage dresses, dainty crockery, lovely florals and an exquisite brooch bouquet.

The shoot was another collaboration between TNWC photographer Rebecca Douglas and make-up artist Suzanna who created this ethereal harvest shoot I featured last year. This time, Rebecca and Suzanna swapped the English country field for the beautiful eco-chic The Pines Calyx wedding venue, also one of our TNWC businesses.

Charlie

Rustic brown ‘Thank You’ luggage tag postcards from Wedding in a Teacup

Charlie

Wedding blogs, TNWC included, focus lots on the actual day, but when it’s all over there’s usually the business of thanking those who helped and who came along to share your celebrations with you.

When I spotted these new ‘Thank You Very Much’ postcards from TNWC business Wedding in a Teacup I was certain they would be a hit with a number of my readers. They combine a number of elements that are so popular here on this blog – beautiful brown card, luggage tags, and postcards.

Charlie

An ode to snake’s head fritillary – wedding inspiration using this unusual native British spring flower

Charlie

Here at The Natural Wedding Company I love to promote seasonality, and to encourage and inspire couples to choose to plan their weddings fitting in with the season whether that be flowers, food, or decorations. Choosing seasonal blooms for your wedding flowers is one way to reduce the environmental impact of your big day (rather than imported flowers), as well as reflecting the beautiful and varied times of year.

Recently on my Facebook feed I’ve been seeing one particular spring flower popping up in bouquets from various TNWC flower businesses – the snake’s head fritillary. This very dainty bell like bloom is a native English flower that makes it appearance during the spring months.

Following on from my previous floral ‘odes’ (‘an ode to violets’ and ‘an ode to old-fashioned roses’) today I’m going to showcase the snake’s head fritillary. From bouquets and buttonholes to table centrepieces, I’m going to show you how you can incorporate it into your spring wedding.

Image: The Garden Gate Flower Company

I’m delighted to have put together this feature on the snake’s head fritillary with the help of some of my talented TNWC flower businesses. As I know many of you are planning your wedding and searching for a florist who grows their own or sources local British blooms, I’ve included their details and where they are based in the country as all of them provide stunning flowers for weddings.

Bouquets and Posies

When it comes to wedding flowers what better place to start than with bouquets. Every bride needs a bouquet and I have a beautiful selection here to showcase all featuring the dainty snake’s head fritillary.

First up this seasonal spring bouquet from Susanne at The Blue Carrot based down in Cornwall. Along with the snake’s head fritillary, Susanne used the following homegrown flowers: parrot, double and single tulips from her tunnel; hellebores; narcissi, ranunculus; and feverfew. She also added a few sprays of jasmine, which she bought as a plant from B&Q and used the cuttings.

Flowers: The Blue Carrot

Here’s a close up of this beautiful bouquet – I particularly love how Susanne combines colour, with the sweet shop pastels set off by the addition of those deep, velvety purple hellebores.

Flowers: The Blue Carrot

Charlie

Introducing Ellie Gillard Photography and an exclusive 15% off your wedding photography

Charlie

I hope you’ve all had a great weekend and that the sun shone for you, at least a bit. What better way to start the week than with an exclusive offer for all you lovely TNWC readers!

One of recent additions to the directory, Ellie Gillard Photography, was keen to introduce herself to you – I was delighted because not only does Ellie take gorgeous photographs, but like all our businesses she does her bit to run her business in an eco-friendly way.

So if you’re on the hunt for a wedding photographer then get to know Ellie Gillard Photography a bit more, and enjoy looking at some beautiful pictures from weddings she’s captured. Plus, at the bottom you’ll find an exclusive 15% off last minute availability offer if you book before the end of May 2013! Over to Ellie…

Hi, I’m Ellie. I’m the photographer, owner and general dogsbody at Ellie Gillard Photography. I love to photograph couples who want to break for the norm, I always think a picture says a thousand words but what you might not know is that I’m also eco-friendly, both in my life and in the way I run my business. So I make four key promises.

Charlie

Jen and Chris’ pretty village fete wedding – happy anniversary guys!

Charlie

This time last year my sweet friend Jen was getting married to her Mr, Chris, as it happens in the lovely village church that we both go to sometimes. It’s in a gorgeous little village called Dunham Massey in the countryside south of Manchester. Most of the cottages are owned by the National Trust so it still has this old fashioned feel to it, and the vicar is just the best ever.

I was lucky enough to meet Jen a couple of days after her wedding for my TNWC 5th Birthday Party and we had previously met up for a cup of tea when Jen emailed me and we suddenly realised for a few months we’d been sat in church together whilst she was busy reading my blog – she created some beautiful paper details for her wedding based on our own wedding stationery.

Charlie

DIY project: how to make handmade recycled seeded paper flowers

Charlie

The Natural Wedding Company is lucky enough to be blessed with some fantastic small and independent businesses, who aren’t only making and selling beautiful things, but they’re also showing you how to do it too.

I’m delighted to welcome back to the blog Sharon Langsdale from TNWC business Razzle Dazzle Rose – she’s going to be showing you how to make recycled seeded paper flowers that are ideal for decorating wedding favours or invitations, and even transforming into alternative buttonholes.

Razzle Dazzle Rose sells a number of fantastic eco-friendly craft materials, specifically in my favourite brown craft card. A new addition to her shop are these paper flower kits – you can choose from recycled brown kraft paper flowers, cream vintage fleck flowers, or seeded paper flowers.

Once you have your kit, here’s how to make the flowers – over to Sharon who is using the cream vintage fleck flower kit…

Handmade Recycled Seeded Paper Flowers

Step 1 – Unpack your paper flower kit and you’ll see you have a number of die cut pieces of paper, just like these…

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