Helen and Carl were married on 23rd July 2011 at St Peter’s Church, Wymondham, Leicestershire. The wedding ceremony was carried out by Rev’d Richard King.

The happy couple met 10 years ago at the Lloyd 1 bar in Leicester. Helen was standing by the ladies holding 2 glasses of wine when Carl approached her. They hit it off and a second date was arranged but Helen didn’t just turn up on her own, she bought along a friend just on the safe side in case the date with Carl, didn’t quite work out. 10 years on and as they say the rest is history. Helen and Carl have 2 beautiful children, Ethan and Mia. Helen herself was born in Kerry, Ireland with Carl being a Leicester lad. It was Helen’s nursing career that bought her over to England.

On her wedding day, Helen wore a fabulous Maggie Sottero slim fitting satin ivory dress (Brenda) with a heart shaped neckline and Swarovski crystal detail and she looked amazing. Helen complimented her look with a crystal headband style tiara and long length veil. Helen’s 3 bridesmaids were dressed in aline purple satin dresses. Carl and his groomsmen all wore traditional black tails with grey trousers. Carl finished off his look by wearing a purple cravat, the other groomsmen all wore ivory cravats.

After the wedding it was off to the beautiful Stapleford Park, Melton Mowbray a country manor set in 500 acres for the wedding reception. We were very lucky with the weather as it remained warm but cast over for most parts of the day, until later on that afternoon! Always the same when you’re needing to take your shots! Helen and Cark had booked Abi Moore Photography based over in Oxfordshire as their photographer for the day who was very lovely to work alongside with.

The room, which I think was the Orangery was furnished and decorated beautifully. Each tabled labelled after a Southern Irish County. Before the speeches the guests were treated to a surprise singing act by the wonderful Soprano Bella who had travelled up from London that afternoon for their outstanding performance. You may not know it by Soprano Bella were featured on Four Weddings! I myself was taken aback just how splendid the act was and how emotional their performance of Nessun Dorma was – it was hair prickling on the back of the neck! Having met them a short while before their act, I can see that they were really good to chat too and work with!

For the evening, the guests were entertained by a band, “End of the Century” alongside the DJ. Helen and Carl had chosen Adele’s “Make you feel my Love” for their first dance. After the wedding, Helen and Carl were off to Mexico for their honeymoon.

Here a few screen grabs from the video footage we shot on the day, enjoy :-

Helen and Carl tell me that they are now expecting their 3rd child in May 2012. Many congratulations.

Tracey

Keri and Chris were married on 9 July 2011.  Keri & Chris’ wedding highlights can be watched here.

Keri and Chris met a few years ago over the internet. Their first meeting was in the little Leicestershire town of Ashby de-la Zouch. From how Chris described meeting Keri and their early going out together days, it soon became very clear that they were a match made in heaven and as they say, the rest is history. Chris opted for quite a romantic proposal by asking Keri’s dad first for her hand in marriage and then proposing to Keri on the very same bench where they had first met!

Their ceremony took place at St Denys Church, Ibstock in Leicestershire.  The ceremony itself was carried out by Rev’d Brenda Campbell and what a beautiful service it was too.  The day itself was warm and sunny with a breeze.  There was a little shower in the afternoon but thankfully that blew over so as not to cause plan B for photos to come into play!

Filming started with bridal preparations at Keri and Chris’ house in Blackfordby. Barry a little later on, filmed the latter stages of the groom preparations at the nearby Premier Inn, Ashby before heading to the church.

On the wedding day, Keri wore an aline white dress with an organza lace overlay adorned with  purple flower detail, designed by Hilary Morgan. She looked really beautiful!  Keri complimented her look with an up do and a purple crystal and silver tiara finished off with a mid length veil.  As Keri’s colour scheme was cadbury purple, both bridesmaids were dressed in aline strapless prom style knee length dresses with Keri opting for purple satin sandals. Keri’s bouquet was made up of ivory coloured roses, lilac freesias and purple iris and finished off with small crystal flowers scattered within the bouquet.  The bridesmaids bouquets were made of ivory roses and freesias.  From my recollection, Keri got her flowers from “Reflections” a florist based in Swadlincote.  Chris and his groomsmen all wore navy suits with purple cravats.  The church pews ends were decorated with purple bows and I recall from attending the rehearsal the evening before, actually helping Keri attach  them to the pew ends – if and where I can help it’s no trouble whatsoever.

Keri was a little late, fashionably of course in arriving and arrived in old  classic style in her uncles vintage car along with her father.  Once she arrived it was all systems go much to Chris’ relief!

Once married it was off to the reception venue – the Lyric Rooms, in Ashby De La Zouch and this was to be our second visit filming at the Lyric Rooms.  The Lyric Rooms essentially offer a function suite on an all exclusivity basis and can cater wedding parties of  between 20-150 guests. They offer superb catering and the food on both occasions we’ve been there has been most excellent!  It is an all indoor venue as unfortunately it does not have any gardens of its own but Ashby itself has some lovely surroundings nearby for photos, which is exactly what Keri and Chris had organised.  Once reception drinks had been served, it was time to make our way to Ashby Castle looked after by English Heritage.  We had a one hour slot for photos and filming so again it was all systems go with Simon of Bwendo Photography organising all the group  and coupley shots.   Simon was excellent to work with on the day.  

Once our hour was up it was time to head back to the Lyric Rooms for the sit down meal then the big moment for three very important people, yes the speeches! All three speeches were beautifully delivered and once over, they could relax and enjoy the rest of the day.  Filming concluded just after the first dance.

Once the weekend had passed, Keri and Chris enjoyed a mini-moon in Ashbourne.

Here are some screen grabs of footage filmed on the day. 

Wishing Keri and Chris all the very best in their new life together.

Thanks for reading

Tracey of Midway Media

You can find lots of examples of our work here

Having gotten a little behind with my blog posts over recent months, I’m now doing my very best to get all our latest weddings that we’ve filmed on our Midway Media blog! .

Highlights of Michelle and Simon’s wedding can be found here.

Michelle and Simon were married at St Edmund’s Church, Holme Pierrepont near West Bridgford on 2 July 2011.  Michelle and Simon’s wedding was our second wedding that weekend.

It was a bright sunny day with a slight breeze.  Michelle wore a stunning aline gown gathered at the waist with delicate crystal detail that she had purchased from Berketex Brides in ivory.  Michelle complimented her look with a classic crystal and pearl tiara and a mid length veil.  Her bridesmaids all wore blue knee length dresses designed by Impressions Bridal Wear.

Simon wore traditional tails in grey compliment with an ivory waistcoat and cravat with his groomsmen all wearing blue cravats.  Michelle arrived in style in a blue Classis Rolls Royce.  The wedding ceremony was carried out by Reverend Robert Breckles, Rector of St Edmunds. 

After the ceremony there followed a reception at Colwick Hall Hotel, Nottingham.  Michelle and Simon’s reception took place in the Grand Ballroom located inside the main hall.  It is a beautiful room, tastefully and elegantly decorated.  On the ceiling there is a poignant feature of a mural that spans right across the room.

All the family photos were taken in the gardens and it was lovely to work alongside Neil Butterworth of Butterworth Photography.  After the speeches which I have to say were excellently delivered by all 4 speakers, it was time for Michelle and Simon to have some additional photos done before the evening guests arrived.  We made use of the Hall’s grand staircase and the red mirrored corridor which worked really well.  Once we had taken all the photos inside, it was off to the front of the Hall to capture the sun setting by the ornamental fountain.  All in all we had a fantastic day filming with Michelle, Simon, their family and friends.

Here are some screen grabs from some of the footage taken that day:-

Congratulations to Michelle and Simon. 

For more details about us and to see more examples of our work, please visit our main website at www.midway-media.co.uk

Thanks again for reading.

Tracey

Today, I would like to introduce you all to Helen Wilde, founder and owner of From the Wilde, a business dedicated in all things crafty from wedding invites, jewellery and the more unusual arty designs, each  all handmade by a selection of artists from across the UK and places across the world. From the Wilde offers its services nationwide and more recently, internationally.  

Having met Helen on Twitter earlier this year, it became apparent that we had more than just Twitter and our businesses in common.  I recall mentioning walking my two rather cheeky beagles, Monty and Alfie and low and behold, Helen tells me that she too has a beagle called “Bunty”.  From our tweeting I know that Helen would like another beagle to accompany Bunty and I wish her every luck in finding a perfect companion for Bunty (if she hasn’t already found one).  It’s not only beagles we share a passion for but our other four legged friend – the horse!  I don’t have one as yet but I’m working exceptionally hard to hopefully get one very soon and yes that maybe on Helen’s list too.

Anyway, here is a little bit of information about From the Wilde:-

What is your business called?

From the Wilde

How long have you been doing this?

From the Wilde was launched back in July 2010

What aspired you to start your business?

My love for quality and traditionally made British art, craft and design.

What sort of things can a bride to be order from you for her wedding?

We are currently working on a brand new wedding category, included are invitations, jewellery, gifts, cards and favours, two of our favourite collections are jewellery by Poppy Sparkles and favours by Edge Inspired. We will happily work to commissions, this we really enjoy!

What aspect of your business gives you the most satisfaction?

Providing and sourcing beautiful items and considered customer service.

Do you offer a gift list option for the bride and groom, if so how does this work? If not, what alternatives could you offer?

We like to treat all our customers differently, anything is possible! We love to speak to you and find out exactly what you have in mind, if we can tailor something especially for you… we will!

What are your future plans for the business?

To carry on sourcing beautifully handmade items, we’ve recently broadened our horizons and now stock some stunning collections by artists based in Canada, Australia and France to name a few!

If you visit From the Wilde’s website now, you will see a beautiful collection of Christmas decorations and gifts. If you’re getting married, do check out the dedicated wedding section!

To see what From the Wilde has to offer, why not visit their website:  http://www.fromthewilde.com/shop/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/From-the-Wilde/368370647859

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/fromthewilde

Today, I feature the fabulously talented Claire Ogden, owner and accessory designer of Claire Ogden Designs. I met Claire through the wonderful world of Twitter and was extremely grateful when she featured us on her lovely website. I too wanted to return the favour so here she is, the wonderful Claire Ogden:-

What is your business called?

Claire Ogden Designs - I am Claire Ogden, a Jewellery Designer I live in Saddleworth in Yorkshire, a gorgeous part of the world, very picturesque, and from my little workshop I design and create handmade, individual, one of a kind jewellery, wedding tiaras and hair accessories. I am a mum of two little boys, a wife to a wonderful husband and work full time as a Secretary.

How long have you been doing this?

Two years now, it has been very hard work too, you have to do so much multitasking!

What aspired you to start your business?

I cannot sit still; I have far too much energy that simply needed channelling. I have tried different crafts before but never felt truly satisfied, I have found I am passionate about making jewellery and my ideas run riot, I am bursting with enthusiasm and I am so proud of what I have achieved, what I create and my testimonials, I have made so many people happy and feel special, that is what it is all about.....I started my company because I was advised to sell my pieces from a supplier, those were some of the wisest words I have heard and nearly two years on I am very happy about where I am and what I do, yes I do have long term plans but working full time and being a mum and wife has to fit in somewhere too so I have to pace myself rather than become overwhelmed which can result in resenting what I do.

What aspect of your business gives you the most satisfaction?

The satisfaction I feel when my idea is successful, I LOVE my blog and have met so many wonderful people through being a kind hearted person (which I am) I have a LOT going on but I am keeping tight lipped until everything has run smoothly so I can shout out about how it all worked and what a good idea I had. I love making jewellery, my new ranges are really hot at the moment and the feedback is really good, it would be lovely to be sort after!

The end result, the feeling of receiving the testimonials and pictures from my clients. Being good enough to receive lots of repeat business. Knowing I offer a good service and stunning pieces.

A typical day in the life of Claire Ogden Designs......

My weekdays and weekends are very different, during the week I go to work throughout the day, it is up early, help sort the boys, shower, dress and leave the house after lots of kisses and cuddles to get the bus at 8.00am. My wonderful husband takes the boys to school club (prior to school) and continues on to work. The bus stop is across the road (phew) and I catch the bus and spent the hour journey on my phone catching up with twitter, emails and web based info and try to switch off for 15 mins by reading a book (I am an AVID reader!!!) I arrive in Manchester City Centre and do any errands that need running before work and begin my job at 9.30. I work as a Secretary in an Architects Practice, my job is very varied and I have a lot to do, I break for lunch and catch up with my emails, my phones really is my life support or schedule a blog post or just switch off and read. I officially finish work at 5.00pm, get the bus home and fill my hour journey reading (I need to switch off on the way home and my battery on my phone is usually dead around tea time!) have I mentioned I LOVE books???? I read one a week...or thereabouts...I am a walking library....I think a lot of my inspiration comes from books, stories, characters...anyway I REALLY adore books! Get home (usually last off the bus, I live in the hills, high up in the moors!! Not quite actually but I do live on the top of a big hill) my hubbie has tea on the go when I get in and we have a big catch up of the day (I speak to Stephen about 100 times during the day even just to say hello, he is my ultimate support and I couldn’t begin to do a quarter of what I do if he didn’t help out, oh and we would all starve too!) All four of us sit around the table to eat tea (we do for every meal and always have) we usually serve in the middle and just dig in; we talk about everything we have done during the day. After tea I might try and catch up with some jobs (this usually doesn’t happen until the weekend) and sit down in my little workshop to schedule blog posts or features, I try to catch up with my social networking and send out emails I have promised (massive to do list!) If I am lucky I schedule my tweets in for the following day and chat on twitter. Some evenings I design and create other evenings I catch up online.....I do a lot of researching and resourcing online and I MEAN A LOT, this can take hours and hours and nothing else gets done no matter how hard I try.

The boys go to bed about 08.00pm and I try to read for half an hour before I go to sleep.....did I tell you I am an AVID reader.....ha ha ha. The top and bottom of it is I probably try to do too much, I work to deadlines at work and have a lot on my shoulders so sometimes I come home so tired I do nothing but sit with my family, we aim to have movie night at some point, usually on a Saturday, family time is important too.

What are your future plans?

To get recognised for my work, create a buzz about my pieces and up and coming designs.

Some fabulous photo’s of Claire’s work that she has kindly allowed me to use on my blog .

Some stunning examples of just some of the designs created by Claire. For more information about Claire and her stunning collection of accessories, please visit

http://www.claireogdendesigns.com/ or connect with her on twitter www.twitter.com/@cogdendesigns

Thank you Claire and also thanks to those that read my blog!

 

Tracey - Midway Media xx

Shilpa and Steven were married on 1 July 2011 at the lovely Packington Moor Farm near Lichfield, Staffordshire.

Packington Moor Farm has fabulous gardens for photo opportunities as well as a tree lined avenue that make those gorgeous romantic shots.  The Oat Barn is licensed to conduct civil ceremonies and civil partnerships and can seat up to 120 guests. The main function suite, the Malt barn (not licenced) can accommodate up to 160 seated guests for the wedding breakfast but this can be increased to hold up to 200 guests for an evening reception. It has a spacious dancefloor with an area for a band/DJ.

The patio area with its feature fountain is a good place to relax with a drink in the sunshine and chat with family and friends. A range of outdoor games is available to entertain guests of any age. There is a bar and other seating areas away from the main function suite for those wanting a quieter area to sit in! Packington Moor Farm only hold one wedding per day offering full exclusivity of the venue, making it a perfect place to get married or hold a reception. The staff are very courteous and very well presented.  The wedding host is always on hand to oversee the day.

Filming began with Shilpa’s bridal preparations in Walter’s Cottage.  It was very busy when I arrived but everyone soon relaxed. It was lovely to see Shilpa’s friends and family in their bright and very sparkly saris and other dashing attire.   Shilpa had chosen a Justin Alexander dress in natural, style number 8473 made of silk with a puff ball train and a rose detailed bodice.  She looked stunning.  In her hair she wore 3 rose bud pins to decorate the back and complimented her overall look with a silver crystal and pearl tiara.  Her bridesmaids all wore teal floor length dresses made by Impressions Bridal wear and all three again looked stunning.

Shilpa’s bouquet was made up of ivory roses and gerberas. The groom and his groomsmen all wore silvery grey tails with the groom and his brother wearing teal cravats and the other silver cravats.  I’m sure you’d agree they all look very dapper! The flowers of the day were made up of ivory roses and gerberas, a very pretty selection.

The ceremony was beautiful and conducted by local Staffordshire Registrars with the bride and groom adding their own  promises to each other, making it very personal to them.  Once the ceremony had concluded it was time for photos in the Courtyard and fabulous gardens.  We filmed some fantastic shots and David Wadley, Shilpa and Steven’s photographer was just brilliant to work with once again!  The speeches were delivered beautifully by the groom himself and his best man, Steven’s brother, Matthew! The guests were even entertained by some old photos of Steven as a young boy dressed up as Spiderman!  Once the speeches had concluded, it was time to take Shilpa and Steven away to finish off their photoshoot and what stunning pictures they would have particularly with where the sun was at that point in time! 

Shilpa and Steven had chosen a 3 layered tiered iced cake decorated from top to bottom with sugar crafted roses, it was beautiful.  Each layer finished off with iced lace trimming.   The room was beautifully decorated as always with candles, tall and short vase flower displays as centrepieces.

Soon it was time for the evening reception to start with Shilpa and Steven taking to the dance floor for their first dance to Adele’s “Make you Feel my Love”.  After that the party began with some Bollywood music followed by a mixture of everything.  Filming concluded after the diary room and we said our goodbyes to the happy couple.  It had been a wonderful day with smiles all round, I don’t think I ever saw a moment where Shilpa  was not smiling!  A few days later Shilpa and Steven went off to enjoy their honeymoon in Sri Lanka and Dubai.

Here is a selection of our screenshots taken from our video footage:- 

We wish Shilpa and Steven many, many years of happiness as they now begin their life long adventure as husband and wife.

To visit our main website, click here

Sharon and Martyn were married at the stunningly beautiful Rowton Castle, in Shropshire on Saturday 4th June 2011.  After visiting Rowton Castle, both fell in love with it and I can see why! 

When we met up with Sharon and Martyn a month before the wedding just to chat about the wedding day in greater detail, I found out just how Martyn had proposed to Sharon.  Flying off to Miami, the sun was just rising and it was 4.00am having been awake a long, long time Sharon and Martyn took a romantic walk down to the beach. This was it the moment that Martyn had been waiting for to propose to Sharon – with the time of day and the the sun rising, Martyn seized the opportunity asking Sharon to marry him. Luckily for Martyn, Sharon of course said yes!

The day started with me filming the bridal preparations with Barry filming the scenery before meeting up with Martyn.  Filming the bridal preparations is one of my favourite parts of the day – don’t get me wrong I love everything about weddings and filming them but with the preparations, some of my brides do rely on my experience with things when they’re getting ready.  I’ve laced up dresses, done up suspender hooks, I become more than just a videographer!  Working with Sharon, Gaynor and Sharon’s daughter, Charlotte I had a great time filming in the massive bridal suite decorated with fine oak, ornate ceilings and marble.

The day  was fine, dry and pleasantly warm with a bit of a breeze.  The day did cloud over in the late afternoon but it remained dry and that was the main thing.  Rowton Castle is a spectacular place belonging to the Lyster family for over 400 years before it eventually became home to the Royal Nation College for the Blind. The college closed it’s doors in around 1978. Laying dormant for 8 years, its new owners restored the castle to a fine luxury hotel before being it was taken over by its present owners today.  Rowton Castle is recognised as being one of the finest wedding venues in the UK. Licenced to conduct civil and partnership ceremonies, Rowton Castle does get booked up very quickly!

The theme of the day was 50’s vintage classic elegance, with Sharon adopting a Grace Kelly look and I have to say she looked amazing. Sharon had chosen to wear “Fabiano” by dress designer Sophia Tolli. The dress had a taffeta and lace jacket with buttons down the back and lace appliqués on the ball gown skirt. The dress also has a wonderful appliqued cathedral train.  Sharon complimented her vintage look with a classic 50’s up do and a fine silk 50’s style veil and headdress, that she had purchased from the USA.  The two bridesmaids looked wonderful in their 50’s style prom dresses in light blue again with hair classically styled complimented with little cream rosebuds and cornflowers.  The little flowergirl, Amelia,  wore a white tulle and satin dress with matching blue accessories.  

Sharon’s bouquet was a large posy of cream crystal embellished roses with a decorated cornflower amongst them.   Sharon’s shoes were designed by the lovely Benjamin Adams made of duchesse satin with a kitten heel.

Martyn and his groomsmen all wore traditional grey tails with Martyn wearing a blue cravat with the other groomsmen all wearing silver ones.  The 4 page boys all wore grey tails and indeed looked very smart in their attire. 

During the short wait before the wedding ceremony the guests were entertained by the lovely music played by the String Quartet.  Sharon and Martyn had chosen Shropshire based John Poole Photography to photograph their wedding.  John was extremely pleasant and great to work with. He certainly works fast so kept us on our toes during the photo session!   During the ceremony there were two lovely readings given, one by Charlotte, Sharon’s daughter, the other a fantastic poem read by Martyn’s two elder sons William and Harry.

Sharon and Martyn had chosen cupcakes with an additional larger layer all covered in smooth white icing and decorated with sugar crafted cornflowers.   The wedding breakfast room was beautifully decorated with tall glass vases filled with cream, lilac and blue flowers. Every chair lined and finished off with a organza bow in blue.  Kate Edwards, Deputy Operations Manager was on hand to assist the the happy couple every step of the way throughout the day, ensuring that there were no delays whatsoever and of course overseeing the event.

The speeches were excellently delivered, with the best man ending his speech with a poem he had written all about the happy couple – it certainly got family and friends laughing!  Later that night, there was a hog roast that had been laid on for all guests to tuck in.  For the first dance Sharon changed dresses to another vintage classic that was perfect to take to the floor for their choreographed dance to the late, great Andy Williams “Can’t take my eyes of you.” Our filming concluded around 10.00pm that night and we had a truly wonderful day filming at Rowton Castle and not forgetting the lovely Sharon and Martyn who were just great to work with.

Here are a selection of screen shots taken from some of our video footage:-

After the wedding, Sharon and Martyn were off to enjoy a week’s honeymoon in sunny Mexico.  We wish them both many, many years of happiness. Congratulations to you both!

For our main website, samples and contact details click here

Hollie and Ashley tied the knot on Friday 3 June 2011 at Christ Church, Quarry Bank near Brierley Hill, West Midlands. A very warm, sunny day with a little breeze. Christ Church means a lot to both Ashley and Hollie as their gorgeous little boy, Frankie, had been christened there as a baby, so to get married here completed their family union and commitment to each other.

We met Hollie and Ashley for the first time last near at a wedding we were filming at the Ramada Kidderminster. The groom from that wedding, Tom, was an Usher at Ashley & Hollie’s wedding, so it was lovely to see both him and his lovely wife Zoe again. Not only was Tom a big part of the wedding but all the lads who had been friends with Ashley for a long time that were at Tom and Zoe’s wedding also were hugely involved in this wedding! It was after watching Zoe and Tom’s wedding DVD that Hollie and Ashley made a decision to book us to film their wedding. We are so delighted that they did, as we had a wonderful time – great to see some so many famililar faces!

Filming started with some bridal preparations at a local salon by me, before heading off to Hollie’s parents house for her to finish off getting ready. I had already dropped Barry off to film the lads at Ashley’s parents house before they all walked up to the Church Tavern pub for a few beers before proceeding to the church.

Hollie had chosen a gorgeous dress called “April”, in Royal Duchesse Ivory Satin, mermaid style with empire line pearl and crystal beading. This dress is from the MiaMia Bridal Collection belonging to Alan Hannah. I tweeted with Marguerite Hannah wife and designer of Alan Hannah, last night on twitter for assistance in tracking down the name of this dress armed with one of many pictures. After 30 minutes Marguerite had come back to me all the details I needed, her time and assistance was very much appreciated. One thing she did comment on was how lovely the bride looked! You can’t get a better comment than that from the designer herself! Both her and Alan are truly fabulous designers and I can clearly see why Hollie fell for that particular dress! It suited her perfectly!

Going back now to Hollie, who complimented her look with a vintage side headpiece and a full length veil. Hollie’s bridesmaid wore a satin aline dress in heather with the flowergirls wearing ivory tulle dresses. Hollie’s posey bouquet was made up of pastel coloured roses and other pastel flowers to complete the look. The florist had even included a crystal and pearl star flower brooch pin, very much a surprise to Hollie!

The groom and all his groomsmen wore grey traditional tails with Ashley wearing a ivory cravat with the other groomsmen all wearing steal grey coloured cravats. They all looked very dapper in their attire!

The wedding ceremony was carried out by Rev’d David Hoskin and it was a beautiful service. Both bride and groom were all smiles pre ceremony, during and after. During the signing of the registers, the lead choir girl sang the beautiful song “Ave Maria”. You could clearly see on the day the love they have for each other and their little boy. It was great to be a part of it all. Hollie and Ashley chose local Brierley Hill photographer Samantha Pommells of Samantha J Photography a great lady to know and work with on the day!

Once the ceremony had concluded it was off to the Stone Manor Hotel in Kidderminster, a short 9 mile drive away. Hollie, Ashley and Frankie drove off in style in a white vintage Rolls Royce.

After welcome drinks, canapés and a short receiving line, it was time for photo’s in the hotel’s super grounds. All the group shots were taken before the wedding breakfast with Hollie and Ashley’s photos to be taken later on. The speeches were very touching as well as amusing! Each table was named after certain brands of cleaning products as I believe that Cif played a particular part to Ashley proposing to Hollie! On reviewing the speeches particularly Ashley’s, he mentioned that after being together for 10 years, he wanted to make an honest woman of Hollie, so 3 years ago Ashley proposed, in a very unusual way – involving Cif cream and the hob! There he wrote the words “will you marry me”, how sweet is that! One thing for sure, Hollie would not only have a sparkling diamond ring but also one dazzling diamond bright hob!

Hollie and Ashley cake was lovey opting for a layered cupcake design with a small tier that played host to the personalised cake topper of Hollie, Ashley and Frankie. Hollie and Ashley’s Table decorations were tall candelabras filled with fresh pastel coloured flowers and lit by 4 candles.

After the speeches, it was time for Hollie and Ashley’s photoshoot. The sunlight was good and the shoot finished off with Hollie, Ashley and Frankie all taking a foot dip in the hotel swimming pool.

In the evening the wedding guests were treated not only to ice-cream from the icicle tricycle but also traditional fish, chips and mushy peas in newspaper! Our filming concluded a little after the first dance and we thoroughly enjoyed the day and seeing lots of familiar faces once again. Hollie and Ashley then went on to enjoy their honeymoon in Ibiza. Congratulations to you both xx.

Here a various screen grabs taken from our video footage through out the day.

For more examples of our work please click here.

Sarah and David held their civil ceremony on Sunday 29th May 2011 at the popular venue The Pavilion at Branston Golf and Country Club based in Burton Upon Trent, Staffordshire.

We met Sara after a local wedding fayre where we had been exhibiting  some months beforehand.  Sara at first had been very unsure about whether to go ahead and have her wedding day filmed.  After several months and watching one of our demo DVDs she decided along with her mum that she would come back and see us.  We still had the date free so they came over to visit and booked that afternoon.  We were delighted to say the least.  We didn’t get to meet David until the actual wedding day as we had been liaising with Sara and her parents beforehand. On the day the weather was a little touch and go but thankfully the rain seemed to hold off.  We arrived at The Pavilion an hour before the ceremony start time and were most surprised to see David already there.  I remember saying to David on our arrival, “you’re very keen”!  He wasn’t the only either as Sara too arrived around 15 minutes early and had to have a little drive and a wait until all the guests had been seated in the room.  The wedding ceremony took place in the Chatsworth Suite overlooking the golf course.  Both were very nervous until after the ceremony had finished.

Sara looked fabulous in her San Patrick gown of ivory taffeta with ruched bodice and delicate ruffles to the skirt and chapel length train.  Sara complimented her look with a mid length veil with ivory trimming and a delicate crystal tiara and necklace.  She had opted for a simple yet elegant bouquet of cream roses.  Sara’s bridesmaids wore organza floor length dresses in gold and had smaller posey cream rose bouquets.  David and his groomsmen all more dark brown morning suites with champagne coloured cravats, ivory and gold waistcoats and finished off with a cream rose buttonhole.

Sara and David chose the lovely Jackie Stubbs as their photographer and it was really nice to work with her again as we’d not worked with her since 2009!

Sam the wedding host and her team ensured that things were running on time and that service was given efficiently to all the guests.  One thing I will say about Sam is shes does great job and always kept us and Jackie Stubbs very well informed as the day went on making sure that we were ready for everything! It’s been a pleasure working alongside of Sam at The Pavilion!

After the ceremony is was out into the gardens for photographs before we and Jackie took the happy couple off for their more romantic shots on their own. After the photos, Sara and David went for a short car ride in the lovely Beauford to spend some time together alone.  During this time, we took the opportunity to film some candid shots of guests and the table decorations. The main table decor were mini antique bird cages filled with gerberas and other pretty creamy flowers, each   topped off with a white sparkly butterfly.  The favours were mini flower like biscuits encased in beautiful triangular  box finished in brown with trimming.  Sara and David had opted for a four tier layered cake covered in creamy white icing with sugar crafted roses added for decoration and finished off with brown ribbon trimming.

The colour scheme of the day was shades of brown with the theme having a little element of football incorporated into the day.  David as we later found out was a Man Utd supporter and each table, yes, wait for it, was named after  past Man Utd players.  It was at Sara and David’s wedding that I managed to fully test out my new DSLR and lens for filming some truly excellent footage. It might only be a little camera but boy the video quality is outstanding!  Before the wedding breakfast there was a short receiving line for guests to then take their seats in the largest of the Chatsworth suites.  The speeches were all so nice and and personal with David’s speech in particular that he had written had delivered it more as a poem – it was heartfelt, I believe across the room and at times very emotional. Emotional speeches really pull at my heart strings and I do find myself sometimes welling up, am I woman after all and one who adores weddings!

After the speeches our filming concluded and it was time for us to go home. A little surprise for the evening guests that would be arriving later on, as Sara and David had had another cake made but this time it was an iced mini football pitch with character cake toppers representing Sara and David sporting of course, red football shirts. They even had numbers and names on the back – it was so sweet and very different!

Again with so many screenshots to chose from, here are various one captured throughout the day:-

Congratulations Sara and David and we hope you had an great honeymoon!

For our main website click here

Today I’m really excited to introduce you to Sarah Marks owner and designer of Hemisphere Handcrafted Jewellery aka Tiny Gems, based in the Wirral, Cheshire.  I met Sarah in the delightful world of Twitter and we’ve been great twitter buds for almost a year ever since, so featuring her wonderful business today, is a real privilege!  Sarah a such a nice person, I can’t actually wait to meet her in person!

We asked Sarah a few short questions to find out a bit more about how Tiny Gems was born.

What is your business called?

My business is called Hemisphere Handcrafted Jewellery and my website is called Tiny-Gems but I tend to go with Tiny-Gems as it’s less of a mouthful, although I do answer to most things.

How did you come up with the idea of the fabulous Heirloom bouquet?

I saw a blog by Junk Shop Bride about Bouquets and thought I’d give it a go. The first bouquet (Yvonne) took several weeks to make and there were lots of temper tantrums and throwing things across the room in disgust, but I persevered and am so glad I did. They have proved to be a very popular addition to my site and lots of people have used them in photo shoots. Everyone who sees them gives me lots of compliments and everyone loves compliments.

How long have you been doing this?

I’ve been making jewellery and crafting in general for a long, long time. However I have had my business for just over a year now since June 2010. It has been very exciting and a huge learning curve. Everyday I learn something new and find things that I should be doing, working for my self is a whole load of to do lists.

What aspired you to start your business?

I was facing redundancy and had to decide did I want to look for another job or should I take the leap and have a go at doing something I love and working for myself. There has never been a moment that I have regretted my decision. It is by far the best decision I ever made.

What aspect of your business gives you the most satisfaction?

That would have to be working with brides, getting all the inside information on their plans for their big day and designing jewellery, tiaras and bouquets to fit in perfectly with their theme. There is nothing like the feeling of pride and satisfaction when they tell me that what I have designed and made for them is perfect and exactly what they wanted. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

What  advice would you offer to brides to be,  looking for their wedding accessories?

The main advice I would give is probably an obvious one but it is very true. Before you start thinking about what accessories you want for your wedding day you need to find your dream dress first. It is a lot easier for your accessories designer to picture the look you are aiming for when they can see what your dress is like rather than you trying to find a dress that you love that goes with your accessories. Most importantly though is that you are true to yourself your wedding day isn’t the day to go for a completely different look, you want to feel comfortable and yourself on the day not dressed up as someone else.

What are your future plans?

Realistic plans or crazy dreams? Crazy dream would be to have a shop but I don’t think that will happen at the moment as I can’t see when I would find the time for it. So realistic plans, I would love to get my jewellery, tiaras and Heirloom Bouquet’s in more retail outlets.  So if anyone reading this is interested please get in touch with me and we’ll discuss strategies and wholesale pricing and other exciting things lol. I see the next 18 months being very exciting for me and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Thank you so much Sarah for sharing and you make such wonderful creations and sharing some very practical advice for brides to be when searching for their jewellery accessories. I wish you every success in growing and developing your business further!

To see more of Sarah’s designs, please visit her website:-

To contact Sarah:-

Email – Sarah@tiny-gems.co.uk

To Follow Sarah:-

Twitter – www.twitter.com/hhjtinygems

Facebook – www.facebook.com/tinygems

Blog created by Tracey of Midway Media, for our main website, click here.