Friday 27 April 2012

Simply Thrilled! We Won!!!!

Last night Simply Bows and Chair Covers attended and won the Regional Business Awards for the North East of England, sponsored by the Journal Newspaper in the Newcomer Section. 



To get to the awards we had to win the first round of regional heats of which we were entered into the Durham and Wearside Section as that is where Head Office is based. 

Last night we beat, Teessides Winner who manufacture games for Sony and Newcastle Northumberland Winner – Tallulah Rose, who manufacture Lingerie and export to 14 different countries.  We have now been put forward by the North East Chamber of Commerce to represent the North East of England in a National Award in London and couldn't be more thrilled!

As a team we work tirelessly to ensure we provide an exceptional service to every single client, at every single office we have over the UK and it is wonderful for that to be recognised by such a fabulous award!

London here we come!


Wednesday 25 April 2012

Simply Congratulations from Team Simply! New GM at The Cairn Hotel, Harrogate

The Cairn Hotel was built during Harrogate's period as a Spa Town when people came from far and wide to take the waters. It is one of the largest hotels in Harrogate standing in beautiful grounds and gardens.


Carefully modernised, the grand original features still welcome you to this charming Victorian hotel, you have the feeling of grandness as you walk into the main hall. It is the perfect Harrogate venue for a wedding and at The Cairn, they pride themselves on offering a truly personal service, extending from your initial enquiry through to the last ‘dance’ of the evening. The Cairn is fully licensed to hold Civil Ceremonies and Civil Partnerships. From wonderful traditional style Weddings to fabulously colorful Ethnic style celebrations they can do them all with a capacity for up to 450 guests seated.



From May The Cairn will have a new General Manager Martin Wilks. Martin has 30 Years management experience in the Hospitality Industry. He has worked at 4 Star hotels at senior management level, four of which have been in Harrogate so he is no stranger to the town. He will be an absolute asset to the hotel and we very much look forward to working with him.



Congratulations to Martin from Simply Bows and Chair Covers we wish him every success in his new position!

Sunday 22 April 2012

Simply Real Life Bride: Our very own MD Sarah!

Last month Simply Bows and Chair Covers Managing Director Sarah Pittendrigh married Stewart... her ex husband.... again!

The couple have known each other since childhood and married when Sarah was 22 and Stewart 23... in 2002 the couple split after things just didnt work out as the stresses and strains of daily life and two demanding careers took over. It broke both of their hearts yet they remained close friends supporting each  other through life's up's and downs and raising their lovely son William.

Years later, the couple had been through so much together both when married and after divorce, a strong friendship and mutual love and respect still remained and romace began to blossom once again! After a family break to The Feversham Arms last year, Stewart suggested they tied the knot once more, this time for keeps... and a date was set!

Here is a sneak peek into the beautiful day with glorious photographs taken by Karen McGowran, Flowers by bridesmaid Claire from Wedding Flowers For You and stationary by Julia Noble of Noble Fine Art. Sarah's other bridesmaid Elain is Sales Manager at Close House Hotel where the nuptuals took place. With a fabulous event dressing business (if we do say so ourselves!) and such skilled friends and bridal party it's no wonder it was a truly beautiful day!




















Saturday 21 April 2012

Simply Bridal Fashion: From Topshop!

High street Fashionista brides will be excited to discover that Topshop announced on Twitter on Friday that they are set to release a bridal range!



The debut bridal range will hit stores this June, it has been announced. Although the team at Topshop HQ are keeping very hush hush about the designs themselves here at Simply Bows and Chair Covers we expect them to be floaty and feminine as are other designs by London-based designer Richard Nicoll, who has been recruited to design the collection.

'Want to get married just so we can wear our @studio_nicoll bridal collection set to land in June. Can't give you a sneak peek but wow!' tweeted the Topshop team on Friday.


You heard it here first! Watch this space for more info and photos of the range as they're released!

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Simply Northumbrian Splendour: Otterburn Hall


Simply Bows and Chair Covers are proud to be preferred suppliers to the fabulous Otterburn Hall. This luxury Northumberland hotel magnificently set in the secluded splendour of 500 acres of deer park and woodland, bordered by the beauty of Redesdale, Otterburn Hall Country House Hotel is as romantic as the surrounding countryside.


Situated in the heart of Northumberland, the most Northern County in England is an area of natural beauty and tranquillity with the village of Otterburn a short stroll away. You feel as if you are a world away from the pressures of modern life and yet Newcastle and its airport are under an hour away and Hexham, Morpeth and Jedburgh even closer. 

This Luxury 4 star Country House Hotel is in fact the only Hotel in The Northumbria National Park and today we bring you a little peek through the door....


What is your venue name, industry rating and where is your venue located?
Otterburn Hall Hotel, 4* AA Star/ 1 Rosette, Otterburn, Northumberland, NE19 1HE

What facilities does your venue boast?
Gym, local walks, Conference Rooms, Private Dinning Rooms, Marquee


 
Does your hotel cater for weddings
Yes, we could cater for up to 250 people.

Can guests stay over at your venue?  What accommodation is on offer?
We offer Standard, Executive, Deluxe and Suite Rooms as well as Lodges.

Tell us about your food/ menus/ wines...
Our food is locally sourced, as well as we have our own farm. We could provide a selection of TDH menus, A la Carte Menu and Buffet Type Menus. Our present Wine List is having a selection of 54 wines, catering from House Wines to Fine Wines.

Do you have any sporting/ spa/ golf facilities on site?
We have a gym at the hotel.

What sets your venue apart from others?
Very warm, friendly and accommodating Country House Hotel, trying to be in help all the time to our guests. We have the biggest Marquee in Northumberland, based on 500 acres of land, 2 lakes and a waterfall, local walks on our grounds.

Anything special that we should know about the venue?
We always are going to be there for our guests, helpful and providing the best service.





Where can we get more information/ read more/ contact the venue?
Otterburn Hall Hotel, Otterburn, Northumberland, NE19 1HE
Tel: 01830 520 663







Images by White Leaf Photography

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Simply Floral Fantastic: Bels Flowers


What is company name and what is your line of business?


Bels flowers and I am a florist dedicated to creating beautiful flowers!





 How and why the company begin?


I went to university to study PR and worked in PR and Marketing for four years after graduating, and while I liked it I really wanted to LOVE my job. I’d always really wanted to be a florist so I went part time in Marketing and re trained as a florist at college. Following finishing my training I worked alongside another florist for a while before setting up bels – now I do LOVE my job!! 

Are you married?

Yes, I got married in August 2010


Why do brides come to you?


Brides come to me as they have seen my work or one of my lovely brides, clients or contacts has recommended me! I’m very blessed to have a fantastic network of people and companies I work with regularly – including Simply Bows and Chair Covers!


I think when brides come to me they get a really special service – making them feel, as they should on their special day, the centre of attention and like nothing is too much trouble!

  
What is your favourite design and why ?

I LOVE hydrangea and a type of rose called ‘Green Tea’. Anything with those flowers in are my favourites! But I also love simple classic designs – all abundant and luxurious though!

 What is the most popular item you supply and why?


I find most of my brides go for a very English country garden, relaxed style – I think because that’s the style I tend to do a lot. The style and colours for that type of arrangement are really on trend for the vintage look. And fantastically will age gracefully!


 Where do you get your inspiration from?


My mums’ garden is a great inspiration- she’s a very talented gardener and the combinations of flowers, colours and textures create a good mood board for inspiration! She’s always created a very tranquil inspirational space in her garden.


I also love to look at fashions of dresses, and colours – not necessarily in bridal fashions in all fashion. And looking at blogs are fantastic inspiration – they’re some brilliant ones to loose yourself in for hours!




What is in store for you in 2012


I have lots of lovely brides I’m very excited to be working with in 2012!!! More weddings at lots of beautiful venues all over the North East and beyond! I also have some bookings in London which I’m very excited about.


And I’m extending my work space to have lots more capacity!








Who would be your dream client, and what sort of design would you envisage for them?


Cheesy as it sounds I am working with lots of dream clients!! Some of the brides I’m working with over the next 12 months have such amazing ideas about the styling, overall look and finish to the wedding. When I first finished college I made bouquets and buttonholes for weddings and now I work with the bride to create the whole ambience and feeling of the wedding – which is incredible.


 What would be your top tips for brides when searching for a supplier in your industry?


Get recommendations! And make sure you see lots of pictures of their wedding work. A good indication of the quality of supplier is where they work and who they work with regularly.




Where are you based and where can you supply?


I work from home in Jesmond and I work all over the UK! I have done wedding flowers in Cornwall, Wales, Edinburgh, The Lakes, Liverpool….




How can I get in touch to discuss my requirements or place an order?


I can be contacted by phone on 07976 245 853 or email info@belsflowers.co.uk. My website is www.belsflowers.co.uk and I have lots more pictures on my facebook page www.facebook.com/belsflowers - I always meet brides to discuss their bespoke quote







Why do you like to work with Simply Bows and Chair Covers?


Charlotte at Simply Bows is fantastic; she has great ideas, wonderful style and has the same work ethic of making every bride feel special, as do the whole Simply Bows and Chair Covers team. The quality of the linen is the best I’ve seen and the attention to detail is second to none!

Sunday 8 April 2012

Simply Timeless: Aberdeen based Timeless White invite us in to their world...

Aberdeen based Timeless White gave us a unique interview to share their passion with you... Wedding and Event planning....



What is company name?
Timeless White Wedding & Celebration Planning
What is your line of business?
Wedding Planning & Co-Ordination

How and why the company begin?
Timeless White was launched in July 2010 out of a sheer love for romantic and beautiful Weddings, while I was still at University. I had known for a long time I wanted a career in weddings and I felt that the time for Timeless White had come, with so many new planners popping up at that time, I wanted to be sure I was on board.

Are you married?
No, I am engaged though!
 


Why do brides come to you?
All of our clients have two things in common and these are busy lifestyles and uncertainty about how to go about organising their Wedding in the best way. I’d like to think though that our clients choose to work with Timeless White because of our large selection of services, our our excellent knowledge of the industry and because they feel that they can trust us with the planning of the day (As well as have some fun!).
 


What is your favourite design and why?
In terms of Wedding design, its impossible to pin down one theme or style we like to work with the most! For us, if the Wedding day flows and looks like it belongs to the couple who we have been working with, we find this the most rewarding aspect of our job.
 



What is the most popular item you supply and why?
Our most popular service is our Wedding Day Management service, often our clients have a lot of small details to come together on the day and ultimately our responsibility is to ensure that this happens. We arrive at your venue on the morning of the Wedding, decorate the venue as you wish, assist and guide other suppliers throughout the day and ensure that everything is placed where you wish. Most people assume that this service is only useful for couples who are being married in a marquee or an unusual venue but some Wedding venues can be reluctant to handle hired items such as chair covers, linen different cutlery/crockery or glassware and these are all things we handle on the day.
 


Where do you get your inspiration from?
Our key source of inspiration is always our clients, we recognise the importance of your Wedding being YOURS and not looking like any Wedding straight out of a picture perfect magazine (Though we aim for picture perfect too!). We also look to popular magazines and Bridal forums and blogs keep us on track with Wedding trends and are a source of fresh inspiration.


What is in store for you in 2012
The short answer is a lot! In January 2012, Timeless White officially launched our discount scheme for our clients, where reliable and well-reputed suppliers offer exclusive discounts and advantages to our clients, including Simply Bows & Chair covers! We have more than 10 Weddings to plan and co-ordinate this year and are also in the process of setting up a new subsidiary of the business planned for launch in the third quarter of 2012. A very exciting year lies ahead for Timeless White!

Who would be your dream client, and what sort of design would you envisage for them?
We are lucky enough to have already worked with numerous couples who we would describe as our dream clients – they have a good sense of what they’d like, they are a little flexible, open to suggestions and enjoy the planning process with us.




What would be your top tips for brides when searching for a supplier in your industry?
Our key piece of advice is to find someone who you instantly click with and who you really trust with the planning of your day, your Wedding Planner will likely be the one person out of your Bridal party who knows everything about your Wedding plans. Also, ensure you get a contract, Wedding Planning can be quite a difficult service to define so ask your Planner for a contract so that you have the in’s and out’s of what you have contracted them for.

Where are you based and where can you supply?
Timeless White are based in Aberdeen, Scotland but we work anywhere in Scotland to assist couples on the day of their Wedding. We don’t advertise to work across the UK, but if you’d like us to travel that little but further to help you with your Wedding, we are extremely happy to do so. All of our services instantly include up to £40 of travel expenses and anything additional is charged at cost price.


How can I get in touch to discuss my requirements or place an order?
If you are interested in the Wedding Planning and Co-ordination that we provide, please email myself at Emma@timelesswhite.co.uk or call us on 07778776677.

Why do you like to work with Simply Bows and Chair Covers?
The vast selection of Chair covers and Sashes give Timeless White and our clients access to a very extensive range of linen options and this is quite unique in Scotland! Our clients love the linen and we love the ease of working alongside Simply Bows & Chair covers.