Simply a Scottish a'fair!

 

 

Come along and see our Dundee and Fife office at Fernie Castle wedding fair this Sunday...

 

 

Simply Supplier Spotlight from Aberdeen: A Vintage Tea Party

What is your company name?

             A Vintage Tea Party                  

What is your line of business?

Hiring out vintage crockery and props and vintage styling for events

    How and why the company begin?

I was planning my own wedding, and wanted a vintage feel to things, and I realised that there was a lack of vintage vendors in the area, even though it was huge down south, and even in Glasgow and Edinburgh.  I had been collecting china and vintage props for years, and already had a big collection.  Having worked at Perfect Bridal, I loved being part of the wedding world, but my family had grown from two to four children on meeting my now husband, and working full time at Perfect was just too much.  So I decided to start my own business, which allowed me to work from home, but still be involved with weddings and events. 

   Are you married?

Yes, married in March to Mr T, (Craig) This was a second marriage for both of us.  I was divorced and Mr T was widowed four years ago.  He is my knight in shining armour.  And I cannot believe he fell in love with me!

    Why do brides come to you?

I offer something that is unique to the area.  I have a huge collection, of all colours and patterns.  I can cater to up to 350.  I also have lots of vintage props like vintage suitcases, trunks, 1930’s typewriters, etc.  It also saves brides going out and trailing around charity shops and car boot sales, then being left with china they don’t want after the wedding.  I also work out cheaper.  The charity shops now charge so much for a tea set, or cake stand, because it is in vogue.  I charge £2 for a cup, saucer and side plate, that’s £12 for six settings.  A charity shop may charge you up to £30 for a pretty six piece tea set.
  

   What is your favourite design and why?
   I have so many, but my favourite make is Paragon.  They were huge in the 1920/30’s. Their patterns and colours were so elegant and timeless.  They used lots of greens, and I love anything in green! Like my wedding dress!

  What is the most popular item you supply and why?

Cups and saucers, two tier cake stands, and china tea pots.  But my new bunting is proving very popular.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Wedding blogs are great.  And I am totally and utterly addicted to Pinterest. 

What is in store for you in 2013

Well, I had to buy a 2013 diary last week, as I already had six bookings for next year.  I am excited to now be in my second year, and I have learned lots of lessons.  I am looking forward to all the wedding shows coming up, like the Trend Weddings Launch at the Marcliffe, and the Your Wedding Exhibition, which always starts our year off with a bang! I am planning my stand already.

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

Not a specific person, but a bride dressed in Jenny Packham perhaps, or a 1950’s style dress.  I am desperate for someone to hire one of those amazing Tipi’s, covered in fairy lights and bunting inside.  A little bit rustic, long tables set with vintage china, and using my old chemist bottles to put wildflowers in.  The cake table covered with one of my beautiful embroidered tablecloths.  That is one wedding I would love to be part of styling!! 

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

Make sure you go and see their collection.  Look carefully to make sure they are supplying china with no chips or cracks.  Vintage items will have wear and tear, that is part of their charm and character, but they must be safe if they are to be used for food and drink. 

  Where are you based and where can you supply?

I am based in Aberdeen, and I am happy to travel.  But you can also collect the china and props and take them with you, wherever your event is. 

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

I am on Facebook, and also have a website www.avintageteaparty.com .  My email is info@avintageteaparty.com,  or give me a call 07722 409 323   I have a little showroom that you are welcome to come and view my collection and choose what you would like.

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

Nothing finishes off a beautiful table display better, than elegant chairs.  A wonderful vintage lace bow works perfectly next to vintage china, to bring the whole effect of another era to the room.

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.

Simply Pleased to Meet you: Claire Smith

Simply Bows ands Chair Covers are delighted to welcome Claire Smith to the team!

Claire Smith: Area Director of Aberdeen

Claire is 31 and will be managing the Aberdeen office of Simply Bows and Chair Covers. Claire orginally studied Land Economy at the University of Aberdeen and has been working as a Planning Consultant for the past 6 years. The planning of Claires own wedding coming up this November made Claire realise that her true passion is events so when the opportunity arose for her to join the Simply Bows and Chair Covers team it was a dream come true!

Claire is looking forward to joining us next month and cant wait to get started. "This opportunity will allow me to be in control of my own business and work in such a happy industry, which is great.  Simply Bows and Chair Covers is such a great product, which speaks for itself when brides are looking for those finishing touches for their big day" explained Claire.

Visit our blog in a few weeks time to see how Claire is getting on and have a unique insight into her first few events to see what fabulous ideas and inspiration Claire can bring to brides in Aberdeen.