One of the lovliest things about Elsie Florence is the amount of beautiful vintage china hire we have collected over the past 10 years. At the last count we had 700 vintage china tea cups, dinner plates for a party of 300 + & vintage napkins scaling up to 250. Obsessive I hear you say and you could be right! I almost surprised myself at quite how much we have here. But we are getting busier each year and it is so nice to be able to give every client exactly what they’ve been searching for.
The collecting is my passion as you know but styling a wedding or party is my real passion. Choosing each piece for a styling job, wedding or photo shoot is the best.
This week the lovely bride to be Jane came to Elsie Flo H.Q. for a pre wedding meeting. She is not fussy, she just knows what she likes and what she would like for her vintage afternoon tea party wedding.
‘Soft creams, hints of gold, aquas and peacock blue and definately NO pink!……. please’
I showed her into our Pandora’s box showroom and pulled out and array of delicate patterned tea cups, tea pots and cake stands, tiered and not.
‘Perfect.’ she said ‘I knew you would just know what I wanted.’
That is the best feeling of job satisfaction there is.
With all this in mind and brides and stylists coming to view different bits and pieces we have here at H.Q. we decided to put some looks together for you too.
It is all in the detail and this season it is all about COLOUR.
Firstly and maybe my favourite colourway for this season is GOLD. We are using a lot of gold and cream or gold and white sometimes adding a hint of dusky chalky pink & blush tones for our brides this season. This is a real feast for the eye. For one bride we are setting up for this look for the bride and groom’s top table. So pretty and so chic. No wonder it is number 1.
Pink is always a colour that reigns glorious in the vintage world. It appears in tight buds and open rose blooms. It edges plates and colours milk glass making it soft, sophisticated and it is always so pretty. It comes in tones of blush, chalk, rose and fushia to name a few.
Spring is on it’s way believe it or not and the green buds start to push through the hedgerows with the promise of spring and eventually summer. Snow drops leave us for the arrival of the sunshine yellow daffodill’s. Easter weddings are drawing closer and one of my brides is having posy jugs bursting with yellow primroses. The tables are going to be laid with crisp white cloths and our embroidered white vintage linen napkins . Each place setting is going to reflect the the time of year with pop spring colours of yellow and green from the dinner plates and side plates to the vintage tea cups and saucers, tea pots and milk jugs and sugar bowls. A clever choice.
Aqua, sky and turquoise are such a relaxing colour palette. They are harmonious with all any other colour and reflect the 50’s. Throw in a pink rose bud and your vintage look is complete.
Glass is not a colour as such I know but there is something majestic about cut glass and pressed glass from wine or water decanters to rose bowls & cake stands. I love this look mixed in with the golds and creams. Cool luxury at it’s best.
Whatever colour you decide, whether it’s an eclectic mix of vintage tones or an exact colour theme, be sure that we at Elsie Florence will create the look you are after.