The Vintage Fair, Chiswick, London
We are just back from exhibiting at The Vintage Fair, Chiswick, London.
A beautiful venue, fab suppliers and lovely brides to be.
Archive for year: 2013
Quaint, Queer & Weird
Photo: JS Photography, Model: Dixie Dread, Dress: Get Cutie
Well, what a spectacular day! Bride as a Button, has returned from exhibiting at the Quaint, Queer & Weird Wedding Spectacular in Brighton. The venue was the stunning Proud Cabaret, formerly the Hanbury Ballroom, with it’s very glamorous & boho decor. It was very much like entering a secret club, brimming with alternative wedding inspiration and amazing talent. It was our first time exhibing within the realm of Alternative Weddings and was great to be amongst the colourful & creative suppliers. There were Burlesque entertainers, birds of prey delivering wedding rings across the room, latex wedding dresses, crocheted gems, astounding cakes, a rocky horror hurst and even Del Boy Trotter!
We emerged to daylight at the end of the fair, enriched with inspiration, to what seemed a very ‘ordinary’ outside world.
Hitched & Stitched
I received a fab email from the lovely Claire at Belly Button Boo Stationers & Event Stylists. The brief should I choose to accept it, was to create a bouquet for their styled table at The Wedding House of Wallingford, that incorporated pastel brights and candy stripes.
The table aimed to be bright, colourful and full of the joys of a summer wedding celebration. Inspired by their latest bootique stationery collection ‘Hitched and Stitched’.
The range draws inspiration from the recent sewing bee trend with a vintage edge. We’ve mixed up bright colours, clashing patterns and lashings of fabric, and teamed them with haberdashery straight from your grandma’s sewing basket!
A lucky window arose in my schedule, so it was my pleasure to accept the mission and the ‘Hitched & Stitched’ bouquet & matching button hole was born!
Claire sent me through these pics courtesy of SLR-Photography. I just love the cake from The Glorious Bakeshop covered in tiny iced buttons! I think the styling is gorgeous, but you can view for yourself, as the display will be on show at The Wedding House Wallingford until September!
Vintage Veils, Top Hats & Tails
On a beautiful sunny day in July, we were honored to be invited to exhibit at the Vintage Veils, Top Hats & Tails fair , at The wedding House Wallingford. The venue was an amazing 3 story Victorian house set in the heart of Oxfordshire, which is home to an array of carefully selected suppliers, brimming with talent and creativity.
When you walk through the door the welcome hits you, as well as the feeling that you are amongst a very special bunch of suppliers. Their collaborative Rapunzel shoot was recently featured in Rock ‘n’ Roll Bride. Styled by ‘blog academy’ graduates Shannon Robinson, (aka SLR Photography) and Georgina Webb, (self confessed lover of all things Ruby; and creator of the sparkly world that is Ruby Wedding Design).
We were serenaded with the amazing voice, that is Oxfordshire’s strictly star Nikki Loy, and privvi to an in-house Fashion show filmed by Chris from Oxford Wedding Video, featuring some familiar button bouquets 
For a full list of suppliers just follow the links! Here are a few more pics from the day, by SLR Photography.
The Great Gatsby – Putting on the Ritz!
With the premier of the Great Gatsby film this year, 2013 has been buzzing with sparkles and glitz.
I worked with gorgeous bride to be Ella and fab photographer Martin Plant of Alter Ego Portraits, to create a wedding planning shoot with some good old Gatsby Ritz!
The story behind the shoot is really gorgeous and can be read in The English Wedding Blog here. It’s a real heart wrencher though – so be warned!
Martin captured some stunning pics, I just love the dramatic and theatrical use of lighting.
How romantic are these shots with the Pettibone dress, very Downtown Abbey darling!
What another very fun filled day, being a runner & assisting with styling, another part of my job that I truly love. Thanks Ella & all the best!
Hey Soul Sister! A Rocking Red & Monochrome 1950’s Inspired Bridal Shoot
On one pretty chilly day back in April, Bride as a Button collaborated with the great talent that is Martin Plant of Alter Ego Portraits, to create a 50’s style inspirational shoot.
Being a big fan of Martin’s vintage style photography, I was overwhelmed when he agreed to give up his time and help with the project. The timescale was very tight, with only 3 weeks to prepare and work on the concept. During which time my pc died on me and with it hours of work lost!
But I picked myself up, encouraged by the fab Brides of Wellingborough, coming on board. As well as the beautiful folk of my husband’s family, aka Cousins ‘Eve’ and ‘Freyda’. Not forgetting, artist, stylist and total cool dude ‘Tommy’, who all agreed to model for me!
My concept was to reflect a very simple 1950’s style, inspired by my style icon – Audrey Hepburn. Choosing the classic Lou Lou Tea dress from the fabulous Brides of Wellingborough, red open toe shoes, victory rolls with loose curls and traditional red roses for the hair.
So we headed off to some old outbuildings at Delepre Abbey to rock up the traditional 50’s style in a classically beautiful, Hepburn sort of a way.
The bouquet was designed with a mixture of red, white and black buttons and hand made beaded flowers; finished with a red and white polka dot trim to coordinate with the Vivien of Holloway dress of our bridesmaid.
Ruby Red
Peggy Sue
Mini Red
Martin captured some awesome pics and we were delighted to see them featured in Brides Up North blog, which you can link to here.
I hope the photo’s will be inspiring for all those 50’s style brides to be, planning their Wedding.
The whole experience was amazing and what a fun fun day!! I will never forget the buzz when Martin called “it’s a wrap” and the surreal sight of Eve and Freyda in the Abbey grounds, strolling along side the dog walkers, with their victory rolls and petticoats a swinging!!
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Photo credit: Martin Plant, Alter Ego Portraits
Bunches of Button Love
Hello all, my name is Rebecca, the face behind Bride as a Button. I am often asked when and how the button love began, so I thought I would pop down a snippet about myself and the beginnings of Bride as a Button.
I know it sounds cliched, but when I think about it, my love for buttons started as a young child, when I would play for hours with my grandma’s button box. She had a set of traditional balance scales and I would weigh them out to imaginary shop customers. (Oh those were the good old ancient days (according to my children) long, long ago, before the invent of X-boxes and Ipod’s).
I remember being fascinated by the shiny buttons, which were from my granddad’s old WW2 uniform. I loved the sense of history behind them and all the different colours, shapes and styles. I was also completely fascinated with my mother’s jewellery box and charm bracelet. Not only was it brimming with sparkles and bling, but was packed full of charms that all had a sentimental story to tell.
So I guess looking back the button love has always been embedded in my psyche.
Originally from Reading, I studied art and art history at A level, graduated from Derby Uni with a BA Hons in Visual Cultures and then fell into a career in project Management, for a medical communications company based in Oxford. I met my husband, started a family and moved to rural northamptonshire in 2000.
Knowing my love for arts & crafts, my friend and fellow creative, Anna (Above & below) asked me to help make the table decorations for her wedding in June 2012, which were all made from buttons and beads. It was great to see everyones reaction to them at the wedding. In fact most of the tableware made it’s way into pockets and handbags, as memento’s. They really created a buzz, with guests and friends asking if they could have a bunch made! I became hooked on buttoning thereafter and decided to set up my own business making button bouquets.
So I have never looked back! All thanks to Anna! I love returning to my creative roots and being part of so many big days! I get to work with fantastic suppliers and brides from all over the country. Every day I receive such amazing ideas from my brides to be, from Batman to vintage inspired bouquets.I am a massive fan of Audrey Hepburn and all things that are handmade, vintage and retro. I’m passionate about up-cycling, giving jewellery and buttons a new creative lease of life.
I thoroughly love my job and feel lucky that I have now discovered what it is I wanted to do when I grew up! Mrs Anna Malin – you are the best! xx