Determining ring sizes. And unsolicited emails!

I must get over a dozen unsolicited business to business emails or phonecalls every day.  Some from far flung shores offering to sell me cheap knock off products, some offering me website design or SEO services, some asking to buy advertising space on my websites and plenty from magazines, blogs, online directories and exhibition organisers trying to get me to buy advertising with them.  To be honest, its got to the point where I rarely even bother to read the email or listen to the message, I read or hear who its from and instantly hit delete.

But this evening an email landed in my inbox from a sender who's name I vaguely recognised.  They had sent me an unsolicited email not long ago which I had read and deleted along with all the others that had poured in that day.  For some reason, this second email caught my eye, and the first paragraph made me smile and raise my eyebrows in confusion all at once.  The style was quite unlike the normal emails I get, and so I carried on reading.  In fact, I even opened the attachment! (Don't tell my husband - i'll get a severe telling off for opening something from an unknown sender!).

Inside I found this:

Well, it made me laugh.  It might be a bit of fun, but hey - we could all do with a little of that now and again.  And you never know, it might be useful to someone who is trying to work out what size of ring to buy.  I wore my engagement ring on a chain around my neck for for a few days after we got engaged as it was so huge it didn't fit any of my fingers!

In their email, Simply Bridal mention that I can sign up to receive their infographics automatically as soon as they are released.  I think I might - I quite like this one, and am now wondering what I missed when I deleted their first email.

Introducing Starstruck Boutique

Very recently our Starstruck Boutique dream became a reality and a new page was launched on our website.  The idea behind the Boutique is to offer an exclusive range of pieces that are either one-off creations, or designs that are simply not "bridal" enough to be part of our main collection.  Each piece has a story behind it, which is described alongside photos of each design.

With the Olympic Opening Ceremony less than 24 hours away, it seems entirely appropriate that the first piece in the Starstruck Boutique is the Rule Britannia Crystal Union Jack Bow

Created entirely with Swarovski crystals in Sapphire, Siam and White Opal, this piece is perfect for those looking for a high end, sparkly accessory to show support to the 2012 British Olympic Team!

Other designs that have made it into the Boutique include the Siren Side Tiara - perfect for sparkly mermaids, and the Crystal Peacock Headband, which was selected as a finalist design in the 2010 Swarovski Elements Boudiour Beautiful Design competition.

 

Check out the Starstruck Boutique page for updates to our collection, soon to include the Cherry Blossom tiara featured in a previous Cherry Blossom Inspiration blog post.

Accessories Event with Aliya Rose

A couple of weeks ago I was thrilled to attend an Accessories evening held at Aliya Rose, in Cupar, Fife.  Aliya Rose are our exclusive stockists for the East of Scotland and hold a vast range of pieces from the Starstruck Designs collection.

The evening started at 5pm, and as well as accessories advice from Kirsty and Liz from Aliya Rose and myself, brides could also discuss ideas for their hair and make-up from Princess Cut Hair and Karen Bowen Make-up.  There was plenty of pink fizz available (and I *may* have enjoyed a glass or two myself!).

Brides started arriving just after 5pm and continued to do so until about 9pm.  The shop was busy throughout the entire evening, although the atmosphere remained relaxed and fun, even though I did worry that I wouldn't get around to speaking with everyone!

It was wonderful to meet so many lovely brides, and holding the event in the shop meant that we could have a good look at their dresses.  This was incredibly useful for those who wanted something a little bit more bespoke in the way of accessories as we could get a really good idea of what would work, and what colours would be best.

I'm certainly going to be busy over the next few weeks with the orders that were placed on the night, including a fabulous bespoke version of the Gloriosa flower side tiara which I cannot wait to get stuck into!

Its going to be a combination of elements from the original design, and some from the Anemone flower side tiara.  Watch this space for the finshed design!

Thank you to Aliya Rose, for hosting such a fabulous event, and to all the brides who attended.  I had so much fun, and really hope to be able to another soon!

A New Wedding Planning Business Is Born

Today's post is brought to you by Claire from Finest Detail Weddings.  My rather enormous apologies go to her as this was supposed to have been posted a while ago.  Thank you Claire for being patient with me!

Recently I launched Finest Detail Weddings, offering bespoke wedding planning with a personalised service. The planning services I offer aim to keep your wedding plans focused, within budget and with less stress.

So how and why did I decide to become a Wedding Planner? September 2011 saw all the wedding plans I had made for my big day come to fruition. The months I had spent meticulously planning my day, covering every detail didn't go unnoticed, with many of my guests complimenting me on the little touches I had made. One guest even said she wished I had helped her plan her big day -  now that was a compliment! Good cheer aside, there was the little niggly bits that happened on my day that threatened to spoil things, for the perfectionist in me. Putting all your trust in your suppliers and venue is a little daunting but when I noticed things like my free bar suddenly charging guests and the starters coming out melted, the beginnings of an idea were sown.

So it was whilst on Honeymoon in Mauritius, over a beautifully romantic candlelit meal looking out to sea, I announced to my husband that I would like to start a wedding planning business. I loved the buzz and energy that came with planning my wedding and felt passionate about ensuring other couples learnt from what I had experienced along the way and from what my friends and family had experienced too at their weddings. Don't get me wrong I don't claim to be an expert in all things wedding, after all there are plenty of established planners out there who have more experience than I but don't write me off just yet. Everyone starts somewhere and I am realistic enough to know that it will be a long and rewarding journey to establish myself in what is a very competitive industry – but I'm ready and am really looking forward to helping couples plan their wedding perfectly.

Claire xx

For more details about my planning services, including my special introductory rates go to: www.finestdetailweddings.co.uk