Vintage Candy Buffet table

Hi all,

A few weeks ago, I shared the rustic charm dessert table that I was lucky enough to collaborate on. I am still chuffed with how it turned out and just wanted to talk a bit more about vintage candy buffet tables. For the last few years they have been super popular at weddings, and will probably be for the foreseeable. But I really think that with a few vintage pieces of china and props, we put a new spin on the a new staple on the wedding scene.

The overall look was achieved by combining pale green cake stands, pieces of vintage china and silverware, and all tied together with the 'pantone reference of the year' - radiant orchid. Not only did we use the colour reference within the candy on the table, but the Tarnia also managed to source the actual flower - radiant orchid.

Here are a few close ups of some of the vintage silverware and china that we used in the shoot.

Thanks to Jay for photos, and Melissa for sweets and lovely candy table props.

Feel free to get in touch for a bespoke quote on vintage candy buffets - info@mrs-terrence.co.uk

When baking goes bad!

Hi all,

I have been meaning to bake whoopie pies for ages -my special tin has been in its wrapper for about 6 months. So, yesterday I choose to make the chocolate whoopie pies from the Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days book.

The internet is full of cupcakes and sweet treats baked to perfection so I thought I would share my not so perfect bakes!

I know where my faults lie...trying to make or do anything with an overtired and at times hungry baby! The recipes says to leave the mixture for 30 mins to chill. I left mine for an hour and a half while I ssshhed, swayed and shook a rattle. So the mixture was too hard to work with when putting in the tins.

Lesson learnt. They do taste delicious and I looking forward to perfecting the recipe soon, but next time I'll wait until the bubba is in bed X

Rustic charm dessert table

Hi all,

Last week I collaborated with 3 fantastic people to create a rustic dessert table for anyone who is planning a rustic/vintage wedding or gathering. These lovely people were Melissa from thesweethostess.co.uk, Tarnia from flowers4weddings.com and Jay from jayandersonphotography.co.uk

We've been lucky to be featured on Mrspandp.com blog. I'm showing off and wanted to share our dessert table with you all. Take a look and let me know what you think X

http://www.mrspandp.com/moodboardscreative-ideas/rustic-charm-wedding-dessert-table-inspiration-shoot-tips-on-how-to-create-your-own-dessert-table/

North London vintage market

Hello!

Just wanted to share an event date with you all. Mrs T and co. will be running the tea room at the North London vintage market on the 1st and 2nd February 2014. I've attached the flyer for more details.

Come and say hi if you're going X

Elderflower tea

For me, everytime I looked on some kind of weding blog or social media site last year, everyone seemed to be drinking or eating something elderflower based. And alcoholic most of the time too. I offer a refreshing elderflower tea when hosting tea rooms at vintage fairs/markets and they are also available for anyone booking afternoon tea packages via mrs-terrence.co.uk. I haven't seen these tea bags available elsewhere and makes a refreshing alternative to the traditional builders brew.

Anyone tasted elderflower tea at a Mrs T do?

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you all!

Hope you all enjoyed the festive season. I, like every one else seems to be reflecting on the past year and wishing for good times in the year ahead. I've got a good feeling about 2014 - maybe I should get my tea leaves read!

Back to reflection - I have been thinking about 2013 and where Mrs T has travelled to and the events that we have hired our vintage china and props out to. My favourite by far was the British/Hindu wedding that we saw pictures of back in November. It occured to me that I never got round to sharing images from the wedding, so thought it was better late than never. Check out the link to the full blog post below - amazing how they incorporated such different traditions within one day. It just goes to show that afternoon tea isn't just a past time that is suited to garden parties, street parties and vintage events.

Take a look at these pictures of our vintage silver teapots X

Thanks to Sundar Wedding planners - Sundarweddings.com and David Morgan Photography
http://www.modernasianwedding.co.uk/sundar-weddings-the-grove-hotel/

Mirror, mirror on the table...

I was trawling through a few pictures on the old t'internet this week and came across a table centre piece. The setting was of a lovely modern style wedding with a mirror underneath the floral display in the centre of the table. I've seen this done A LOT at weddings and yeah sure, if you have candles or t-lights, this can really reflect the light well.

But it got me thinking that I've never seen this done at a vintage style wedding before. I have had a mirror that I found on my travels months ago that I've been meaning to revive so I thought it was time that I pulled my finger out.

Normally it breaks my heart to see vintage furniture renovated or changed from its original format, but the mirror in question had a pretty rough looking cream frame that looked like it was pulled from a smokers home. After a quick clean and coat of white chalk paint, I'm pleased to say that I'm happy with the results. Do you agree?



Next time I style a vintage wedding, I'm certainly going to experiment with mirrors as centre pieces!

Autumn Vintage Tea

Is it Autumn yet? I kind of feel like it should be even if technically it's not...everyone seems to be migrating to boots rather than flip flops, so in my eyes, we're on the verge of a season change.

So, summer fruits, summer picnics and eton mess are officially out I'm now trying out a few new recipes for Autumn vintage tea parties.

First up is the Maple and Pecan Layer Cake. It is delicious, even if I do say so myself. The recipe is from the Hummingbird Recipe book. Details are below.





Ingredients:

For the sponge:

120g unsalted butter, softened

400g white sugar

360g all purpose flour

1 ½ tbsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

360ml whole milk

40ml maple syrup

3 large eggs

100g pecans, chopped

For the frosting:

240g unsalted butter

750g icing sugar

60ml whole milk

1tbsp maple syrup

Pecan halves to decorate

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 170° and cover the baking pans (3 x 20 cm tins) with baking sheet.

Mix together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt with an electric mixer at low speed until the mixture reaches a crumb-like consistency.

In a bowl mix together the milk, maple syrup and eggs by hand. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with an electric mixer until well combined. Stir in the chopped pecans by hand.

Divide the cake batter equally between the 3 baking tins and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cakes become light brown. Leave them in the pan for a few minutes, then turn out and allow to cool completely.

For the frosting, whisk with an electric mixer the butter and icing sugar until fluffy and sandy in texture, then add milk and maple syrup, mix well and then beat at high speed until it becomes soft and fluffy.

When the sponges are completely cold, place the first layer on a plate, top with 3-4 tablespoons of the frosting, and smooth it down using a palette knife and adding a little more if needed.

Put the second layer on top and cover with frosting in the same layer. Then put the third layer, frost the sides and top of the cake and decorate with pecan halves.

Contact Mrs Terrence for a bespoke quote for Autumn afternoon vintage teas! X

The real deal

Hi all, I've recently been thinking about all of my vintage china and props that I have acquired over the years. There are lots of companies that offer a similar service and after having a quick peek around, I've noticed that we all have a slightly different interpretation of 'vintage'. I know that 'vintage' covers a lot of decades, but I personally don't think that hanging heart t-light holders from Notonthehighstreet.com are vintage. Are they vintage inspired...at a push. Are they pretty, yes. And is any bride or party planner entitled to use them, of course! All I'm saying is that I'm very proud of my totally authentic and genuine vintage china and props and from now on, I'm staying true to my roots. Who's with me?! Mrs T x http://www.mrs-terrence.co.uk/

Mighty fine mocktail

Seriously, this heat is killing me. So I decided to have a look at a few mocktail options in case you wanted to keep your guests from kieling over at your wedding reception, bbq, afternoon tea or gathering.

All the cool kids are using jam jars these days as drinking out of a glass it seems is too 2012. So I decided to have a go at making an apple and elderflower mojito. It's divinely refreshing, especially in this weather.

Here's how to make it...

Mix 35ml apple juice, 25ml elderflower cordial, 2 tsp brown sugar, juice of 1/2 lime, some mint and a heap of crushed ice. Shake, pour into a glass and top up with soda. Garnish with mint/apple/both.

My preference would be to serve in a vintage champagne saucer, but there again, I would say that!

Lovely vintage barn in Surrey

I had the absolute pleasure of attending a wedding reception at Newdigate barn a few weeks ago.

Not only is it set in picturesque surroundings with a lake and as much greenery as the eye can see, the venue lends itself really well to a vintage theme.

The barn is quite small, but the venue can also errect marquees adjacent to the building to accomodate more guests if need be. There are rustic barns within the grounds perfect for some posing in front of too if you are after a vintage look in your photos!

I couldn't help but sit at the wedding breakfast and dream of how my vintage bunting and props would look though!

My new obsession

Hello!

So I've recently developed a new obsession...buying vintage teapots for my collection. Now I know that floral centrepieces in tea pots are easy to create, so I thought I'd have see what other quirky ideas can be achieved.

A Teapot wind chime is a super cheap way to add decoration and sound to a wedding or garden party.

Creating a Floral banister display could be a fab way to brighten up a walk way, and great talking point for your guests.

Ever thought of a Teapot bouquets for a flower girl or bridesmaid?!

Some of my new beauties have been updated on my site, but keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks for more images in the gallery.

http://www.mrs-terrence.co.uk/gallery.php

Day 9 - Fun & Games!

Looking to keep your guests entertained? Look no further than these vintage style games...

1) Keep the older folks happy with these dominoes
2) Swap cards are great to keep the little ones entertained!
3) These toy skittles are a favourite for me!
4) Or set up an egg and spoon race with this cute little set.
5) These garden draughts are perfect for summer weddings.

Just remember, it's not the winning that counts. Oh wait a minute, yes it is!

Love Mrs Terrence X

Day 8 - Tree of Love

I decided to blog about the 'Tree of Love' wedding theme for today's inspiration.

I stumbed upon the tree decorations where the bride and groom asked their friends to bring along heart decorations to attach to a tree. I loved the hippy vibe and so the search continued.

There are loads of ways that you can include the tree theme into your big day, through the invites to the place settings  which are perfect favours too.

I also love the guest book tree of love. This could be a great DIY project - ask your guests to write a short note or a few words of wisdom for you. Or the last fingerprint guest book could also be a great conversation starter and an interactive attraction for your guests.

With love

Mrs Terrence X

Day 7 - Centrepieces

Yes I know that I've broken my promise to blog every day for 10 days, but I hope you won't hold it against me...on day 7 of my blogging journey, I bring you 5 ways with centrepieces.

Now I think that centrepieces are quite an important focal point of the table. Don't forget that guests are going to be staring at these for a while over dinner, but on the other hand, should you spend ridiculous amounts of money on them? Well if you're pretty minted then I'd say why the hell not, but here are a few potential DIY ideas...

1) I love the idea of using vintage books as a centre piece. If you wanted to go that extra centimental step, you could raid your grandparents library for their favourite books to really add that personal touch.

2) If you're looking for a dramatic centrepiece then look no further than these tiered candles. Having one of these on each table will add such atmosphere to your reception.

3) I have been to a few weddings in my time, but I have never seem a goldfish centrepiece. Very original and can act as favours too - just as long as your guests remember to take them home with them at the end of the night!

4) Mason jars are so versatile and are as cheap as chips. Use these jars to display previous family weddings or messages from the bride and groom!

5) I'm sure that heaps of people have used this idea in the past, but retro sweets in glass bowls/ornaments are really easy to put together yourself and great for guests to tuck into while they're waiting for their dinner.

Happy planning

Love Mrs Terrence XX

Day 6 - Save the date

Thinking of a few ideas for save the dates....do any of these catch your eye?

1) Cocoagraph.com can personalise your save the dates on chocolate. Just make sure that your guests make a note of the date before they eat the chocolate bar.
2) Or send your friends and family a tea towel with weddingteatowels.co.uk
3) Your guests can huff and puff their way to your details with this save the date balloon
4) How about arranging your engagement next to scrabble letters and photograph from above and printing on card?
5) But anything with real 'tying knots' for save the dates makes me smile.

Happy planning

Love Mrs Terrence X

Day 5 - Something blue

Today I'm looking at your 'something blue'. It's one of those small traditions that are sometimes forgotten or thought about at the last minute.

You can have SO much fun with this and really make it a feature of your day. Would love to hear from anyone who have used these ideas...

1) Simply adding a blue ribbon to the ankle is a fabulous focal point for photos and perfectly hidden if blue isn't your favourite colour but you're a sucker for tradition.
2) A blue clutch could also be a great accessory for your big day.
3) Personally I love the blue headpiece. This shade of blue is subtle enough not to take away from your dress.
4) Bridesmaids wrote personal notes on the sole of these shoes for their bride.
5) Or, add an elegant touch to your look with these sapphire earrings

If anyone of you lovely bride would like to submit images of the 'something blue' theme, send them through and I'll upload.

Love Mrs Terrence X

Day 4 – Vintage hankies

Today I’m looking at vintage hankies. They can be quite inexpensive depending on where you shop and hopefully won't break the bank, but I guess that depends on the amount that you want/need.

Hope you like my ideas below!

1)      It’s the first time that I’ve seen vintage hankies made into bunting. These create double sided bunting and saves a lot of time cutting out triangles.

2)   I love this idea of a ring cushion. I know that it’s quite an American tradition, but it makes for a great photo.

3)      You could wrap your flower bouquets with pretty hankies and can always be recycled afterwards.

4)      Provide a basket of vintage hankies for your guests and place at the entrance of the ceremony.

 5)      Decorate the back of each chair with hankies – it adds a touch of colour and it so simple to create. And if the speeches get too much, your guests can always pinch them to blow their nose.

Hope you like what you see.

Love Mrs Terrence X

10 day challenge - Button it.

In day 3 of my 10 day chalenge, I give to you '5 ways with button holes'.

A random selection and not a flower in sight. I love button holes - they're such a great way to add personality and to tie in with your theme. So, from the top...

1)  This Skull Button Hole is so fun. A bit on the gothic side, but such an individual statement.

2) These felt flags are great if you're a bit crafty and adding a DIY touch to your big day.

3) Or why not ask people to wear badges instead of button holes. You can personalise them with people's roles or nicknames and are a great conversation starter.

4) For the musicians amongst you, guitar picks can be created into button holes with some thin wire and a bit of patience.

5) This photo brooch is utterly charming and a great way to remember relatives or friends that can't share the day with you. View here to see these in more details.

Hope these have given you a few ideas. Stay tuned for tomorrow's update.

Love Mrs Terrence X

10 day challenge - Doilies

It's day 2 and I'm still going strong...today I'm bringing you '5 ways with doilies'. Now I know what many of you might be thinking, but take a look at the pictures below and you might be pleasantly surprised. They are so versatile, can be found in a variey of shapes, sizes and colours and are super cheap. Traditionally they have been found underneath your nana's tea cup, but I hope that I've inspired you with a few new ideas for them.

1) These wonderful chair decorations that I found from http://www.elizabethannedesigns.com could be the perfect way to add a few touches to a vintage or rustic wedding.

2) Colourful pom poms can add an injection of colour into your reception area. And these are really easy to make yourself. Visit Inthetreehouse.com for your step by step DIY guide

3) I wish I had of found these doilie cones when I was getting married. They are simple but beautiful and could be used to pop your favours in too.

4) Make sure that you allow yourself a bit more time to send out your invitations if you're making these doilie envelopes from scratch. Personally, I don't think that they would survive if you posted them so make sure you get some strong glue. Check out how to make these yourself.

5) Use doilies to hand make these favours. Want to make them? Find out how

Thanks to the following sites for images: http://www.elizabethannedesigns.com http://www.inthetreehouse.co.uk http://sweetsimplejoys.com http://creativecollectiveblog.com craftyliciouskaren.blogspot.co.uk