Welcome gorgeous bride!
I am writing to you today with another Spotlight on a fabulous company I have the pleasure of introducing to you today.
Sarah and Sam, the wedding styling duo behind Linen and Lace. Specialising in all aspects of venue decoration for your wedding day, whether it be table linens, chair covers, centrepieces and so much more.
Similiar to my last spotlight (which you can find here) I asked Sarah and Sam a couple of questions about their business and to give you abit more information and some tips you can take away for planning your big day!
I met with Sarah and Sam in their studio space a couple of weeks ago to photograph some new pieces they had added to their collection. Having worked with Sarah and Sam for the last couple of years, I get so excited about seeing what they are going to create with a space, or a table or even a corner of a room.
Their work really excites me and their eye and attention to detail is spot on!
They worked together with florist Clair Lythgoe, to decorate and showcase the different candelabras they have available to hire.How they bring all the different pieces together, think about the different heights and textures, to the positioning of the candelabra, even to how straight the candles are – making sure from every angle it was perfect.
Wow! I wish I could style a table the way these ladies do!
So without further delay I will leave it over to these lovely ladies to tell you abit about themselves and hopefully give you some inspiration!
Tell us about yourselves and your company
We first met 24 years ago at the age of 12, little did we know then that we would become lifelong friends and run a business together!
When organising our own weddings which were 18 months apart, we struggled to find suppliers that stood out and offered the kind of service we were looking for. So we organised and styled our own wedding’s and from there Linen & Lace was born.
We have been running for 3 years and love how our little business is growing. We now have a studio based in Southbourne and have been lucky enough to work with many wonderful couples and amazing suppliers. Although based in Dorset, we travel across the South-east and occasionally even a little further afield.
What is your favourite part of what you do
We enjoy all aspects of what we do as we have carefully selected products we love working with. If we had to describe what we love the most it would be the couples that come to us with a vague idea of the look they are after, giving us the opportunity to create a style that’s unique to them. We love these kind of challenges!
What are your top tips for brides
1. A little research goes a long way! Rather than jumping in head first when booking your supplier, take time to firstly consider the look and feel for your day, then check out local suppliers that can work to help you bring your ideas together. Arrange to meet with them and see their products together with previous work. We offer our clients free consultations either at our studio or at their chosen venue to talk through ideas and to view our products. This gives piece of mind all round!
2. Sticking to a budget! When it comes to styling your day, things can quite easily get out of hand! Set yourself a budget and stick to it. Buying large amounts of items or big props can be expensive and you can often have no use for them after your big day. Look at the price comparison to hire them to cut costs. Delivery, set up and collection are included in our hire prices meaning you have more stress free time on the morning of your big day. Let’s face it you have more important things to be worrying about than making a room look pretty!
3. Making the best use of your venue! Look at your venue and it’s layout, does it have any features such as fireplaces, large windows, old stone walls or sweeping staircases that can be emphasised or decorated? Things as simple as tealights or candle lanterns can help fill a space and create a real atmosphere without spending a fortune. Candles are on our must list for weddings! They create a wonderful ambience and fill a room with romance….
4. Avoid décor overload! We all have that pinterest board full of the most amazing ideas right? Rather than trying to cram those 101 must have things into your day, pick a bunch of your favourites and those that reflects the style your truly looking for on the day. This keeps things simpler, classier and easier on your pocket. Having too much can often look a bit mish mash and take away from the fabulous style that you were looking to achieve.
5. Your day, your way! Remember this is your day and it’s about you. Go with what you love regardless of what your best friend, sister or mother in law may want on the day. We often see people change their mind to try and keep others happy. If you love vintage then grab that lace and old mismatched crockery, if it’s a dreamy beach affair then grab your flip flops and go for it! You’ll never get this day back, so do what’s right for you
Where do you both look for inspiration
Where do we start the list is endless….
Weddings blogs such as ‘Love My Dress’, ‘Rock My Wedding’ and ‘Wedding Sparrow’ to name a few, offer fantastic on trend wedding inspiration.
Pinterest, bridal mags, but more than often our inspiration comes from our surroundings, places we visit, and our very active imaginations which are brimming full of ideas.
It’s no secret, we love a styled shoot!
Always a perfect opportunity to allow our creativity to come out and offer our very own inspiration for brides to be.
Is there a particular style that you love or is on trend
I think at the moment our favourite style and one that is very much on trend is rustic glam/rustic chic…
Living in such a beautiful area like Dorset, couples are able to incorporate elements of nature in a fabulous rural setting. I feel that couples looking for this style of wedding can add many rustic touches to create intimate moments and really personalise their day. It’s pretty far out from your traditional, classic wedding but by adding a splash of glam to your decor through bold metallics and beautiful blooms, you can combine the two and add a luxurious feel to your day.
We have a studio full of gorgeous items to help ‘glam up’ your day and a huge passion for handmade items. We are often restoring old pallets, scaffold boards and ladders to bring old wood back to life, making this style our idea of wedding decor heaven!
Being able to see the organic beauty in something imperfect is something we have mastered well!
What makes you and your business unique
The thing that makes Linen & Lace unlike anywhere else is our products. We handmake numerous items to ensure we have pieces that are one of a kind, scouring antique fayre’s to build collections of gorgeous products that can’t be bought anywhere else.
We also devote many hours to restoring pieces to their former glory or putting a bit of a twist on their original form. Every decision we make with regards to the item’s we stock is a carefully considered one, because for us being able to offer our customer’s the ability to choose something unique is hugely important to us.
You can find Sarah and Sam’s website here and connect with them on social media here. They also have the Linen and Lace store which you can check out here.
If you enjoyed this article please share on social media following the links below! And if your are a business owner and offer a wedding service and would like to work on an interview together, please feel free to email me.
Much love, Charlotte x
All pieces provided by Linen and Lace
Floristry by Clair Lythgoe
Photography by Dorset Wedding Photographer Charlotte Bryer-Ash
Beautiful work and fab inspiration – great photos as always 🙂 xx