In the Press

For diary followers you might remember my post 'Just Peachy' from Jenny & Scott's wedding back in May last year...Well just this week we received a link to the fantastic photographers blog featuring some beautiful photos. Check them out at Emma Sekhon -stunning! 

In addition the photos from Jenny and Scott's wedding were featured in the launch issue of Reverie magazine who are the first online wedding magazine in the UK (the article starts on page 162) Gorgeous magazine, will definitely be checking out their future issues for inspiration.

Branching out

Hello 2012! What a year it is shaping up to be; 17 beautiful brides here at Chateau Rigaud, 1 lovely bride a couple of hours down the road and 1 back in Bonnie Scotland at the end of the year to top it all off. And it's not just flowers; new year = new job, drum roll please for my new role as 'Wedding Stylist!' This will encompass all elements of the look of everyones Big Day here at the Chateau and I'm really looking forward to it being a bit of a design geek (Mr E calls it 'control freak') I just like things to look perfect and if that means moving that chandelier 2 inches lower then so be it. Anyway I digress, to kick off my new role I have been sourcing and making some new items to build up an Aladdin's cave of props. Today was a trip to Rauzan to the Antique/flea/junk market where I picked up 2 vintage suitcases which will be perfect to fill with pashminas for guests to help themselves to on cooler evenings. I've also been spending many an evening cutting and sewing bunting for the barn and over the front gate. I've chosen hessian or burlap as the first material to use which I think will contrast really well in texture with the new lighting feature over the dance floor which is being created from balloons, wallpaper paste and lace doilies inspired by The Dos Family up there in Sweden.

Vintage suitcases from the flea market at Rauzan

Sewing in the sunshine

DIY lampshade in progress

India's love affair with flowers

Maybe the shenanighans of last weeks Rigaud Bollywood party have had a strange effect on me; came across this nice little selection of photos on the BBC website which I  thought I would share.

I Heart Barcelona

It's official - Barcelona is my most favourite place in the whole world. The city has it all; cutting edge design, fantastic bars, amazing shops, the best food, cava for breakfast, sunshine, beaches, street festivals, architecture... So it's hardly surprising that their florists would be anything short of creative geniuses. Cue floral design company Bornay and their amazingly inspiring arrangements, blasting them straight to the top of my most loved list and making me consider taking up Catalan lessons - Ole!

Local Boy in the Photograph

Beautiful pictures from the Brett Harkness photography course featuring my flowers foraged from the gardens here at Rigaud!

Ready, aim, shoot!

So this morning I get up nice and early fully prepared to set off in search of a decent selection of flowers knowing that this would probably result in a 80km round trip to Bordeaux and may even involve attempting to make a purchase at the flower market; no easy task, believe me. Feeling a little apprehensive, last week’s scouting mission around what the more local flower shops had to offer was let’s just say ‘not exactly inspiring’, I took a walk around the gardens here at Rigaud seeking some solace. Alas when I actually looked outside my own front door there was a fantastic selection. From amazing deep red roses and dahlias to dried thistles and grasses in the meadow, it was all here right under my own nose, pretty jammy eh? I have to add that the flowers are for a photo shoot taking place here at the chateau tomorrow so there wasn’t the budget or the volume requirement to do a direct order from Holland. With the only restrictions on the brief being that colours should reflect autumn and the bouquet should take into account the dress style, I’m relatively free to be as creative as I wish (bonus!) Check back soon to see how I get on
 

Picked fresh from the garden

I think these thistle heads have a fantastic architectural quality that will tie in nicely with the detail on the dress

Beautiful traditional red rose from the pergola in the back garden

The couture dress

A Whiter Shade of Pale

Pew ends in position. Photo by Tom Darrieau

Fab couple Joanne & Ashley kept their colours simple to great effect, the flowers were all white  highlighted with a gorgeous steely blue ribbon. The colours were repeated throughout all the elements of their stationary from invites to orders or service and resulted in a very classy coherant overall look to their wedding back in August. 
For the ceremony here on the lawn at Rigaud we marked the special spot by hanging chrysanthemums and dahlias from the tree. Instead of the awfully fiddly fishing line this time I opted for 6mm white ribbon which was not only much easier to work with but I think looks prettier (will be ordering more of that for next year and banishing the fish line to the bottom of my kit box me thinks!) Another simple but incredibly effective element were the aisle runners using freeze dried white rose petals. Joanne's bouquet was made up from old favourite, David Austin Roses (where would I be without these when peonies are out of season!) sweet peas, bouvardia, dahlia and a selection of herbs from the veg garden here at Rigaud.

Lovely pic courtesy of Rigaud's most popular photographer Tom Darrieau

Dahlias and chrysanthemums threaded onto ribbon

Close up of pew end

Joanne's bouquet