April Business of the Month

Welcome to our new feature.  Every month we will focus on one of the businesses that advertise with La Roche and in true “Michael Parkinson” style we will interrogate them so that you know all about their business, what makes them tick and what you as a customer can expect from them!

This month our Business of the month title goes to nellie dean.

So who is nellie dean and what type of business are they? 

1.       What is your business name and why?

The business is called nellie dean. Why? Because I wanted something that sounded fun. Nellie dean is what my dad used to call me when I was a child so I thought I'd resurrect it.

2.      How long have you been trading?

I set up in June 2010.

3.       What inspired you to start your own business?

I've always thought of having my own craft business and it was 2 friends starting theirs that made me think that I should give it a go too. I made lots of things for my wedding last year and that finally inspired me to take the next step.

4.       What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy the freedom and flexibility to plan my working week around the demands of the business and my family. I also enjoy the creative process of taking my new products from ideas to the finished items.

5.      What do you find challenging about running a business?

Sometimes I miss working with colleagues and the office banter and can find working on my own a bit isolating. Maybe that's why I chat on the internet a lot!

6.       What is your favourite product?  

My favourite product has got to be my felt brooches. I always wear one on my outfit and they really add a splash of colour. 

7.       What can customers expect when they contact you?

Customers can expect a friendly, efficient service

  Sum up your business in one sentence.

      Beautiful handmade bunting, bags, brooches and more!

Many thanks to nellie dean for taking the time to answer my questions.  You can check out her page on La Roche here.

Ally xx

Child free bliss or family planning?

One dilemma that often divides people is having children at a wedding.  For some it’s a must, a wedding is a whole family celebration and children are part of that family and for others they can think of nothing worse than having children clogging up the dance floor during their first dance and crying during those special vows.

So what makes couples decide against having children at their big day?

Katie says:

"Why I didn't have kids at my wedding...
...because I'm not being funny, other peoples' kids, when you don't have any yourself, are annoying. Firstly, they make noise. I didn't want my wedding video, which was costing stupid amounts of money to have, ruined by some screaming kid whose parents refuse to take them outside. I wanted to be able to hear my ceremony, not toys banging or little Jonny whinging.
Secondly, they run around everywhere-there was no way I was having kids doing knee slides on the dance floor at my wedding! I wanted to party and dance safe in the knowledge I wasn't accumulating a small crèche in the folds of my beautiful dress!
Thirdly, they want to dismantle things, especially balloons. I had helium balloons everywhere at my evening reception and like anything associated with a wedding, they weren't cheap, but the room looked stunning. And that was how I wanted it to stay all night-not to see that parents were giving out MY balloons to their sprogs willy nilly, without even asking (I've seen this happen at other weddings and it made me cross!)
But my views haven't changed since having a baby myself. If my OH and I were invited to a wedding in the near future, I wouldn't even entertain taking my baby with me, whether she was invited or not. I love a good wedding, and quite frankly would like to enjoy myself without having to worry about being a mummy. We all deserve a day/night off once in a while."

This view is shared by many people who decide not to have children at their wedding.  It can sometimes be an unpopular choice with guests who have children and are unable to attend due to issues with childcare or simply just refuse to attend without their child.

There is no getting away from the fact that having children to your wedding can bump up the cost, extra seats at tables and extra meals that may not even be eaten, using up room at the church. 

So what if you want a few children at your wedding but don’t want to offend guests whose children you don’t invite?

Lucy is getting married next year and has made a compromise with the guests who are travelling a long distance to the wedding;

"Even before we were engaged we knew children would be an essential part our wedding. My fiance Matthew has 3 nephews, while I am Godmother to my cousin's youngest daughter, and we spend a good deal of time with them.  The nephews will be our pageboys and my god daughters will be flowergirls.  To us marriage is about 2 families coming together, and children are part of these families. 

However we are marrying quite some way away from Matthew's childhood home of Pontypool and from my parents’ home in rural Aberdeenshire, so we have made a rule that people we are inviting who are travelling some distance to the wedding are invited lock stock and barrel. Those who live nearby and will be able to get a babysitter/leave with granny etc are being invited without children - most of them are really looking forward to a day of freedom! Yes we feel it’s far from an ideal situation, but we are limited not only budget wise, but also in numbers. Our Church can only take 72 people including the bride and groom!"

In contrast children can be a wonderful addition to your big day.  They can add the awww factor as they walk down the aisle behind you in their mini suits or beautiful princess like dresses.  Not all children are noisy and destructive and can even add a bit of light hearted entertainment to the day.

Fi says that for her, her wedding day was made by the presence of her children.

"My children made my wedding!

Out of all the memories I have of the day, them being there was by far the best! Material things like my flowers and dress didn’t even compare!! After the best man speeches the microphone was put on a table, all of a sudden the silence was broken by my daughter who was only two at the time! She'd got the microphone and sang “You are my sunshine” to a shocked me and all of my guests! It was one of the proudest moments of my life, it made my wedding!

I spent hundreds on balloons for the venue and after the meal I got a scissors and cut them all down! The kids played all day with them! I'd rather see that than them making the room pretty. I cut a chunk out of my cake for my daughter who was getting a bit whingey- everyone was horrified? Why? I'd paid for it!

My photos were lovely.  My son pulled a face in every one of them! He was only 3. The most precious photo I own is on my wedding day- me and my daughter! It’s the nicest one I own!

I had lots of children at my wedding it made the day!"

Whatever your decision, you can be sure that someone will disagree with you, but at the end of the day your wedding is YOUR day so it’s important that you make your choice for you and not for others.  No one has the right to dictate to you how you should spend the most special day of your life.  Child free or children running riot, it’s your choice!


Why not share your stories with us below?

Ally
La Roche Uk

Pretty Pastels and Vintage Vows

More and more people are using themes to base their big day on so for my first blog post I have decided to explore the theme Pretty Pastels and Vintage Vows.

Pastels have always been a popular colour for weddings, more so during the spring season where it can be enhanced by the seasonal flowers which are available at the time of year.  Once you have decided which pastel colours you are going to incorporate in your big day it’s important to get the balance right and accessorise appropriately.

Walking down the aisle hand in hand with pastels this season is vintage.  These themes are the perfect complement to each other and both are widely available from designer boutiques to the high street stores.

So what is available at the moment?  Let’s start with the stationery.

Invites are the first thing your guests will see and will set the scene for the big day.  Your theme can then be followed through to your Order of service, place cards, favours, thank you cards, favours and table plans.  This beautiful example from Cards by Sophie show how subtle touches can still have impact.

Pastel coloured flowers are easiest to source during the spring season.  Your choice of flowers are as equally important as your dress choice as it will bring colour and accent to your dress and finish off your table settings perfectly.

Pastel flowers are very popular with the modern bride and can add that subtle hint of colour without taking attention away from your dress. 

Perhaps you would prefer an alternative to fresh flowers, something that you can keep and pass on to your children?  Why not take a look at Tiny Gems heirloom bouquets.  This exquisite twist on a floral bouquet are made to your requirements from approximately 30 vintage style brooches finished with a ribbon handle and collar to match your colour scheme.

To get that true vintage feel why not look closer to home for your wedding dress and ask mums, grannies and aunties about their dresses.  True vintage dresses are making a huge comeback on modern weddings with intricate details and that true handmade feel.  Not only will it cut out the stress of finding that perfect dress but it’s also a great cost cutter and possibly a way of starting a new family tradition!

Most brides won’t fit perfectly into their mothers wedding dresses but a good seamstress who is experienced in working with vintage gowns will be able to make any alternations needed to give it that extra personal touch.

One bride who did just that is Kyra who wore her mothers dress at her wedding. 

 Kyra says

"I've always loved the photo of her on her wedding day. 1969 - the grooviest decade in history is coming to a close, man is preparing to walk on the moon and my mother, at 22 years of age is laughing on the steps of a registry office in the miniest-mini-skirted babydoll dress of all time! It had to be a civil wedding - the minister would have been apoplectic at the hemline!

My parents had a terribly romantic secret wedding with only two friends invited to the ceremony. They had known each other for approximately 10 weeks and the general feeling amongst their peers was "it will never last!". The dress typified the craziness of the event, pale pink with a matching (2 inches longer) lace brocade coat.  The dress lived as a largely forgotten memory in my auntie's cupboard for 20 years until a 12 year old me tried it on and loved it all over again.

When I got married 12 years later there was only one dress I wanted. Sure, I did what you have to in a couple of bridal shops, I half heartedly thumbed a few catalogues but there just wasn't anything out there that was as daring, swinging, original and flattering as the dress in my auntie's cupboard. I had a very small wedding, i'd got engaged to my fiance on the third time of meeting and no-one thought we had a particularly long future either,what else could i wear?

With my mother's blessing I got a panel of silk sewn in to the front. The lady who made the adjustments for me called her friends over to admire the dress and reminisce about the days when they too had dared to show as much leg.

I am very pleased that the dress got a second outing. Hooray to crazy, hastily organised, small but romatic weddings, in disgracefully short skirts!"


Ally xx

La Roche Uk

Introducing To You Ally Rosser

La Roche is very pleased to introduce you all to our resident blogger, the lovely Ally Rosser.

Ally will be covering all our articles and blogs and keeping you all up to date with topics from the latest wedding trends to new shop launches.

We are very happy to have her on board and we love her to bits. x

Resident Blogger of La Roche - Ally Rosser

My name is Ally and I am a 31 year old mother of 3.  

I live with my fiance Richard on an organic beef farm in Pembrokeshire.

My passions are photography, reading, running and of course blogging!  I have always kept a diary since I was little and have now blogged for several years on different subjects, the most recent being Richards battle with cancer and the affect it has had on our family.

I am thrilled to be blogger for La Roche UK and look forward to finding out lots of little gems of information to share with you all to help make that special day even more perfect! - Ally

 



Splurge – Essentials

*        Photographer

Your wedding photos are going to be your longest-lasting memories of your big day, so you don’t want to cut corners here. You’re going to be very busy and full of memories the day of the wedding. At the end of it all, your wedding album will be how you revisit everything you missed during the whirlwind event. If you choose an amateur or hobbyist photographer, you risk losing these most precious memories. You’re far better to select a professional;, even if it does cost more. Find a portfolio that matches your style and tastes, and then interview the photographer to see if his or her personality matches what you’re searching for. You want someone who knows how to capture special moments without interrupting; getting bossy, or barging their way in to get the angle they want.

The Art

There's more to making an album you'll love forever than just point, shoot and print.

Here, we break it down into three easy steps

STEP 1   PICK YOUR STYLE

Wedding photography is an art with three distinct styles, so it's important to find a photographer who shoots the way you like it. Which sounds most like your style from the three described below?

REPORTAGE

With this photojournalistic style, your photographer acts as a fly on the wall and captures the best moments of the day as they happen. No staged group shots.

TRADITIONAL

This classic style focuses on fab formal portraits of you and your groom, the families, the bridal party, and trademark wedding moments like the signing of the register and cutting the cake.

CONTEMPORARY

This popular halfway house between reportage and traditional offers an abbreviated selection of posed formals that Grandma can put on the mantle-piece a well as lots of spontaneous shots you'll love.

All photographs provided by  Eclipse Weddings 
I am so excited to bring another fabulous Photographer to join La Roche Eclipse

They have a modern photographic studio in Bromborough and as you can see from their work, alot of their time is spent at weddings capturing brides looking stunning and creating fabulous memories to treasure forever.

At Eclipse they understand that every couple is unique and they will always take their lead on photographing your wedding from what you tell them because it's your day and should reflect your style.

We love you Eclipse - La Roche x