“There’s a new wave of weddings in town, one that’s bursting with colour, vibrancy and a heap of fun” So says creative wedding planners and stylists Pocketful of Dreams. With studios in the North and South of England they create stylish, one-of-a-kind events for couples across the UK and Europe. They are known for coming up with unique wedding décor ideas and their playful use of colour to really make a wedding day pop.
Creative Director Michelle says “We’re dreamers, designers and makers of beautiful things and we pride ourselves on offering our couples original and quirky design concepts taking inspiration from art, nature, fashion and the design world. For this inspiration shoot we wanted to go bold – to do something really striking and different with tons of colour to show couples how bright and fun can still be stylish”.
PHOTOGRAPHY: KATY LUNSFORD
DESIGN & STYLING: POCKETFUL OF DREAMS
Styling Tips To Create A Modern Wedding
The Tablescape
- Striking monochrome will never go out of fashion; balance this bold look with organic, textural flower arrangements like these by the incredible floral talent that is David of Frog Flowers Manchester, balancing the look with simple, yet striking details.
- Dress your tables with striped fabric runners for a wow-factor aesthetic, we handmade these ourselves using Ikea fabrics.
- Punctuate your tables with decor pieces of varying heights for an unstructured and effortless style. Mix one wow-factor centrepiece with smaller arrangements and bud vases bursting with bright-coloured florals.
- Kate Spade owl vases added a fun feel to this table, but if your budget doesn’t quite stretch to Kate Spade then create a similar hand-drawn look using simple ceramics and sharpie pens to add your own unique design. Clear glass candlesticks and black column candles provide a sophisticated edge to all the fun.
- Tolix-style chairs are a design-classic and deserve to be shown off – no polyester chair covers for our couples! Tie a huge black balloon, like these from Peach Blossom, draped with monochrome festooning to the bride and groom chairs for an eclectic touch, or you could even write the table numbers on these balloons for a striking detail.
- Mix up a variety of monochrome patterns and textures to make a real statement with your place settings.
- Rob Ryan hand-drawn plates were placed atop pure white chargers and a pressed-vinyl Dahlia placemat. It’s all about creating a bold look here over using expensive dinnerware, as although ideal for smaller intimate weddings, the cost can soon mount up when the guestlist exceeds 100. Our advice is to seek out unusual cutlery, plates and glassware for hire as they can add a real wow-factor element to the design of your tables.
- We handmade napkins in a polka-dot fabric and folded them to look like bow-ties for a fun little twist.
- Cutlery tied simply with polka-dot ribbon completes this simple, yet chic vibe.
- As an unexpected surprise for guests: we handpainted toy animals in white and added a few polka dots to create an unusual place card holder. Perfect to double up as a unique favour idea.
The Food & Drink
- The formal wedding breakfast isn’t on everyone’s agenda and street food is fast becoming the modern couples choice for truly authentic and hip wedding cuisine. Serve up a selection of tantalizing temptations from Singaporean street food to the classic dirty burger. Our Indian street food was provided by the uber-talented Chaat Cart based in Manchester.
- Forget the fizz and get creative with your drinks reception, offer home-made infused vodka ready to spike a cocktail with at the Naughty Lemonade bar.
- Serve cocktails in custom glassware or in mini-bottles with personalised drink stirrers and paper straws.
The Paper Pretty
- We created a personalised paper suite with a fun and simple bow-tie motif that we carried through every element of the paper suite.
- Handmade labels were attached to bottles using bakers twine and noodle boxes with washi tape for that homemade yet stylish design feel, with a consistent look.
- For an added special touch we customised cocktail napkins too using a bespoke stamp (from Stamps Direct) and hot pink ink.
- Paper decor is great for adding pops of colour to a blank canvas space, either make your own tissue-paper garlands or buy ready made ones like these from Peach Blossom and mix them up with honeycomb pom-poms in a range of bright colours.
The Added Details
- We created a Goodnight Station set-up as an alternative to typical favours, inviting guests to fill up boxes full of goodies to carry on the party: midnight snacks, a cheeky tipple, and a CD of your favourite party songs. And for the morning after, some essential breath mints and a wakey-wakey sachet of tea or coffee!
- We created a really simple yet funky backdrop by using low-tack vinyls to create a polka-dot wall, perfect for a unique DIY Photo Booth.
- Interesting props add a level of dazzle to your day, especially these sequined shimmering signs of love a unique design to Pocketful of Dreams. Available to hire or buy in a range of colours and styles.
The Sweet Treats
- Naked cakes always create an impact, especially this one from The Airy Fairy Cake Boutique and are guaranteed to have guests drooling for a taste. Simply dress them with flowers to maintain that raw, unstructured vibe.
The Bridal Looks
- We styled two completely different bridal looks – as who wouldn’t two fabulous frocks for their wedding day?! – both perfect for a bride who is bold, sassy and maybe just a little bit flirty…
- The first look features the stunning Belle & beauty slinky silk Petal Dress which gives a little nod to sassy in a sophisticated style, with an elegant style and a stunningly risqué low scooped back.
- We paired this with an intricately created statement floral headpiece in a riot of bold colours and exotic flowers by Frog Flowers. Hair was kept simple and sexy in a long fishtail plait with a cheeky hint of pale blue dip dye.
- For look number two we went for something short and flirty to help our bride dance the night away: the Pearly Queen by Kitty & Dulcie.
- Paired with a number of edgy accessories such as these fashion-forward giant bow headpieces created for us by Quanitrelle Millinery and some fabulous killer heels.
We hope you’ll find a whole heap of inspiration here for creating a wedding that is bold, fresh and bursting with colour and exciting ideas. We worked with the most amazing team to bring this shoot to life and if you fancy seeing a little bit more of the Behind The Scenes of the shoot, check out this video kindly made for us by the super talented Reel Weddings:
To find out more about our design, styling and planning services, visit www.pocketfulofdreams.co.uk or drop us an email at .
Michelle & Vicki xx
Shoot Team
DESIGN CONCEPT & STYLING: Pocketful of Dreams
PHOTOGRAPHER: Katy Lunsford Photography
VIDEOGRAPHER: Reel Weddings
VENUE: Photolink Studios
BRIDAL GOWNS: Belle & Bunty + Kitty & Dulcie
SHOES: New Look + Ted Baker
ACCESSORIES: Quaintrelle Millinery + The Velvet Village
DECOR ITEMS: Amara, Peach Blossom, Not On The High Street + Ikea
FLORIST: Frog Flowers
CAKES: The Airy Fairy Cake Boutique
MACARONS: Jo Moss
STREET FOOD: Chaat Cart
PAPER GOODS: Pocketful of Dreams
MAKEUP & HAIR: Flossy and Leigh
MODEL: Oliva Stappleton from BOSS Model Management
