The Pollen Blog

DIY Bride ( and the Armada)

Early this month we were setting up for a wedding. There was a brilliant atmosphere amongst the wedding party, the groom and his mates were all larking about  and taking the mick out of the best man about his upcoming speech. The brides mum popped down from the  hotel suite to make sure everything was going according to plan with team pollen. (And I think encourage the boys to get changed into their suits.)Once they got dressed , Donal was pining on the buttonholes,  the grooms and best mans fingers suddenly got a bit jittery?!. The photographer was getting some great shots of the room set up.

We were just doing the final bits, lighting candles with the hotel food and beverage team, making sure everything was spot on.

Then, out of the blue

 A mini armada of ladies appeared with clipboards, (despite the fact there was a big sign at the front of the hotel saying the house was closed for a wedding and wedding guests were gathering in the bar)  and proceeded to walk round, making notes and talking in those sotto voce tones, that are just audible - unfortunately.

Mini Armada overheard

‘ Of course we aren’t having that , we’re having that there, well I wouldn’t have it like that etc’ ……..

Any way the flagship of the armada group broke off and headed on a course straight for me.

‘ Are you the florist?’

‘We are today yes, we do work here a lot and its one of our favourite venues’

Note the charm- ex BA/Virgin Atlantic  cabin crew charm school!

Lady Armada leader

‘We don’t need a florist – we are doing everything ourselves’

Me doing my best  ‘ sale of the century assistant ( showing my age there) - style- gesture ’ pointing towards the chair covers and sashes.

‘ OK no problem- We do these too, specially tailored for the chairs, today the sashes have been made to match the bridesmaid’s dresses and the cymbidium orchids’

Lady A

‘Yes well I am sure we can make our own strips of fabric to tie on the chairs’

Me

‘And these freeze dried rose petals have been matched to the table centres

Lady armada

‘ Yes well I am sure we can just dry our own – how difficult can that be?’

( At this point I did think perhaps this was not going to be a booking we would get!)

So I turned on the mega watt smile

‘ I am sure it will all be lovely on the day for you’       (Thinking that would be it – but no – it was full steam ahead)

Lady - armada

‘We can’t get the flowers we need, it’s a nightmare, we need  you to get them for us at cost price and lend us the martini vases, mirrors and tea lights  and can you make sure that all the weekly hotel flowers match the theme’

Me

(I must admit the mega watt smile had dimmed a bit- think along the lines of that look you get when you push the call  button during the flight …………..)

Thinking quickly and avoiding the obvious  ‘ we’re a business, in the business of wedding floristry, for 10 years……..’

Reverting to the 100% failsafe option…………

‘ Donal !, this lady wants to talk to you’

Anyway later on I thought I would try this idea out at a very well know supermarket.

Me at customer services

‘Can you sell me the (delicious)  NZ Marlborough sauvignon blanc  at cost price please, I need you to get it from the vineyard for me and sell it to me for the same price that you pay.

Customer services lady

Hysterical laughter ensuing…………………..are you for real!? ( I took that as a no then)

Anyway that is a true story and it is a bit of a one-off, but  the point is that it’s worth thinking about DIY flowers seriously before you embark. In can be hard to get the flowers as most wholesalers won’t sell to anyone who isn’t trade – and UK wedding florists want to be booked.

You can order flowers online with some companies who trade in the DIY wedding market but the costs are not wholesale – take it from me.

Hiring items , especially vases often incur big deposits for potential breakages ( we stick to robust candelabras to avoid this)  which adds further to the cost without even factoring in all the time and effort. Of course it can be done , but it has to be said we have had a fair few dads over the years who have literally got the cheque book out and said   ‘thank god they changed their minds about doing it themselves – it was causing so much worry’

This year we are doing three florist’s  weddings so far. One when asked by her well known photographer friend , if she was doing her own flowers  said

 ‘ not bl**dy likely! I’m getting Donal to do mine, I’ll be at the hairdresser in the morning and then getting my makeup done, having a manicure, having a big glass of champagne with my mum and new M-I-L and  bridesmaids’

More news soon!

Dex x

(Featuring Lady Armada)

Ps – We were back at the aforementioned venue the next day to pick everything up – a good time was had by all, some guests looking a little bit fragile………………

• Social Bookmarks
  
  • Subscribe
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • StumbleUpon

there is loads of news at Pollen HQ so will do a proper update over the weekend, in the meantime

- This weekend Claire and Joanne ( Elegant Stationery and Amaryillis Events) are having an open weekend in their shop on Ditchling High Street.

- Sharon from Cupcakes Couture will be at Pelham House wedding fair with cupcakes and samples

- It’s The Royal Pavilion wedding fair this Sunday 7th- we can’t be there this year as we have a booking, but Lisa Devlin will be there with her gorgeous vintage photo albums

- Terri from cakes by design will be there too - more samples to sample!

- Kim and Anne Marie at KDH are now the recommended photographers for East Sussex National hotel we hear - great news for all those getting married there

- There is a new cafe next door to us at The Knoll Business centre, latte heaven ( and historic pre- work fried egg sandwich….)

I’m sure there’s loads more but that’s just a quick snapshot of what a lot of the best of sussex suppliers will be up to

dex

• Social Bookmarks
  
  • Subscribe
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • StumbleUpon

we had a few days off and then came back for the wedding fair at Buxted Park last weekend so there is loads of news to come. in the meantime it’s full steam ahead for weddings this week so I will make sure i take the camera.

V importantly though I had a message from Marc at Circa Events, they have a great new website here

www.circacirca.com

In june 2010 they also have a discount for dates at Laughton Barns. We worked with Marc and Sarah last year and we have lovely comments from the bride afterwards about what a great time they had. If you are looking for a venue in June ( or any month) get in touch with the Circa team.

More news soon!

• Social Bookmarks
  
  • Subscribe
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • StumbleUpon

2010 is our 10th year in business and we are celebrating!

Starting at Buxted Park on the 24th January 2010 at the wedding fair. We will have a lucky dip with gift vouchers, have a go and see what you could win and then spend on our pollen petals, flowers, hire items, chair covers and our storm lanterns.

(There aren’t any complicated terms and conditions either .)

You’ve got to be in it to win it so be a part of our 10 year anniversay celebrations and have a lucky dip on us. make a date for a visit to Buxted Park on the 24th January

Good Luck!

Dex

Here is your opportunity to plan your wedding in a one stop shop. At these fayres you will find everyone from the photographer, table dressing, florists to toastmasters.

• Sunday 24th January 2010, 12-4pm, Free

Take the opportunity to create the wedding you have always dreamed of in the wonderful surroundings of Buxted Park. We will have a complete range of wedding suppliers, with photographers, florists, toastmasters and much more. Also, meet the wedding co-ordinators who will help you plan your special day

• Social Bookmarks
  
  • Subscribe
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • StumbleUpon

Flower Colour Trends 2010

Elemental

Earth, air, fire and water

Taupe, brown, moss, sand, crystal, azure, granite

Metallurgy

Gold, silver, copper, bronze

Monochrome

Blocks of one colour for striking dramatic effect

Scent Guide

Aromatic

Dill, Eucalyptus, lavender, marjoram, muscari, rosemary, heather

Exotic

Gardenia, lily, narcissi, stephanotis, tuberose

Citrus

Eucharis, verbena, mimosa, wax flower

Floral

Sweet pea, jasmine, rose, phlox, peony, lily of the valley, lilac, hyacinth, freesia, bouvardia, stocks

Onion

Alliums,

• Social Bookmarks
  
  • Subscribe
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • StumbleUpon

Happy New Decade! This time of year we thought we would have a bit of a recap of 2009, all the good bits and more.

2009

Significant arrivals

- Pollen4hire is launched

-Fred the huge walk-in fridge arrived

-Chair covers became another available Pollen option

- Totally Pollen - the first ever Buxted Park hotel venue packages were launched

2009 Goodbyes to:

-Isla Ballard, wedding coordinator at Buxted Park, we wish you every success for the future!

-Some petal colours to make way for new varieties

Historic pollen moments of 2009

No. 1 We worked with a really nice and very talented church flower arranging lady at Herons Gyhll who created the most lovely designs for the bride and we did the pew ends to match (any florist will know why this is a historic moment…………) To put it this way tactfully,  church flower ladies are notoriously territorial of ‘their’ churches. It was nice to work with such a lovely lady.

No.2 Meeting a bride the following morning after her wedding ( still looking like Audrey Hepburn) and saying  ‘the hairdresser fixed my hair and tiara in so well I slept with it like this’ – she still looked gorgeous and not a hair out of place

No.3 Battling through the thick snow to reach Buxted Park and Ashdown Park Hotel

No.4 Donal (safe hands) Casey catching and saving the top tier of a wedding cake that was toppling over. Top tip if you have a friend or family member making the cake, make sure they don’t put a fruit layer on top of the main sponge base- it sinks through – cue toppling over potential……….

No.5 Ash getting up from sitting down while petalling in the unit and a hot water bottle falling out of his jacket – we realised it was a bit cold. On the same temperature note Norrie standing on the cold room and saying ‘it’s warmer in here than out there! (in the unit)”

No.6 Accapella singing in the chapel at Wiston House as we set up – stunning

No.7 Potential World record new years eve turnaround for the Orangery at Buxted Park. 10.36 AM set up for breakfast. 10.53 set up, Lloyd loom chairs out, banqueting chairs in with 98 chairs covers (from Pollen) and sashes (from Claire and her team at Amaryllis events) – shame we didn’t have Leo Ferenc’s  time-lapse videography!

No.8 Having a tyre blow out on the way to Alexander House Hotel and still making it in time, due to formula one pit lane type tyre changing from me, I did get a few odd looks at the venue as a bit covered in oil, grease and gunk. Many thanks to the driver who stopped and helped me with a nut wrench. It’s not what you think! they’re the tyre nuts, not some sort of medieval torture…………..

No.9  Seeing so many of the familiar faces, photographers, caterers, cake makers, venues and staff throughout 2009

No. 10 Reaching the milestone on the 01-01-2010- of ten years of being in business!

No.11   Selling out of every single petal colour during the height of Summer of 09

No.12    Environmental - All our green waste is now recycled as well as cardboard

The future for 2010

The launch of our Pelham House hotel packages with more venues to come

Developing our wedding resource area at the unit with special packages for pollen customers from Elegant Stationery plus a special deal for Pollen customers who book a stunning backdrop with fairy lights from Amaryllis Events

The launch of our new Pollen4hire event packages for brides and customers who want to do more for themselves or who have a friend who is a florist and just need to hire props and equipment

We launch our new florist trade price for petals to our regular very loyal customers

I feel another busy decade approaching!

Happy New year from us all at Pollen

• Social Bookmarks
  
  • Subscribe
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • StumbleUpon

What a week- it’ll have to be blogged in two parts. You’ve got drama and excitement and …………………………..snow

On Thursday we were working at Buxted Park and on the way back a red light flashed on the van dashboard that you don’t want to see ‘ engine malfunction’ ( little did I know then what was to come weather wise)

Donal called caffyns ford who look after the van for us while we were heading back to Brighton and they asked us to come in straight away. Fortunately they are brilliant at keeping us on the road 24/7 as they know we can’t be late for a wedding. I could hear the manager speaking to donal and in the background calling out – ‘standby the pollen van is coming in’ and sure enough when we arrived it was like a scene from the formula 1 pit lane. Mechanics arrived and got straight to work. Bonnet up – a sort of vehicular intensive care.

Can I just say a big thank you to all the team at caffyns. Especially as when we woke up on the Friday morning the land as far as you could see was carpeted with deep snow.

Suzanne the wedding co-coordinator was on the phone early from Buxted Park as the bride was understandably a bit anxious. We reassured her that one way or another we would make it

We managed to inch our way down to the unit in Hove and loaded up ready to head back to Buxted Park. At this point things started to go a  bit wrong. One full van, one not moving van, one van with wheels spinning, one slightly desperate looking person at the steering wheel( me) revving (fruitlessly) and cursing (loudly).

Now fortunately being based in a light industrial business park there are loads of men about and before we could start to go into melt down ( snow pun intendedJ ) all the boys at AGM carpets were digging us out and then using tranches of old carpet to make a sort of furry non slip runway. With a lot of heaving, shovelling and fragrant language . We were off!

Thanks to Tony, Aiden and the gang at AGM for saving the day. We made it in plenty of time.

To be continued…………..

 http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc65/pollen-flowers/022-8.jpg

• Social Bookmarks
  
  • Subscribe
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • StumbleUpon

It’s been very quiet at pollen HQ, just sat twiddling our thumbs…………………………….. not really

It’s been a pre-xmas extravaganza of gorgeous weddings, including The Dyke Golf Club Brighton - a stunning Las Vegas theme of mirror cube vases of red grand prix roses to look like croupier dice. What a great theme.

The golf club is just 4 miles from the town centre, the views of the course and distant coastlines are spectacular. I should imagine the views of the city of Brighton and Hove at night are particularly impressive.
Patio doors from the dining room open out onto an extensive open balcony which overlooks the course and looks ideal for summer barbecues too.

Next stop on the whistle-stop tour of great venues this week.
Buxted Park- lovely rings of white flowers and festive foliage around the base of the pollen4hire candelabras. The ceremony in the library had all the tall free standing candelabras and a fantastic choir from Brighton College, amazing, they were doing a bit of a warm up as we were lighting the candles. Andrew Ballantyne was also there with his harp which has a beautiful resonant sound. Talk about romantic!

I fell down a bit on the pictures here- the dreaded flashing ‘battery power low’ and then nothing……………..fortunately Kim and Anne Marie from KDH photography were there so I am hoping to get my hands on some of theirs for the website.

Then off to Pelham House, Lewes.

Our storm lanterns in the hallway leading to the chamber room twinkling really set the scene (the hardest working lanterns in history- just had a staring role twinkling in the hallway to the orangery at Buxted Park the day before)

Our crystal candelabras in the chamber room with a lovely top table arrangement made by the bride’s mum. Here again the band were warming up and it was rocking in there, great favours from ‘Trees as wedding favours’ (see our directory for contact details), and a gorgeously pungent cheesecake - delicious. Paul the GM and Liza keeping everything on track, they’re a great team at Pelham with a reputation for superb food. We bumped into one of the chef’s Glen the next day when we were picking everything up. He said that the morning after the groom had been walking round with a t-shirt on saying

‘Under new management’ it sounded like the couple had a brilliant time, and a great start to married life.

Speaking of food on my never ending quest to look at menus and drool. Back at Buxted Park later in the week we had this festival for the senses from the head chef Mark Murphy and his team

Wild mushroom soup with truffle oil

Crayfish and avocado cocktail

Fillet steak and dauphinoise potatoes and seasonal vegetables including honey parsnips

Sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel ice cream

Coffee and wedding cake

Now I’m vegetarian but that menu sounded historic

The bride had also chosen gorgeous arrangements, and we also decorated all the mantelpieces with fragrant fir and cinnamon sticks , dried Clementine’s and berried ivy with some eucalyptus running through too add a fragrant twist. Norrie came with us to help out. (she decorated all the banisters in a similar theme; I have added some new pics to the latest gallery) I saw the groom the following day and they had enjoyed a superb time all round.

One of the things that has come up a few times this year which is worth mentioning for 2010 is that props like the storm lanterns and the vintage candelabras on the mantel pieces and in the ceremony rooms actually belong to us, they don’t belong to Buxted Park. Because we are often there when people are being shown round it is only natural that you might assume that they are permanent fixtures (I would). In reality they have been booked through us, so to avoid any disappointment on your special day, don’t forget we don’t have to be doing any of the flowers, you can still hire any of the items you like and we just drop them off for you on the day.

On Monday Donal and Norrie did the third of their Buxted Park flower schools which are proving really popular,  the house setting is lovely, the atmosphere is very relaxed and informal and of course you get a delicious lunch too.

This is the time of year for parties and the Pollen team will be off to Terre a Terre for a nosh at this lovely restaurant.

Amanda and Phil have actually recently written a book and they have been getting rave reviews

‘This is the book that vegetarians have been waiting and pleading for since Terre a Terre first opened its doors in Brighton way back in 1992. The leader of the pack amongst Britain’s vegetarian restaurants for over 18 years, and lavishly garlanded with awards and praise, this is their first cookery book, and what a book it is! Over 100 recipes from the repertoire that has made Terra a Terre the most talked about vegetarian restaurant in Britain are accompanied by sumptuously taste-bud stimulating food photography by award-wining food photographer Lisa Barber. Every vegetarian with a serious love of food, and indeed many carnivores who can recognise a very good thing when they taste it, will find this an indispensable addition to their cookery book collection.’

This is THE Christmas book for any vegetarians in the family.    http://www.terreaterre.co.uk/

More news soon with our end of year updates

Happy times

Dex

• Social Bookmarks
  
  • Subscribe
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • StumbleUpon

What a week, we put some miles on the clock, my backside feels like it is moulded into the shape of the seat of a ford transit- just in case anyone from ford is reading this, the seat is very comfortable!.

We have been to the spread eagle hotel and spa in Midhurst which is another stunning venue. The ceremony was to take place in the Polo room upstairs so we decorated the beams with ivy and used our wrought iron tall candelabras which look fantastic and are totally unique to us. I know this to be true – no pollen hype - as a florist that used to work for us asked her boyfriend to make them for us before she went back to live in Ireland. They have very special memories ingrained in them. They really suited this venue.

After we set up the Polo room - donal had me dangling from the beams, funny how I get that job, conveniently he found something ‘very important ‘ to do at this point. The groom came in all smiles with his best man, and I apologised for doing a bit of furniture moving, basically I was trying to get the step ladders close enough to the beams so I could hang onto them with one arm while doing my ivy trailing!  

we then went down to the Jacobean hall, Horace from the spread eagle team as always making us very welcome and everything was ready, the xmas decorations looked stunning and our oasis rings of berried ivy, hypericum berries, myrtle, black baccarat roses, kangaroo paw,  and herbs with church candles in the centre looked really luscious, there were pine cones on the table too, by the time we left it was getting very fragrant and festive.

Horace told us the magnificent Jacobean Hall with its natural stone walls, heraldic banners and minstrel’s galley can host celebrations  for up to 120.

The Jacobean Room, (which has its own designated bar and cloakrooms), makes a stunning venue for a Wedding Breakfast and comes complete with the secluded Jacobean gardens.

The spread eagle is part of the historic hotel group including Ockenden manor and Bailiffscourt Hotel, we work a lot at these fantastic unique wedding venues, a private collection of exclusive hotels.

When donal came  back from delivering the bouquet the bridal suite he said to me

‘ I thought I recognised one of the bridesmaids when I went in, we did her wedding last year- she recommended us to the bride’

That has happened quite a few times this year, donal has gone in to the deliver the bouquet and seen so many familiar faces, he comes out smothered in lipstick!

We have also been to Newick Park this week, another stunning country house venue. Leo Ferenc was there working his superb videography (perfect day studios), he had set up a time lapse video in the dining room to capture all the preparations. I suddenly felt very self conscious , it’s quite hard to scatter crystals while leaning over table, all the while trying to hold your stomach in and show your best side. Within about 5 minutes though I had forgotten all about it and then realised that donal and I had been looking at the menu and it was all caught on camera.

Me ‘ that food sounds delicious, I wonder if they would notice two extra for dinner’

Donal ‘ I think we might stand out a bit in our pollen t shirts!’

We went into the library to set up for the ceremony and Claire from Amaryllis events had put some lovely covers on the chairs. The cheltenham chairs at Newick Park are nice but they do look extra special covered. There was a real fire going and we lit the candles on the mantelpiece before we left.

At this point Anne-Marie and Kim from KDH photography arrived so the bride was sure to get great pictures. We all had a chat with Tom the GM, they had a great open day at Newick Park recently. It is likely they will have another one in February, watch this space for the date confirmation.

We have also been back to Buxted Park and I added some new pictures to the latest gallery . There was a great atmosphere. Marc being on particularly good form after his star turn at the recent Freddie  Mercury tribute evening. He was doing the toastmastering too so I am sure it would have been very memorable wedding, dusk was falling as we left so we lit the candles in the storm lanterns down to the orangery.

We also worked at Hotel du Vin Brighton this week in the Hush Heath room, gorgeous crystal candelabras. Another venue with a great reputation for food – there is a slight theme to these posts……………. in between sampling delicious cupcakes ( from Sharon at Cupcakes Couture) I seem to spend the rest of the time studying wedding menus. I am the oracle of Sussex quality catering!

More news soon

New pollen4hire items

Newick Park open day date confirmation

We launch our Pelham House hotel packages

New packages for Circa venues including stunning Northease manor 

• Social Bookmarks
  
  • Subscribe
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • StumbleUpon

Another busy old week at pollen HQ.

Donal and Norrie did the flower and cookery school at Buxted park on Monday last week (they’ll be doing the 2^nd day tomorrow) Lots of seasonal ideas for festive decoration in a light hearted atmosphere.

As usual we’re in good spirits! Today we were at Buxted Park and Donal and I were putting the chair covers on and the bride and groom came in to have a look. The first thing she said was ‘oh aren’t they white, they really make a difference’ and then ‘we couldn’t agree (with each other) as to whether to have sashes or not (they chose not to in the end) but the covers look fab on their own I’m so pleased’

Dex’s blog note; because the covers fit so well you don’t have to have a sash if you don’t want too

There was a great light hearted atmosphere and the groom said to donal ‘you must have been up late ironing that lot’ and donal said ‘we were, steaming each one of them, glass of wine in one hand, steamer in the other!’ course we all fell about. Then we did a bit of a chair count and it was clear from the grooms face there weren’t quite enough. Put it this way it was like the sun had suddenly gone in! Dex to the rescue ‘ don’t worry I’ll get more chairs’   Donal ‘and I’ll get the spare covers’ as we trotted off I heard him say to his best man ‘ no worries they have got it all sorted’. By the time we came back from the van, they were discussing the merits of some sections of the best mans speech. It sounded fairly riotous……………

Buxted Park is looking very festive too. Marilyn on the Buxted staff team has done the annual Christmas decorations, which is always her speciality, at Christmas we hand the reins over to her completely, the banisters looking particularly nice this year. The tree outside and the one in the ballroom were both grown on the estate too. The tree in the ballroom is huge- not quite sure how they managed to manoeuvre it in?!

I have been down to see Trish Baker at the Brighton Pavilion as we have a number of bookings there coming up, we also got a number of new exciting ideas for wedding and event decoration at the Pavilion and will be offering a new unique Pavilion package which Trish was really enthusiastic about, they have always been fantastic supporters of us at Pollen. Trish told me that we will be working soon there with Lisa Devlin which means the photos will be fab and hopefully we’ll get some for the website…………. I’ll be seeing Lisa soon anyway as we are all going out for a wedding suppliers  xmas drinks with her and numerous other business people we work with . I feel certain a good glass of wine or too will be drunk that night! (It’s on a Monday so no worries about the pollen team, no booking that week on the Tuesday!)

This week we have also been working at Southover grange in Lewes which is great venue, pollen favourite, we also went to Newick Park which looked stunning, the grounds look particularly lovely at this time of year and then back to Buxted Park to complete the week…………….

More colours are going into the petal sale too, so keep checking the shop as we keep updating it regularly

Dex x

Pollen

• Social Bookmarks
  
  • Subscribe
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • StumbleUpon