50's Themed Hen's Party by Adrian Tuazon

Today we are super excited to share with you what could very possibly be the most gorgeous gathering of friends to celebrate Nichola's Hen's Day. The 1950's style dresses and more is so wonderful. It just makes us smile!

A BIG thank you to the very talented Photographer Adrian Tuazon [a Portobello Bride Member] for sharing his wonderful photos.

To see more of the stunning images Adrian captured of Nichola's Hen's Party visit Adrian's Blog.

All White Tea-Inspired Bridal Shower

We all know the Brits love their tea, so what better time to share this stunning tea-inspired Bridal Shower than in the lead up to the Royal Wedding? This Bridal Shower was styled and created by Bo Peep Productions and is so stunningly sophisticated it makes our hearts skip a beat! It makes us here at Portobello Bride so excited to see such amazing events now being created here in Australia. It seems Bo Peep Productions is a vendor after our own heart!

The white on white colour scheme gives such a crisp, yet whimsical atmosphere!

The stunning cakes were created by the incomparable Hello Naomi.

Not only did the guest enjoy sipping tea, but they were asked to bring a Tea Trio [Cup, Saucer and Cake Plate] as a gift for the Bride-to-be. What a sweet gift idea!

The tea theme continued with the take home favours. Guests were encouraged to mix their own combination of provided ingredients to make bath tea to take home and pamper themselves with. Some of the ingredients provided were: oatmeal, lavender, rose petals, goats milk powder, lemon verbena, orange peel, epsom salts and jugs of various essential oils.

Photos by Natalie Hunfalvay via 100 Layer Cake
Event Styling by Bo Peep Productions
Cakes by Hello Naomi

Engagement Mexican Cake Trio by Cake Ink

A gorgeous Mexican bird bunting from super-talented NZ design house Citta Design was the inspiration behind this fresh and summery cake table put together for a recent outdoor engagement fiesta by the amazing duo of Portobello Bride Member Cake Ink. Three coordinated cakes decorated with hand made large sugar roses and rustic piping were the focal point against an airy aqua and white backdrop. Refreshing iced tea accompanied the rich slices of cake. Guests took home a bar of hand made soap which were wrapped in beautiful floral fabric, held together with custom matching labels as a party favour.

The colours are so spectacular - so fresh, bright, Summery and festive!

The simple styling really lets the patterns and colours sing!

Gorgeous!

[The bird bunting, tea towel and napkins are all from Citta Design]

What a fun, but stylish way to celebrate an engagement! This could also be a great theme for a Bridal Show, Couple's Shower, or even a rehearsal dinner!

A big thank you to Janelle and Samone for sharing their amazing work with us! See more of their gorgeous styling on the Cake Ink Blog.

Cake Ink is part of the Portobello Bride Boutique Wedding Guide along with many other unique and wonderful wedding vendors.

Kate Spade Wedding Belles (and Whistles) Collection

The team at Portobello LOVE Kate Spade, the fun use of colour, the sense of humour in the designs and just the happy feeling one gets from the brand's outlook, so we were super excited to find out that Kate Spade has just launched a new collection called Wedding Belles (and Whistles). The range is broken up into three sections; for the Bride, for the Bridesmaids and for the Honeymoon and here are some of our favourites:

Of course the Bride-to-be could also create a fabulous look to wear to her Bridal Shower or Rehearsal Dinner from the range also!

To see the full range visit the Kate Spade Wedding Belles (and Whistles) page here. What's your favourite?

A Vintage Affair Stepford Wives Kitchen Tea Party

Portobello Bride Member A Vintage Affair is a wonderful resource for Brides, and Brides-to-be, offering gorgeous vintage crockery for hire! One of their clients recently held a Stepford Wives Kitchen Tea Party for which they hired some beautiful A Vintage Affair pieces!

What a fun idea for a kitchen tea, hens day or bridal shower!

To view the gorgeous range of crockery for hire visit the A Vintage Affair website or come along to the Boutique Wedding Market at St Kilda Town Hall this weekend and visit them in person! Buy your Tickets here.

Manly Wine & The Wine Suites Boutique Bridal Show Invitation

Manly Wine and The Wine Suites invite Sydney Brides to come and take a look at their stunning location and gorgeous facilities. Join in the fun with a Burlesque dance class, make-up demonstrations, a cocktail masterclass and experience, first hand, the fabulous work of their florists and styling team.

This is the prefect event for Brides wanting a sophisticated beach wedding to be inspired!

Valentine's Day, A Celebration of Love through Flowers

 [©Blumin]

The origins of Valentine’s Day are steeped in history, with many popular symbols surviving from days gone by; Cupids, Doves, Crimson Red Colours, Hearts pierced by Arrows, Cherubs and Red Roses. So whether it be from the days of the Roman Empire or the romantic Gothic Times, the world’s notion of idealised love has given us one of the most romantic days of the year – Valentine’s Day.

In the Victorian era, Valentine's Day was celebrated with the giving of "Tussie Mussies" - posies of flowers that held a hidden message and were decoded through the “the secret language of flowers” - the meaning given to specific flower varieties and colours. A luxurious red rose, a simple Summer dandelion or a collection of lavender and herbs all provided a different meaning intended for one’s Valentine and are a charming custom even today.

Some flowers decoded are:
Yellow Acacia - Secret Love   
Globe Amaranth - Unfading Love
Bluebell - Consistency
Pink Carnation - Woman’s Love
Red Chrysanthemum - I Love You
Dandelion - Love’s Oracle
Forget Me Not - True Love
Rose - Love
Strawberry Tree - Esteem and Love
Red Tulip - Declaration of Love


The modern Valentine’s Day holds an interesting statistic as being one of the most popular days for wedding proposals - the second most popular being Christmas Day.  It is also becoming more popular as a wedding date, with themes often including the Valentine red or perhaps a more vintage and demure selection of antique pastels and muted tones.

You don’t have to keep to modern traditions of “red” for the day.  Aside from the traditional Valentine’s red rose, for which you are charged a premium, you can also choose from many seasonal, locally-produced bouquets and floral themes that can be even more exquisite. Why not consider berries, grasses, fragrant flowers and textured foliage to ensure your gift this Valentine’s Day is unique, sentimental and definitively gorgeous!?


A big thank you goes out to Sandy from Blumin for helping us out with this info!

Getting To Know... Ed Dixon Food Design

What’s your favourite part of your job?
In 2011 Ed Dixon Food Design is celebrating ten years!
I look back and think of all of the amazing parties, weddings and corporate events we have catered for and the highlight has been all of the wonderful people we have met along the way.

What are you reading at the moment?
I have a collection of new design and food books that I plan to take on holidays next week to Pambula. My husband and son will be treated to me testing out a few new recipes but mostly I look forward to simply devouring the beautiful food and design photography!

FAVOURITE FOOD TITLE: I’m most impressed by ‘Plenty’ by Yotam Ottolenghi.  It’s entirely vego and he references the fact that we should all consider eating meat a privilege.  That resonated strongly with me.
FAVOURITE DESIGN TITLE: Todd Selby’s ‘The Selby is in Your Place’. If you have not seen the website you must visit www.theselby.com

What are you lusting after at the moment?
We have amazing treats here at our EDFD Abbotsford headquarters.  Every day we are challenged not to eat too many.  Our brownie recipe has not changed for ten years and we have a recent addition of gorgeous French macarons.
Oh....and I would also really love a painting by Gemma Smith.

Top three songs on your play list?

• Anything on Miami Horror’s Debut Album- Illumination
• Anything by Little Red
• And my all time favourite every song on Graceland by Paul Simon

What is your favourite moment during a wedding?
As an event manager – when everyone hits the dance floor with big smiles, a belly full of delicious food ready to relax and celebrate.

Who inspires you?  
AT WORK
A wonderful group of top notch industry partners that we work with every day to produce beautiful events –

• Graphic Designers  - Flight Creative
• Florists -  Katie Marx, Cecilia Fox and Kate Main      
• Stylist - Georgie Kay at Georgeous   
• Photographers Georgie Imhoff, Sarah Wood and Erin Slattery

Just to name a few!

PERSONALLY

• Miranda Skoczek
• Davis Band
  
• Lara Merrett
• Gemma Smith

Favourite Cocktail?
Serving a cocktail or a fruity punch is a great way to kick off any event. From the EDFD cocktail menu I love - Red Tracksuit (vodka, Aperol, Italian blood orange, twist of lime).

What does it take to impress you?
A creative new idea

What is the best piece of advice you were ever given?
Be prepared

Favourite way to spend a Sunday?
Enjoying a long lunch in my garden with friends and family; dining on salads made from home-grown herbs, fruit and vegetables and pizzas fresh from our outdoor wood fired oven.

Black Tie or Casual?
Somewhere in-between.  At EDFD we are seeing a trend towards combining formality and fun. It’s not just about choosing a dress code; the style of your wedding menu has a huge influence on the overall mood.  We are increasingly customising menus so guests are only seated for the main course.  Canapés, entree and dessert are all served canapé style complimented by grazing tables of delicious cheeses, tapas and sweets.

Your suggestion for a new name for ‘Hens party’
Our chef who hosts our Hen’s Cooking Classes hears all kinds of names for Hen’s Parties.  Almost all of which I can’t repeat!

Your favourite hostess gift to give?
A bunch of peonies – I’ve never met a bride who doesn’t love peonies. 

What’s the best gift you have ever received?
My son Lofty and soon after his birth a beautiful Missoni bath robe.

Three words that describe you best.
Design obsessed, kooky, driven

Thanks so much for sharing with us today Ed. We are very much looking forward to having you at the Portobello Bride Boutique Wedding Market in Melbourne on March 26 and 27!

To find our even more about Ed and her team visit:
Website | Store

Rooftop Cinema Giveaway!

One of our favourite things to do in Melbourne over summer is to go to the The Rooftop Cinemas!

It's the perfect night out with your friends or for a romantic night with your other half (if you find a Dennis Hopper classic romantic!).

We thought it would be nice to start sharing some of our favourite things with you, so thanks to the guys at Rooftop Cinemas we have a double pass to give away for this Sunday 30th January 2011 to see 

The Hangover- one of the funniest 'bucks night' movies ever!

To be in the chance to win you need to be in Melbourne, unless you find it worthy of a flight from somewhere else (which in my opinion the beatbox kitchen fries with Annie's spicy relish are definitely worth it!).

To enter simply become a follower of @PortobelloBride on Twitter and send a tweet to all your friends about the giveaway! Make sure you tag your tweet with @PortobelloBride to make your entry valid.

We will announce the winner this evening at 9pm, the winner will be chosen randomly!

Thanks again to Rooftop Cinema for giving one of our readers the opportunity to have a fabulous night out on us! 

A note from Kim...Scentsational!

I had the pleasure of meeting Jill Timms of Peony Melbourne last week and experience one of her wedding perfume consultations.

Jill uses the renowned Michael Edward's fragrance database, which ensures the choice of perfume is ideal for the bride on her most special day.

The entire experience was really interesting and really lovely. I felt like I had stepped into a little piece of Paris, with shelves filled with the most beautiful bottled potions and perfumes, books on fashion and style, scented candles, pretty soaps and at this time of year the most decadent christmas display I have ever seen, think a Harry Potter christmas with white owls and peacocks-Divine.

I recommend any bride in Melbourne that is still choosing a Perfume; for her wedding day, or like me as a signature scent to make a time to use this wonderful service. Even better Jill provides a stylish pre-wedding celebration for the girls, where they all receive their own individual Perfume consultation and goodie bag whilst enjoying some bubbly and canapés. I couldn't think of a more special way to celebrate your up coming wedding with your closest girlfriends, or even as a special evening with your mum would be lovely.

Images by Portobello Bride

For my consultation Jill helped me find the perfect scent for me. When I smelt it for the first time it actually made me feel emotions I didn't know existed-Jill advised thats a good thing. So my new signature scent is Gin Fizz by Lubin, a perfume that was originally introduced in 1955 and relaunched in June of this year. I love the story behind my new perfume just as much as I love the scent.

In 1955, a star captivated the crowds: appearing in films by Alfred Hitchcock and John Ford, playing alongside James Stewart and Cary Grant, Grace Kelly embodied the very elegance of America. Her mysterious charm even captured the heart of a Prince. It was in honour of her extraordinary beauty that Henri Giboulet created a perfume for Lubin which marked the decade, a very chic perfume, sparkling and fresh, evoking the cocktail in fashion that year in the ‘American bars’ of Paris, Gin Fizz.From Lubin - Paris

Peony Melbourne is dedicated to the world of boutique fragrances, from Annick Goutal, Lubin, Miller Harris and Diptyque. Visit Jill's beautiful store at 107 Auburn Road Hawthorn and be inspired by the wonderful ways perfume can enrich your every day life. I know mine has, any one for some Gin Fizz!