Steph & Steve – Doxford Barns

Steph & Steve – Doxford Barns Steph & Steve had to wait so long for their wedding day (thanks to Covid) that they had a baby in between. Little Hudson stole the show on the day and was just the cutest pageboy you’ve ever seen. Marrying at the beautiful Doxford Barns, Steph wanted to keep the wedding styling sympathetic to the rustic style of the venue so we used lots of natural textures of wood and also used milk churns to create statement arrangements to dress the ceremony. Ceremony Styling In the Threshing Hall (the ceremony space) I placed large milk churn statement arrangements at the start of the aisle to welcome the guests into the space. I also dressed the fireplace with a big floral arrangement and the venue always fill the hearth with lots of candles giving the ceremony a really romantic feel. There was a long and low floral arrangement on the signing table and the aisle chairs were dressed with burgundy chiffon chair drapes. Steph provided loads of glass jars that we filled with candles to finish off the look. The ceremony styling was rustic and romantic, creating a really cosy intimate atmosphere. Reception Venue Decor In the main barn, we kept the wedding venue decorations light and elegant with ivory chiffon chair drapes. The wedding flower centrepieces were made in whitewashed brick moulds and finished off with the bride and grooms own number signs. The long and low floral arrangement from the signing table in the ceremony moved to the top table. Wedding Flowers The wedding flowers were all designed to complement the bride’s bouquet which was a full, luxurious gathered bouquet packed with dark red, blush pink and ivory roses, white lisianthus, blue thistles, blue delphiniums and mixed eucalyptus. The bridesmaids bouquets were a slightly smaller version of the bridal bouquet and the grooms buttonhole was made to complement too. Steph & Steve (& Hudson) had such a wonderful day full of love and joy, it was such a pleasure to work with them to design and style their wedding decor and all of their wedding flowers. Are you getting married in a barn in Northumberland and looking for a wedding florist? I’d love to chat about your dream day so get in touch here. Supplier Credits: Venue: Doxford Barns Photography: Rosie Davison Photography Flowers, Styling, Venue Decorations: Karen Alexander Weddings Ceremony Music: Abbey Strings Cake: Chemily’s Cakes Let’s talk about your dream wedding Get in touch

My Top 6 Tips for Planning Your Wedding Flowers

My Top 6 Tips for Planning Your Wedding Flowers Choosing your wedding flowers is a big task, so we’ve provided our expert tips to help you plan your dream wedding flowers because your bridal bouquet and wedding flowers are likely the most important accessory to an outfit you will ever wear. Create a moodboard How did we ever plan a wedding before Pinterest? An online moodboard is the perfect way to start collating ideas for your wedding flowers. Make a collection of wedding flowers that you like and then look back for a common theme. Do you see a similar colour palette in lots of the pictures or are all the bouquets a similar shape? This will help you (and your florist) to get an idea of an overall style. Make sure you’re following me on Pinterest for ideas and inspiration. Choose a colour palette A common belief is that couples should match their wedding flowers to a specific colour elsewhere in the wedding, such as a bridesmaid’s dress or the groom’s pocket square – but that’s not always the case. Flowers vary so much in colour, even from week to week! The same variety can look different in a matter of days and if the shades don’t match then it can look clumsy. When planning your wedding flowers, opt for a range of tones in the same colour umbrella (such as blush pink) to safeguard any problems you may run into. Another way you can ensure your flowers match is by using a complementary colour palette to guide your florist, this way everything will work together even if it doesn’t match exactly. Ceremony flowers When picking your ceremony flowers, think about where you will sit and stand – these are the areas that you want to decorate with additional florals. Additional flowers can act as an archway, hang over your head or decorate your signing table. Finally, highlighting the aisle creates a beautiful walkway to make your entrance. Petals or foliage scattered along the aisle; floral bundles tied to chairs or floral aisle runners are all elegant options for incorporating flowers into your grand entrance. Wedding reception flowers If you’re having a seated wedding breakfast, think about the centrepieces you’re going to place on each table. There are so many design options to choose from, but an important rule of thumb is that centrepieces need to not obstruct your guest’s view of each other when seated.  This is the same for the top table, too – the flowers should frame the wedding couple and allow them to be seen by the guests. Decide on your wedding flower budget Wedding flowers can be expensive and while there are a few expert tips to maximise your budget (including using seasonal flowers, using the same arrangement twice in different parts of the day and focussing on fewer, statement pieces) ultimately the cost will depend on the quantity required. I recommend choosing a florist because you like their style, and they understand your vision rather than shopping around for the cheapest quote. A good florist can work with a range of budgets and offer creative suggestions, just be aware of any minimum spend requirement they might have and then be upfront with what you would like to spend. When to book your wedding florist Ideally, you should book your florist 8-12 months before your wedding. Wedding suppliers can get booked up a long time ahead of the wedding day and you don’t want to be left disappointed if you’re unable to work with your dream supplier. However, if you book too far in advance you might change your mind on the style and look of the wedding and end up having to redesign, which could incur additional costs! The key to your wedding flowers is to work with your florist, a good wedding florist will be able to create the perfect wedding flowers that compliment your gown, colour scheme and overall theme. If you are in search of a wedding florist in Newcastle to help you create your dream arrangements, get in touch – we’d love to hear from you. Let’s talk about your dream wedding Get in touch

5 Last-minute Planning Tips For A Heatwave Wedding

My Top 6 Tips for Planning Your Wedding Flowers The summer months are the most popular time to get wed in the UK, but it’s only a few couples that are lucky enough to experience a wedding with temperatures of over 20°C. As the big day approaches, you may be wondering if there’s anything you can do last minute to make a hot day easier for you and your guests. We’ve put together 5 planning tips to make your heatwave wedding an easier one. Talk to your venue! Thanks to COVID, ceremonies can now take place anywhere outside, so moving a ceremony outside last minute should be an option.  If you’re keen to make the most of it, talk to your venue about moving either the ceremony or your drinks reception outdoors. Keep indoor ceremonies and receptions cool For indoor ceremonies or receptions, ramp up the air con or keep doors and windows open to ensure your guests aren’t going to overheat. If you’re in an older venue, electric fans are just as beneficial – just work with your stylist to ensure none of your décor gets compromised by the sudden breeze. Planning tip: arrange a row of chairs for the wedding ceremony. Create shady spots for guests Shade is everything for weddings in a heatwave. Setting up a gazebo or a small seating area under a shady tree will be popular with elderly guests, children and anyone who suffers in the heat. Keep bouquets out of the heat Heat, unfortunately, can cause your wedding flowers to wilt. When you’re done taking pictures with them, place them in the shade in a vase with plenty of water to prolong their lifespan. Keep your guests hydrated It’s likely you’ll already have a bar on the go, but a water station with regular refills of iced lemon water will be appreciated by guests, especially if you’re spending a few hours outdoors. Dehydration in hot temperatures can be dangerous, so encourage your guests to make use of the water station as much as you can. If your wedding day is going to be a scorcher, hopefully these tips will make the day run just as smoothly. Let’s talk about your dream wedding Get in touch

Styled Shoot – The Parlour @ Blagdon

Styled Shoot – The Parlour @ Blagdon The Parlour @ Blagdon is one of my favourite north east venues and as their recommended stylist and wedding florist I am there a lot. The space is beautiful and really versatile as it has separate spaces for the ceremony and reception as well as a gorgeous courtyard for outdoor ceremonies when the British weather is being kind. While I wasn’t working on any actual weddings during the Covid lockdown I was adding some new items to the hire catalogue and dreaming up some new styles so we did a styled shoot to get some new photos to show what can be done in this fabulous space. I’ve shared my tips for dressing the wedding ceremony and guest tables as well as some other areas of this gorgeous venue. The Entrance When your guests arrive at the venue on the day they walk through the courtyard to the ceremony space. I created this dreamy archway to greet them and point them in the right direction. This space can be personalised with a welcome sign too. The Ceremony In the ceremony space, there are different options for dressing the chairs. White or ivory on every chair is a classic look and is so elegant. Choose the colour closest to the bridal gown. If you want to bring in a specific colour then think about dressing alternate chairs with a coloured chiffon sash, then you can add greenery to the other chairs if you want a rustic look. If you want to highlight the aisle, dress only the aisle chairs and add a bundle of foliage or little bunch of flowers on the inside edge. Lanterns lining the walkway look gorgeous with any decor or layout. The Details Bespoke signage can give your guests any messages you want to convey before the ceremony. Thinking about the front of the space where the couple will stand, you can use a backdrop to create a neutral background for your photographer to capture the special moments and a floral arrangement on the registrars table will dress the space where you will sign the register. The Porch In the porch entrance to the Willow Room there is plenty of space to display welcome signs, a guestbook, your table plan and anything else personal to your day. This is a nice place for some photos of relatives on their wedding day or photos that tell the story of you as a couple. Centrepieces There are so many options for wedding centrepieces, the list is almost endless but in this room, I recommend lower centrepieces rather than tall ones. The beams overhead give enough interest to this part of the room and of course, they can be dressed with bunting, fairy lights or foliage. A few tips with centrepieces: Don’t take up too much space. Your guests need to be able to see each other to talk and you need plenty of space for the delicious food and wine you are all going to share. The centrepiece should dress the table and give a focal point not take over the room. Think about something to ground the arrangement or centrepiece to the table. A wood slice or a puddle of fabric make a great platform to display your flowers or candles. Have some fun with them, don’t be afraid to personalise your centrepieces with things that reflect your personality. The Top Table For the top table, again, you have lots of choices but just remember to make sure there is nothing in front of the happy couple. Usually, the long and low floral arrangement from the registrars table would move to the centre for the wedding breakfast. This maximises your wedding flowers throughout the day while also making sure all the guests can see you both. You can add tealights or little bid vases of flowers along the rest of the table or even some vases to pop the bridesmaids bouquets into. If you don’t want to use a focal floral arrangement you can dress the length of the table with a soft runner and dot little vases and candles along the front edge or use something like lanterns and terrariums linked with some stems of foliage. There are lots of other ways to dress this amazing venue and bring your own stamp to the styling of the day but if you start with the tips and suggestions I’ve made here you can’t really go wrong. If you’re getting married at The Parlour (or anywhere else in the north east) and would like some help with your flowers and styling, get in touch through my contact page and we can arrange a time to chat. Credits: All Styling & Flowers – Karen Alexander Weddings Venue – The Parlour @ Blagdon Signage & Table Plan Lettering – Lavelle Lettering Photography – Joss Guest Photography Let’s talk about your dream wedding Get in touch

5 Wedding Venue Styling Tips for Large Venues

5 Wedding Venue Styling Tips for Large Venues One of the biggest trends I’m expecting to see post-pandemic is in maxi-weddings. These are glorious, extravagant, larger-than-life weddings coming from couples that have waited so long for their big day. Big weddings with a lot of guests means you’re likely to be styling a larger venue. You can be faced with challenges of empty space to fill, high ceilings and not a lot of inspiration for styling them. To help, we’ve provided 5 expert tips that will help you perfect the styling of your dream venue. Vanessa & Steven @ Healey Barn Image Credit – Nigel John Don’t ditch the detail Take a step back. You’ve chosen your dream venue and there’s a lot of space to fill – but that doesn’t mean you should cut back on the details. After a turbulent year, you deserve to make your day a reflection of you as a couple. Incorporate what you both enjoy and embrace what embodies you both as a duo. If you’re a couple of music buffs, consider a festival theme with flower crowns for guests, oversized signage, bunting and festival flags. If you’re both avid travel fans, plan each table as a different location, with flowers to reflect the appropriate destinations. The ideas are endless! Rachel & Kyle @ Barn on the Bay Image Credit – Chocolate Chip Photography Plan it like a pro Think of your wedding as a story – each part of your day is a different chapter: the welcome, the vows, speeches and first dance, Working closely with your stylist means you can communicate how you would like each of these chapters to play out in your venue. Creating mood boards are a great way to convey to your stylist how you would like each chapter of your wedding to look. Use a mood board to bring all of your ideas and things you like together in one place and then your stylist can streamline this into one overall story. Katie & Kelly @ Wylam Brewery  Utilise lighting to create ambience Although you’re working with a big venue, that doesn’t mean the feeling of intimacy has to be compromised. Using lighting to your advantage enhances the atmosphere and ambience you’ve worked so hard with your stylist to create. Lighting can accentuate your floral pieces, compliment photography or bring additional intimacy to a large room for the evening do as well as creating atmosphere on the dancefloor. Festoon lighting and fairy lights can also bring interest to outdoor spaces. Frances & Chris @ Healey Barn Image Credit – The Twins Statement Florals One of the best ways to fill up empty space is through using statement flower arrangements. You can use bouquets to line your aisle, decorate tables with cascading wildflower arrangements or use floral ceremony arches for guest photoshoots. If you’re in a high ceiling venue, flower balls fill up the empty vertical space above and carry your theme through elegantly. Think about statement arrangements that can be moved around the venue as you move through the day like a pair of arrangements on plinths that can frame the aisle during the ceremony, then the top table during the wedding breakfast and finally a doorway into a chillout space in the evening. Michael & Ross @ Healey Barn Utilise empty spaces instead of covering them up It’s commonplace to close off empty spaces at weddings, but you don’t have to. Making use of this extra space turns your wedding into an experience for your guests. Can you create a lounge area where guests can take their drinks without sitting at formal tables? Decorate it with couches and large pillows for additional comfort? Or how about a grown up games area? Think air hockey and retro skittles. You could even create a secret bar area with a horsebox cocktail bar or a gin and whisky bar with a prohibition feel. Rachel & Kyle @ Barn on the Bay Image Credit – Chocolate Chip Photography No matter the size of your wedding, you’ll have a wonderful time styling it so that it’s one to remember. Wedding styling is about creating all of the design elements, making sure they work synonymously together to create a beautiful, stylish look that wows your guests and tells your story as a couple. If you would like to have a chat about styling your wedding, get in touch via our contact page. For wedding inspiration, dive into our galleries to see Karen Alexander Weddings signature styling. Let’s talk about your dream wedding Get in touch

Easter Wedding Styling

Easter Wedding Styling Easter is always a popular time of year to get married. It’s usually the start of the main wedding season and for us wedding florists it’s an exciting season that brings with it lots of new flowers to work with. Sadly, this year we still can’t hold weddings at Easter but I am thinking ahead to a brilliant wedding that we are planning for this time next year. We want to include a subtle nod to Easter and focus it around springtime. Using soft pastel colours to bring together the wedding flowers, table decorations and the venue styling as a whole. Here’s the mood board I’ve been working on. Are you planning an Easter or spring wedding for next year in the north east? I’d love to chat to you about wedding flowers and decorating your venue in Newcastle, Northumberland, Durham or North Yorkshire. Get In Touch to arrange a consultation. Let’s talk about your dream wedding Get in touch

How to style an outdoor wedding ceremony

How to style an outdoor wedding ceremony Lots of couples dream of an outdoor ceremony and often choose their venue because of a beautiful outside space. However, it’s common practice in the UK to opt for an indoor ceremony as the weather isn’t always reliable. Over the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed us to spend more time outdoors regardless of the weather and it’s likely that this will continue. In fact, I think we’ll be seeing a lot more outdoor wedding ceremonies throughout the rest of 2021 and 2022. What to consider So, what do you need to consider when styling an outdoor ceremony? Well, the main factor is the good old British weather. While rain is going to be the biggest problem for outdoor ceremonies, most couples don’t think about wind. Especially if you’re in an exposed area such as the beach or in an open field, any wind or strong breeze can play havoc with your decor. Choosing heavy decorations means they’re unlikely to blow away – best case scenario, you could even secure them to the ground. Avoid using light fabrics to style if you can – they can fly in the wind and can cause havoc at a slight breeze! Feature the couple I always suggest making a feature at the front of the aisle to frame the couple as they stand and say their vows. An archway or moongate style structure can be perfect for this but  try to avoid dressing it with flowing fabric. An alternative is a pair of statement floral arrangements standing on plinths as these can then be moved after the ceremony and used elsewhere in the venue. Seating When choosing seating, bench seating is very popular as it is heavy enough to be secure but also easy to transport and makes setting up quickly really easy. If you do go for individual chairs, something stackable is preferable in case a quick change of scene is needed at the last minute! The aisle Highlighting and marking the aisle draws the eye down the bride’s walkway. Instead of scattered petals and loose foliage, think of using heavy lanterns filled with candles. Bundles of flowers and foliage tied onto the chairs can’t float away with the breeze and still draw attention to the aisle. Cover up To give yourself the best possible chance of holding your ceremony outside, think about a permanent, open sided structure. Perhaps your venue has a covered terrace or porchway? Maybe there is a gazebo in the grounds? You can also consider a modern marquee with the sides removed. If you are exposed to the elements outside, everything that you choose for dressing your outdoor ceremony needs to work should you need to make a last minute decision to be inside. If everything is portable then you can use it again elsewhere after the ceremony and get more value out of all of your decor. Keep it simple Overall, the best advice I can give is to keep it simple and let the view and your surroundings be the backdrop to the ceremony. Focus on highlighting the couple at the front of the aisle. Are you planning an outdoor wedding in the north east (Newcastle, Durham, Northumberland or North Yorkshire)? If you would like some help with venue styling or you’re looking for a wedding florist please get in touch for a chat. Let’s talk about your dream wedding Get in touch

Real Wedding – Jessica & Keith

Real Wedding – Jessica & Keith Jessica and Keith’s modern, rustic barn wedding was held at Healey Barn in May 2019. Healey Barn is a gorgeous building converted in 2015 and is perfect for a spring wedding with the barn doors opening out to a sunny courtyard. Jessica and Keith wanted a fresh, modern, romantic look to their day, so we incorporated a classic colour palette of whites and greens with a hint of blush pink. For the ceremony we dressed the fireplace with a statement arrangement. We also made a beautiful floral arrangement for the registrars table. To create luxurious wedding bouquets for the bride and her bridesmaids I used lots of beautiful spring flowers. White peonies, blush pink roses, lots of eucalyptus and other textural elements. In the main dining room we dressed the tables with tall floral arrangements. Luxury centrepieces made with white hydrangea, more peonies and roses and again lots of foliage. These arrangements leave plenty of space on the table for sharing the amazing food. Glass charger plates finished off the modern, elegant look on the tables and our wooden table number signs added a rustic element to tie in with the surroundings. For more wedding inspiration, head over to our Past Work page to see how we styled similar weddings. Are you planning a spring wedding or a barn wedding in the north east? If you’re looking for a wedding florist or venue stylist or even just to hire some wedding decorations Get in touch if you’d like to talk about how I can help. Let’s talk about your dream wedding Get in touch

Why Are Wedding Flowers Expensive?

Real Wedding – Jessica & Keith When you first start planning your wedding it can be hard to know how much to budget for each part of the day. Then you start getting an idea of prices and some of the costs involved might come as a bit of a surprise. Wedding flowers can be expensive, they are a fresh product with a short life span that has been grown from seed and nurtured before being cut, packed and transported. When I tell people what I do they often reply ‘oh I would love to be able to play with flowers all the time’ but the truth is there is so much more to it than that. Working with me Of course, when you book me to be your florist for your north east wedding there is a design and consultation process that we go through. For this I need to be both a flower expert and a wedding expert, I have many years of experience of both under my belt. In the run up to your wedding I’ll place multiple orders with different suppliers to make sure I have the best flowers on the market for your wedding day. These orders will arrive in the studio on different days so we can make sure flowers are at the right stage on the day and have opened up properly. There will probably also be a pre-dawn visit to the market in the days before the wedding to pick up any last little bits to make sure I choose what looks great that week. Preparation We have to prepare the flowers. We call this ‘conditioning’ but really it means trimming and cleaning the stems of each flower, feeding those that need it, and giving them a good drink for a day before we can start to arrange them. We also need somewhere to store everything with the right light and temperature conditions. We might need to help things open up or stop them from opening too quickly so we are constantly checking on the flowers to make sure they are on the right track. Then comes the actual arranging. Yes this is the fun bit but it’s also hard work. We work in the cold to keep the flowers fresh and it takes longer than you think to put together bouquets and centrepieces. A lot of it is intricate fiddly work too. The wedding day On the day of the wedding we have to carefully transport your flowers making sure they arrive in perfect condition and those arrangements that we can’t do in advance have to be made onsite from scratch. This might mean we need to bring a team of staff with us. Then the next day when your cheeks are aching from smiling all day and you might have a slightly sore head we are back at the venue for pickup and possibly dismantling installations before going home to scrub vases and flower buckets ready to do it all again in a couple of days. There are also all the boring costs of running and business day to day and  I am fully insured. After all of that we do need to add a little bit on for a profit. I don’t know any florists who are mega-rich but we do need to pay our bills. If you’d like to chat about wedding flowers or venue styling for your wedding in the north east please get in touch on the Contact Me page. Let’s talk about your dream wedding Get in touch

Our Brand Story

Our Brand Story Karen Alexander Weddings is the new brand name for Ruby Tuesday Events. I’ve given the business a fresh new look because I’ve come a long way since the days of hiring out vintage crockery as a side hustle to my full time hospitality job. My background is working in high end hotels and restaurants, specialising in event management and wedding planning but I always longed to work for myself. I also needed a creative outlet, so in 2011, I started collecting vintage china to hire out for weddings and events and Ruby’s Tea Party was launched. This quickly took off and then evolved as I started to provide decorations and floral arrangements and the business grew into Ruby Tuesday Events. Along the way my signature style has been developed into a ‘laid back luxe’ style for couples who want a beautiful wedding day that tells their personal love story but without the hassle of organising every little detail and the old website had become outdated so it’s time for something new. So what’s changing? Well the name has changed! The business name, Ruby Tuesday Events. was evocative of a retro, vintage style that I originally built my business around but along the way I’ve realised that isn’t why people come to me. My couples book me because of my knowledge of how a wedding day operates and my expertise in designing a wedding that not only looks beautiful, but also functions properly so that everything can run smoothly. Wedding styling is a lot more than suggesting a few pretty things to decorate a venue, it’s about thinking through each part of the day and working out how to tell the story of the couple while maximising the guest experience as well as creating a beautiful backdrop for lasting memories in photographs and wedding videos. My new name reflects the personal touch that comes with choosing me as your stylist, there are no set packages here, every wedding design is customised to suit each couple and their unique celebration. We are also now fully focused on styling and fresh flowers. It really is my passion to dress a space and transform venues with carefully thought out colour palettes, personalised details, and lots and lots of beautiful flowers. My roots in the wedding industry come from being there on the day and running the show and I believe that this is what sets me apart from other stylists. I have a deep understanding of how the day needs to flow and what each supplier brings to the occasion and I use that knowledge to design something beautiful while ensuring that nothing gets in the way of the guests enjoyment. But I’m not a 20 something wedding coordinator who can do a 14 hour shift in heels and with a hangover anymore! I’m 40 in a couple of months time and I’m lucky enough to have 2 wonderful young children at home who are my whole world and the reason I strive to do the best job I can for my couples.  Because of this, we are no longer offering on the day wedding coordination so that I can focus all of my energy on the full styling service and still have time left to raise my family while they are little. I can certainly recommend a great wedding coordinator if you need someone to help you on the day, just ask and I can point you in the right direction. We are also introducing some minimum fees for new bookings going forward. This is to reflect the demand for our services and also the modern times that we are living in. Covid has certainly had an impact on my business and one of the things that has changed is that I am no longer booking more than one event on the same day. For various reasons, I have reduced the team of people working on each event, one of those reasons is the safety of the team. Our Covid safety plan means that we can’t have teams of 3 travelling in the same vehicle on set up day and I’m not bringing in extra floral designers to help with the preparation of the flowers so I’m only booking one wedding a day for the time being. This gives me the opportunity to focus all my energy on each event and make sure every detail is carefully executed. This reflects the way the business has naturally developed into a service that you can rely on for support in the run up to the wedding day because we are focussed on you and your special day. Ultimately, it is the visual branding that has changed to catch up to the services we were already offering. My core brand values of being approachable and helpful with a strong customer focus while creating a dream wedding using my expertise are firmly set at the heart of everything I do and I wanted a place to show off what I consider to be our best work in recent times. It was a real labour of love designing the new look and I hope that you love it as much as I do! I can’t wait to get back to delivering beautiful, thoughtful weddings in 2021 (hopefully) and I’m looking forward to having new images to share on the real weddings pages. Love is not cancelled and we will be back stronger than ever to help people celebrate the most special day with their loved ones. If you’re planning a wedding please get in touch to talk about how I can help you design your dream day. I’d love to help you make it beautifully unique. Let’s talk about your dream wedding Get in touch