Vintage Twee for Country Weddings - the perfect combination!

Hi everyone, busy week here at Country Weddings Italy, but I really wanted to spend some time today showing you the truly inspirational work by a girl after my own heart. Joanne Linder is a northwest girl turned enterprising businesswoman who is proud of her British heritage, and who has a passion for anything vintage and “twee”, as she affectionately puts it. She also obviously has a magical artistic flair for making items that are just perfect for a wedding celebration. When I stumbled across her website (is it only me that starts off with an intention of looking at something in particular on the web, and ends up somewhere completely different??), I was immediately well and truly hooked!

Joanne’s  products are all made by her own fair hands, which must make her a very busy girl at times. She also told me that she works alone and makes everything from start to finish, a “mere” detail that many people overlook , as they think that Vintage Twee is actually run by a team of people. She obviously has a fine eye for attractive materials and detail too, and I, among many others,  think her creations are just wonderful. As a crafter myself, I have a fairly critical eye, but her items are clearly top-quality, worthy of adorning any wedding table or celebration. Her wedding favours, table decor, tea party range and stationery are lovingly made with inspiration from romantic times-gone-by that have never lost their appeal.

Vintage Love Letter wedding favour boxes.

Joanne set up the business just 18 months ago, but has already been featured several times in the press and her business has grown from strength to strength. This does not, however, stop Joanne from keeping her finger on the button at all levels, as she sources all her vintage materials personally, which she then takes to her studio and transforms into her handcrafted wares.

I really would have a hard time choosing my favourite item from all the ones featured here, but I think one of her most original ideas are the Afternoon Tea Recipe cards, which could easily be chosen as a wedding favour at a vintage, shabby chic or country wedding party.  Feast your eyes on these lovely photos and then visit Joanne’s website at www.vintagetwee.com.

We truly hope some Country Weddings Italy brides will want to use Joanne’s creations on their special day. We would just love to see some photographs of them on the tables at our special wedding venues! 

Gorgeous paper cones to be used for rice or petals,
 or filled with sweets or  flowers as wedding favours

Cones for rice or petals made from original music sheets.

Just perfect for placing in your cupcakes at the dessert table.

Joanne personalises place settings with your guests' names!

Teabag favours! This lovely card is designed to contain an individual
 tea bag and has a lovely tea quote on the front

My favourite original idea from Vintage Twee - Afternoon Tea recipe cards

Such a cute idea! Teapot wedding favour box.

A lovely fairytale wedding favour box

A wedding guest book, which is actually a box containing 80 sheets of paper
where guests can write their best wishes for the couple

For the Love of Flowers.....

Walking into Rosella Antonelli’s floral design workshop on a cold, wet late autumn day here in the Roman countryside was better than taking a hot bath with a glass of Prosecco and my favourite book!! Talk about a child walking into Santa's Wonderland - I was immediately struck by the harmony of the colours, although they varied so greatly, and the style of the non-floral items that she uses to complete each styling project,  many of which reflect my love of the vintage, shabby chic, romantic look so accurately. We sat down to talk surrounded by flowers, crystal candle shades, silver candlesticks, glass bowls with floating candles and flowers, cushions and drapes. I was in heaven!

Rosella is a floral designer who works with love and passion to produce her creations. She has worked for several years in the wedding and events sector, designing and making her floral creations and providing all the finishing touches to bring the style of each event together. Flowers, foliage, candles, crystal, silver candelabras, voile, muslin, silk and fine linen are all components used to create the right atmosphere wherever she is asked to work, indoors or outside, from grand villas to country farmhouses.

Colour is very much  a part of Rosella’s wedding creations (just to provide an opposite point of view from the one I told you I was given last week, where white reigned supreme!), but one piece of advice Rosella gives to brides is to choose a bridal bouquet that is suited to the bride’s height and colouring.  Don’t drown yourself with a bouquet that is too big for you or drain your colouring with colours that are too strong for you to take. It is also a good idea to choose a bouquet that is comfortable to hold, as you will need to hold it throughout the day, or at least until you toss it to your single female guests (if you can bear to part with it!).

Rosella will be working with us to create floral decorations at future Country Weddings Italy weddings. Daniela and I immediately felt at home talking to her, and we soon realised we were all talking the same “language” in terms of work ethics and philosophy  and love of quality service. Another warm, talented person to add to our growing team! All the flowers in this post are Rosella’s creations - you could have them at your Italian wedding too!