Featured Wedding Supplier: Doily Days

Featured Wedding Suppliers from Hampshire and West Sussex

wedding suppliers in a barn shoot

Welcome to the first post in my series featuring wedding suppliers from Hampshire and West Sussex.  This idea came about as a little while ago, I was asked to shoot a very fun styled shoot of sorts for The Nostalgic Wedding Fair and Doily Days magazine.  The theme was to show some of the wedding suppliers who are exhibiting at the next Nostalgic wedding fair which was being held at Stansted Park on 8th march 2015, in a fun quirky environment all dressed up and where you may not necessarily see or associate with them.  It’s a great idea to get to know the people behind the businesses and it was a treat for us to actually have our own hair and make up done (yes I got in on the act too).  Helen from Doily days managed to squeeze us all in a 4 page spread in issue 5 (out now!) but I did take rather a lot of photos so I will be sharing the rest with you in the next series of posts this week, on the run up to the Stansted House wedding fair.  The photos will be accompanied with their own words from a little mini interview.

Sooo, Helen is the first featured wedding supplier from Doily days!  Helen did not want to have many photos taken on her own and was not even in the group shot above so here she is with Alex from Nostalgic Wedding fair/The Vintage Parade (whose own interview will be posted at the end of the week).

Doily days and Nostalgic wedding fair gals in sleepy jean

Helen from Doily Days

I run Doily Days which is a free, bi-annual wedding magazine. We distribute at wedding fairs in Sussex and Hampshire as well as parts of Surrey and London. I only launched the magazine two years ago but Doily Days has been going for six years. I previously hired vintage china, provided jam/chutney wedding favours, VW camper van transport, organised hen parties in Brighton and I was involved with styling and management at weddings. I had so many contacts in the wedding industry and loved all the quirky unique ideas so I decided to publish a magazine.

Doliy days issue 4

What do you love about your business?

I love meeting all the like-minded, creative small business owners

Doily days and Nostalgic wedding fair gals

What’s the most popular item/trend you’re seeing for weddings in 2015?

Bright colours/Mexican theme

What’s your own favourite item/service that you provide yourself?

My 1950s ‘boat’ cocktail bar. In April I am launching my fully styled pop-up bar which includes vintage wallpapered walls, fridges, service bar and props. I can’t wait until we have some photos! It’s going to be so quirky. The staff uniform is tarbards, headscarves and pink lippy…
Helen's necklace from doily days magazine

What’s your own favourite item/service that you provide yourself?

My 1950s ‘boat’ cocktail bar. In April I am launching my fully styled pop-up bar which includes vintage wallpapered walls, fridges, service bar and props. I can’t wait until we have some photos! It’s going to be so quirky. The staff uniform is tarbards, headscarves and pink lippy…

Portrait of Helen from Doily days magazine

If you were to get married again or if you were to get married in 2015/16, what would your wedding be like?

Simple and timeless. Believe it or not I would not follow the trends! I sometimes think they can make a wedding look dated when you look back. I’d try and stick to a small budget and just inject some really simple, personal touches.

What’s your favourite wedding top tip?

Do it YOUR way.

chin chin Doily days and Nostalgic wedding fair gals

What’s your favourite snack? Mini Cheddars

What’s your favourite tipple? Gin
gin from duncton mill shoot

You heard that right,  Helen will be launching her 50s styled pop up bar in April.  Make sure you go and talk to her about it at Stansted park on sunday 8th march!  Thanks Helen!

Thanks To Duncton Mill for hosting the shoot (they also host a select number of weddings a year), and to the following hair and make up artists who worked on the team – Creations Chichester, Toni Todd, and Caroline Kearney Mobile hair and beauty.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s featured supplier! Hint: She likes flamingoes.