Vintage Floral Teas - Vintage China Hire & Bespoke Floristry

Vintage Floral Teas is Amelia Barnes’ labour of love based in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. Vintage is the best kind of recycling - green and super-stylish too! We are excited to offer a bespoke service in vintage-inspired floral design - anything from small but perfectly-formed roses in tea cups to sumptuous pedestal displays; from gorgeous button holes to magnificent bouquets. More than this, we have an exquisite array of vintage crockery and old-fashioned props, all available to hire. We can supply flowers and china hire for any event, including weddings christenings , birthdays and even funerals.

Sunday 11 December 2011

The Flying Ducks Catering Company ... wedding food with a vintage twist!

I just wanted to share with you an amazing vintage catering company that I have come across.
This is vintage yumminess at its best! Now who wouldn't want a vintage caravan serving yummy food like this at their wedding?


The Flying Ducks are a unique event caterers with an original British vintage caravan, converted to a fully working mobile kitchen to cater for your event. The have worked at venues such as Hampton Court Palace but can provide food at any event.

The theme is quintessential Britishness! Whether it’s a gourmet fish finger sandwich, a cottage pie, a bacon butty or an array of delectable canapés and cocktails, it’s all delicious and beautifully presented.

Covered in vintage bunting and fairy lights by night, we are able to add to the vintage experience with outfits, music and props so that your chosen event, whatever it may be, will be totally unique. This 12ft of caravan loveliness truly is a thing of wonder.

Gin in a china tea cup anyone?


You can contact Ruth Tidd of The Flying Ducks Catering Company on 0844 576 1217

email: ruth@theflyingducks.co.uk


Friday 2 December 2011

Please support the this Cancer Charity by buying 2012 The Treasure Chest Calendar

We were so glad to support this amazing charity by lending out some vintage props and china for the shoot! Please support this charity by buying one of these amazing 2012 calendars!

10 lovely ladies who have and are going through breast cancer decided to do a vintage style calendar girl’s style shoot to raise funds for the Fountain Centre. The Fountain Centre is a charity for cancer patients, their families and carers located in the St Luke’s cancer unit at the Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford. They offer advice, counselling and a huge range of complementary therapies, in a calming and relaxed atmosphere.

They have been overwhelmed with offers to support the shoot. The stunning Fetcham Park in Leatherhead was the location for the shoot, with amazing photographs taken by Nina Duncan the photographer, with hair accessories supplied by the fantastic Jo Barnes.
These stunning calendars are an ideal Christmas present and will be a gorgeous addition to any home or workplace!
You can buy one by following this link:

The Treasured Chests 2012 Calendar was made possible by these amazing suppliers…

Tuesday 12 July 2011

Vintage Floral Teas to a Tee at Denbies!

Last week Vintage Floral Teas was exhibiting at Denbies wine estate wedding fair. We had the most amazing reponse and everyone said the most lovely things about our china and flowers. It was so great to talk to brides to be, grooms and their families. It also featured our latest finds; a beautiful blue 1960's Remington Travel Typewritter available to hire for an alternative wedding guestbook or just a great prop, and our really very stunning silver plated 14" original 1950's wedding cake stand, which is going down a treat!

If you missed us at the Denbies Wedding fair then do get in touch if you want either a consultation or just to chat about your wedding ideas. We are offering good deals on vintage china hire at the moment, so give us a call or email me. amelia@vintagefloralteas.co.uk.

At the fair we also met the lovely Melanie who make the most beautiful wedding cakes, just perfect for a vintage wedding. Her company is called Daisy Chain Cake Company http://www.daisychaincake.co.uk/ Have a look; they look and taste amazing.




















I hope you enjoy our pictures of our vintage flowers and china...... More coming soon. X

Monday 13 June 2011

Rip Roaring Dance with a Vintage Floral Tea!

It's been a busy couple of months with lots of different events but I wanted to share one really amazing company with whom Vintage Floral Teas are teaming up for lovely vintage hen parties. I was contacted by Kim-lin Hooper at Charleston Dance who provide a Charleston Dance and Vintage Portrait Photography service to add to our tea party experience here at Vintage Floral Teas.



Kim has very kindly come up with some incredible prices just for Vintage Floral Teas customers! Why not get in touch for some amazing deals on hen party china and prop hire?
Prices below are for dance classes only but we can offer you up to 50% off when booking for a hen with Charlestone Dance! So what are you waiting for?

Jazz up your tea party with a rip-roaring Charleston Dance Class!
Learn authentic 1920s dance moves such as the Charleston, The Black Bottom, the Shimmy and the Snake Hips, and then learn a specially choreographed routine, just for fun, or to perform at your wedding.
Pose and preen with a classic Vintage Portrait Photography Shoot!
Put on a Vintage Hat, some beads or feathers, and pose for your portrait in Roaring Twenties style.
 
Special prices for Vintage Floral Tea bookers:
Charleston Dance (2 hour workshop) ~ £28/person (min £280)
Vintage Portrait Photography ~ £20/person (min £200)
Charleston Dance + Vintage Portrait Photography ~ *very special price* £45/person (min £450)
(Hall hire charges may also apply if your space is too small! However we'll do our best to fit in. All travel and choreography costs are included!)
 

Sunday 1 May 2011

Beautiful wedding at Hartsfield Manor, Betchworth!


Vintage Floral Teas is really proud to have created bespoke floral arrangements and Vintage China for a lovely wedding at Hartsfield Manor in Betchworth, surrey on the Royal Wedding weekend.



Victorian Mantelpiece at Hartsfield Manor

English Peonies


 





Pedestal Display of Peonies and Hydrangeas

www.vintagefloralteas.co.uk
Jars and Bon Bon Bowls of Flowers displayed on Books






Silverware Display on Antique Books
  
The bride wanted a really soft vintage theme for her day so, working with her ideas, we chose to go with a mix of dusky pink roses, seasonal peonies, late season ranuculus and fragrant rosemary and sage. These were all displayed in our beautiful china and glassware. We also supplied bespoke table numbers and menus in a soft grey edged with real lace and mother of pearl buttons. (Do call us if you require bespoke props for your event!) These colors all worked well with the buff and grey tone of the decor at Hartsfield - a stunning Victorian mansion.


Long Top Table
 






Cupcakes by Forget-me-not-cupcakes.co.uk
 



Vintage Cakes Stand Floral Display
 


























It was also great to meet Fleur and Heather of Forget Me Not Cupcakes (http://www.forget-me-not-cupcakes.co.uk/) who supplied the bride and groom with an amazing array of individually iced glittery cakes. They looked so yummy!


Saturday 9 April 2011

Thrifty Flowers

If you’re feeling the pinch of George Osborne in your bridal purse then why not think about ways in which you can save when planning your wedding flowers?
It’s perfectly possible to have a really stunning wedding and not spend the current average of £18,500.
£18,500? Wow! That’s a deposit on a house! Cutting cost on your flowers and styling on the day is a really good way of bring the total cost down. Here’s how to do it...
1) Go seasonal!
It’s common sense! If you want Peonies in November then they’re bound to be expensive! And they’ll have been flown halfway around the world. Think of your carbon footprint! In England we have such a good array of home grown blooms that you’ll always have an excellent range to choose from. Going seasonal will massively cut your costs. Just imagine huge displays of narcissus and tulips in spring, old English roses in summers and dahlias in autumn, without forgetting the lush dark greens and bright red berries of winter!
2) Think impact!
Quite often brides want lots and lots of different displays covering every surface. This is not necessarily the best way to decorate your venue and it can drive the cost up considerably. Each vessel comes with a hire charge, there’s the cost of the blooms in each one as well as labour time to consider. It’s often better to splash out on some really lovely impact items that take your guests’ breath away, such as large urns of flowers in the corners of the venue which can be combined with simpler table arrangements!
3) The Vessels!

Choose interesting vessels! At Vintage Floral Teas we have a massive range of gorgeous vessels to choose from and once flowers are added to them they are like individual works of art. Think of a teapot with masses of cow parsley and snapdragon flowers, surrounded by a stunning old milk jug and teacups. With contemporary vessels such as goldfish bowls you’ll often have to use a more expensive bloom to create visual impact on your tables. The right vessel can really set the tone for an event.
4) The hand-tied bouquet!
Wired bouquets are beautiful and look great for a really formal wedding with big skirted dresses. They are very reminiscent of bygone days. They are beautiful and I love them. But they are also expensive to produce. They have to be made on the morning of an event and each flower and leaf is wired by hand. You can pay anything from £100 - £150 for a wired bouquet. They also don’t last as long as a hand-tied bouquet as they can’t be placed in water! So why not opt for a hand-tied bouquet instead? Beautiful hand-tied bouquets are a far more budget friendly option.

So there we have it. The Vintage Floral Teas’ guide to keeping costs down! No need to let on to your guests that you’ve spent less than anyone else – especially since the flowers will look, at the very least, every bit as gorgeous as those dearer, less imaginative options! More soon!

Sunday 3 April 2011

Pretty Mother's Day table wreaths!

For Mother's Day, a beautiful table wreath of blue Grape Hyacinths and pale pink Ranunculus.

Wow! An Amazing 10% Discount on China Hire Booked In April!

Vintage Floral Teas is delighted to announce that we shall be offering a 10% discount on all china hire* that is booked during April 2011. We still have some spaces to take bookings for summer 2011 and we are happy to take advanced orders for 2012 and 2013. If you would like to take advantage of this amazing offer do get in touch very soon and quote "April". Do take a look at our website (http://www.vintagefloralteas.co.uk/) for current prices and some lovely pictures of our collection!
amelia@vintagefloralteas.co.uk

*This offer is for china hire only and excludes all floral displays!

Monday 21 February 2011

Vintage Floral Teas Facebook page!

Hi All,
Just to let you know that we now have a Facebook page. You can find new photos and more updates on stunning flowers and crockery hire. You can leave us a message and click to "like" us.
Take a look... http://tinyurl.com/6crletn

Wednesday 16 February 2011

Darling pink and gold teacups...newly acquired!



I'm so pleased with my new find this week. Stunning 1950's White teacups with pink insides. They would lovely with chocolate desserts poured into them, or just for a really nice cup of tea.

Saturday 12 February 2011

Happy St Valentine's Day.......

It's Valentine's Day on Monday and I always feel that lovely sense of expectation around this time.  I wanted to do something that was a cut above the usual very dark red, almost sombre air-freighted "Grand Prix" rose arrangements. I think that using pinks and purples with lots of different texture creates something much softer and in tune with a vintage event. This feminine arrangement is to match my spring wedding bouquet from last week.




I used only British spring flowers and bright fuchsia organza to create this heart shaped wreath arrangement. It could be hung on a wall, propped on a gorgeous mantelpiece or laid flat on a table as a centrepiece with candles filling its centre.

Let's start investing in our own home grown English flowers as they really are fabulous! They are seasonal, have a much lower carbon footprint and buying them helps to keep an industry with so much heritage alive.
They also have a wonderful scent. The small white "Cheerfulness" Narcissus that I used in this arrangement has the most luxurious smell which fills a room in the way that other flowers don't.
I have been really impressed with Flowers By Clowance who always seem to have a really good supply of different varieties http://www.flowersbyclowance.co.uk/products/13-Cornish-Flowers/.

It would be lovely to know what you think. I hope you all have a very romantic St Valentine's Day!


Sunday 6 February 2011

With a spring in my step.....

I'm so looking forward to spring and everything that it brings. Already we have lots of lovely bulb flowers on the market and I noticed today that the crocus flowers have poked their heads up. That always signals that start of spring.
To mark this on my blog I have made a beautiful spring hand-tied bouquet suitable for a spring wedding. It is made up of Paperwhites, Anenomies and Tulips. It's so fresh and exuberant and I love the vibrancy next to the cream silk of the dress. Let me know what you think? x



Saturday 5 February 2011

Fallen in Love with Mums...

Chrysanthemums that is. At this time of year when everyone is still feeling the pinch in their pockets from Christmas but everything in the garden is looking so sludgy I have decided that Chrysanthemums are the ticket.
You can make some really lovely floral arrangments with them, stunning colours and they have a fab texture. I know, I know, you are thinking petrol station flowers and old grannies. But really they last for an age, they are inexpensive and bring a bit of life to a room when we are not quite out of winter. Look what I did with half an hour....
In this arangement I accessorisied  the flowers with mother of pearl buttons and hat netting.

 A Wedding table arrangement....
and just at home in some vintage milk jugs.....
let me know what you think......X