Lakeside View

Congratulations to Joanna & Henry who married on Saturday at Sandhurst. Here's a photograph of our bespoke seating plan outside the marquee at the idyllic lakeside where the reception took place. A lovely touch: instead of using a photograph, the groom sketched the wedding chapel for the centre of their frame.

A Pretty Picture

Here's a nice sight. One of our favourite seating plans gracing the living room of Sasha and Tim who married at beautiful Lainston House in Hampshire over Easter. You can see the way that the couple very cleverly chose their design. As Sasha herself put it: "Tim and I wanted to say thank you...The choice of the frame was spot on, as was the design and they not only matched the character of the Dawley barn at the wedding, but also at our home..."

Here's a picture of the same seating plan at the door of their wedding breakfast at Lainston House:

The perfect illustration of our keepsake ethos: both a stunning momento and a talking point for years to come! See our website for some more recent examples of our work.  

National Wedding Show News

BOYGIRLBOY will attend the National Wedding Show at the NEC Birmingham from the 5 - 7th October. Watch this space for more information and offers as the show approaches. This lovely photograph of her BOYGIRLBOY seating plan taking pride of place in her living room was sent to me by April bride Sasha. 

Game, Set & Match!

Congratulations to Tim and Sasha who married last weekend at beautiful Lainston House in Hampshire. Here is a picture of their bespoke BOYGIRLBOY seating plan on an ornate easel at the door of the dining room. They opted for an elegant, black, swept frame with a double mount in cream and white and a black and white portrait of the couple and their beloved Shih tzu Elizabeth. Both skilled tennis players, the tables were named after great female tennis stars. Game, set and match! 

Pen Pals

I have had an enquiry from a client about the best kinds of pen to give to guests for signing the mount of the guest signature frame she has ordered from us for her wedding in May. It was an excellent question that I had neither been asked before and nor to which I knew the answer. So it was time for a spot of investigation. I have tested 8 different types of ink pen on high quality mount the same as that used in the finished guest signature frames and my findings are detailed below. 

I suppose that you might also find this survey useful for planning any kind of guest message collection on your special day be they in a frame, a book or  elsewhere.

One final thing: I apologise for my horrible scrawl. All I will say is, I come from medical stock.

1. Fountain Pen - prices start from around £5.00 from any stationer or department store

If you are upward of thirty, you will probably remember the days when all school children learned to write at school with this extremely messy tool...and you will also remember being told not to share fountain pens because they accustom themselves to the hand of the writer. Very true. I used my husband's extremely posh Mont Blanc special for this sample. Scratchy, dragging and not recommended.

Verdict: 2/10

2. UNI-BALL Signo £1.99 each from WHSmiths

Not bad although the ink has quite a dull finish once dried (which you might actually like). A soft, continuous flow and a good price if you want to buy a few spares.

Verdict: 7/10

3. BEROL Italic (fine) £1.70 from Paperchase

A little too heavy for my liking but the mountboard takes the ink very well (without bleeding) and it creates an extremely bold finish. The price is good but some guests might struggle with the sharp shape of the nib. Perhaps a regular felt tipped pen would be a better bet if this is the look you're after.

Verdict: 6/10

4. PENTEL EnerGEL Liquid Gel Pen 0.7 £3.99 (pack of two) from WHSmiths

My favourite by far. Inexpensive with smooth flowing ink, quick drying and a strong, clean finish. 

Verdict: 9/10 - BEST OVERALL

5. PILOT V7 HI-TECPOINT 0.7 £2.99 from WHSmith

I've been using these pens since school; ever since I gave up bothering with ink cartridges and bottles. It's another very nice choice although a more expensive one. The ink flows well and dries quickly but the finish is more dull than the PENTEL above (which you may like) but overall the effect is very pleasing.

Verdict: 8/10

6. Generic Black Rollerball around £5.00 for a multipack of 10 from most supermarkets (mine were from Asda)

Very good quality for a mass-produced product. A teeny, tiny bit scratchy in places but this is barely noticeable. The ink is quick drying and dries to to a slightly dull but not apologetic finish. It gets the supreme value for money vote too.

Verdict: 7.5/10 - BEST VALUE

7. PILOT G-TEC-C4 £3.00 from Paperchase

A really good quality, fine writing pen...for anything but this job! Anyone trying to produce a flourish will find it scratchy and awkward. It just doesn't take to mountboard well and the result is faint and a bit weedy. Not recommended.

Verdict: 3/10

8. UNI-BALL VISION NEEDLE (fine) £2.25 from Paperchase

It has what it takes and is branded with the promise of being waterproof which might come in handy. Again, it dries to a slightly dull finish but flows well and dries quickly. The high price however means that it is not the best value for money if you're after a few. 

Verdict: 7/10

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any experiences to share regarding the subject of this post or have any suggestions. 

New Seating Plan Design

Presenting a new square design featuring a non-uniform eight table configuration, double-mounted with table numbers, dedication and photo aperture. The square frame is a sumptuous 7cm cushion profile with silver-flecked gilt finish. The mount is ivory inset (tables only) with burgundy.

Let's Keep it Clean!

Anyone who has been to a wedding will recognise three distinct phases to the day: Phase One - The proper part where everyone is polished, perfect and polite at the beginning, Phase Two - the interim bit where everyone's loosening up and starting to get a bit hungry and Phase Three - the after-dinner drinking and dancing. On the whole, a recipe for a truly magical and memorable occasion. But there will always be those who try might be tempted to try to be clever or naughty or both. I've borne witness to weddings with boob flashing, rows, sobbing bridesmaids, canoodling on snooker tables and people stuffing bits of table dressing into their handbags...and that was just mine. (I jest!) In short, alcohol is a very necessary and very human part of any celebration. So, today, when I was yet again asked what has now become a very common question, it got me thinking about the human condition when it comes to fascinators and champagne and ink pens. Why is it, do you think, that people like to write on plastercasts? Could it be all that clean, white, pure surface waiting to be dirtied and sloganed? It's like a pile of leaves or an expanse of untouched snow. It's temptation. So, how do you stop guests at your big day from spoiling your beautiful clean signature frame with (shall we say) fruity comments or cartoons that might detract somewhat from the lovely sober messages of goodwill when you come to hang it in your home as a momento of your wonderful wedding day. I've had a think and an ask around, and this is what we've come up with:

How to Limit The Risk of Inappropriate Comments on A Guest Signature Frame

1. The first thing is to treat your guest signature frame as yet another stage in the day and make sure you time it right. At some point towards the end of Phase One and the beginning of Phase Two should be perfect; when folks are still on their best behaviour and aren't compensating for being a bit peckish by necking a bit too much champagne. At a suitable point close to the entrance of your reception or in a prominent place close by the gathering is ideal. Make it look purposeful by laying it on a nice crisp cloth and having your florist finish the table with some extra blooms or petals. Making it a feature will draw people near. People love reading messages and tributes and a crowd is most likely to deter any horse play or ill-advised contributions at this stage.
2. Go on! Give your attendants another job to do. As I always say, they're in it for more than the stag do and the dress and they'd better not forget it! Choose a trusted bridesmaid or groomsman and give them the job of getting as many people as possible to sign the mount during the drinks reception. It need be no longer than an hour or hour and a half tops, they can work shifts and, if you make it their responsibility, they'll be on any potential ne'er-do-wells like a tramp on chips.
3. You could make an announcement but this might come over a bit precious or bossy. Nobody likes it when you assume they are going to misbehave even if they know in their hearts that they desperately want to get their hands on that disposable camera and take 36 pictures of peoples bosoms with it. Instead, why not place a witty and easy-going - and yet at the same time crystal clear - sign somewhere prominent advising people to think twice before leaving a message or drawing that includes cheek, profanity or anything that does not in some way reflect their purest thoughts on this most sacred of occasions. (BOYGIRLBOY will be happy to help you with this notice completely free of charge by the way).
4. Have an attendant or member of staff at the venue remove the frame from sight and safely stored during dinner. If anyone important has been missed out (impossible!), then they can always sign it at a later date but seriously, by 8pm, enough is enough. It's time to party!
5. Lastly, a novel one this and probably the most effective by far: Position your signature frame within easy sight of a comfy seating area where many of the more mature guests are likely to gravitate at various points during the reception, the idea being that people are less likely to lark about with granny doling out hard stares in their peripheral vision. It would definitely work with my granny.

What you consider to be inappropriate comment will, of course, be subjective and an affair that is entirely for you, but most people should realise that a wedding is not the place for black humour, life drawing practice or indeed to try out new stand-up material particularly when two, or possibly three, sheets to the wind. By following some or all of these steps, it is my hope that disaster may be averted. Please let me know if you come up with any more.