A Day in the Life of Princes House - Chapter 1

08/21/2013

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Princes House is a busy hub where beautiful things are created in house by our wonderfully talented team of creative people! Today at Princes House Cornwall


Top left - Amongst Make Up Artist Ella Butler's clients today was her lovely Bride to be who has flown in from Perth, Australia for her wedding at the idyllic venue of St Just in Roseland Church, Cornwall in a couple of weeks.

Top right - Anna D'Souza was beginning work on a new toile for one of her Brides. Anna specialises in basque work and produces tailored work that will dress your body shape.

Middle left - Jeweller Victoria Walker was working on one of her commissions, a stunning silver and 18 ct gold Rose locket for a couple who have enjoyed other pieces of Vicki's work.

Middle right - We welcomed home jeweller Mirri Damer who returned from the sapphire mines of Sri Lanka with a beautiful collection of jewels.

Bottom left - Couturier Annalise Harvey was working on a fairly last minute wedding dress in preparing this cotton toile for her Bride's fitting tomorrow. Annie's work is entirely bespoke for clients - a creative and exciting process and with her wedding fast approaching in October, a truly personal service for this client is mandatory. You will see Annie's Assistant Claire hand stitching lace in the studio.

Bottom right - Having completed portrait shots as a Case Study photography project forwww.convergencecornwall.com Simon has spent the afternoon post producing his earlier shoots this week for Shield Environmental.

Cornwall Chef were enjoying a group tasting session this afternoon and our milliner Holly Young was busy working in her studio too.

www.princeshousecornwall.com

To find out more about our suppliers and to find links to their own individual websites visit our About Us page here
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In The Spotlight - The Wedding Stationery Company

08/19/2013

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In the latest of our In The Spotlight Series - we introduce you to Natalie Fox of the Wedding Stationery Company (formerly Little Cornish Design Studio)
What does your business do and what inspired you to start?
We are based down in beautiful Cornwall and deliver both nationally and internationally. We offer personalised, DIY and printable wedding stationery which is perfect for your big day.

We want you to fall in love with your wedding stationery and make sure that it is something that you and your guests remember forever. Our designs are fresh and unique, we strive to use good quality materials and offer something to our customers that they will not find elsewhere.

How long has the business been going?  Who is ‘behind the scenes’?
Natalie swapped her career teaching anatomy for something a little more creative after her second child was born. She re-discovered her love of design (something which she had not touched since school & college nearly 11 years previously) and started making wedding stationery as well as creating logos & promotional material for friends businesses.

This evolved into The Little Cornish Design Studio. She then decided to rename the business The Wedding Stationery Co and her company has gone from strength to strength.

Natalie's other brand, Natalie Fox Bespoke Stationery, offers an exclusive bespoke design service to clients that desire their own unique wedding stationery.

Give me a brief over view of the services you have on offer...
Wedding Stationery Co = Personalised printed wedding stationery, DIY kits and supplies (very soon) and print-at-home wedding invitations (PRINTable range).
Natalie Fox Bespoke Stationery = Bespoke design service for wedding and event stationery.

Have you won any Awards? if so which ones?
Finalist in the Westcountry Wedding Awards 2013
She's also proud to be a Natural Wedding Company Recommended Supplier

Describe your studio
Bright, colourful, lots of space for design and production. Meeting room for clients coming soon.

What sets your business  apart from your competitors?
Lots of wedding stationery companies offer products which are quite generic and mundane! I produce unique designs which are more in keeping with my brides personalities and wedding themes and really reflect the couple at the centre of the day.

The cardstock I use is tactile and good quality as opposed to mass produced and or pearlescent with great big yukky ribbons!!

I have a few Cornwall-based illustrators working on some new ranges for me at the moment also.

Does you have a specialist area / style of product that you to create?
I love making bespoke products and working with my clients through the whole process, from conception to production - Natalie Fox Bespoke Stationery.

What do you love most about your job?

It's got to be when customers email me delighted that their parcel of wedding invitations have arrived. There is nothing better than hearing that somebody is really happy with your work and can't wait to get their invites out to show off to their guests!

Tell me about  your favourite client experience...
I was recently approached by a London client who wanted some bespoke invitation design work. She wanted to send her Save the Dates out via email. Their wedding is on Christmas Eve this year, on a coffee plantation in Nairobi. They are having an Indian wedding! They are also asking for donations to their favourite charity which saves orphaned baby elephants.

The brief was quite a challenge - to design something digital for them using the colours red and green, which featured elephants, coffee beans and referenced their Indian heritage!

Oh, and I only had a couple of days to complete it!
I produced a few different ideas for them for their Save the Date e-card and they chose one design which they were really happy with. Hopefully later on in the year I will be designing their printed wedding invitations, I'm excited as I can source some really exciting & unusual paper and cardstock which will show off their design beautifully.

I'm working on a bespoke invitation at the moment featuring a barn illustration at night in the snow. Another one of my bespoke clients is having a winter wedding. We decided to go for a midnight-blue illustration on cream textured card and a midnight-blue wallet which is just gorgeous!
What are the stages of your service and how long on average does it take from consultation to completion?
It's a good idea to start thinking about wedding stationery 8 or 9 months before you intend to send your wedding invitations out really. Many people leave it until the last minute and don't factor it into their budgets, however, wedding stationery is often the first contact you have with some of your guests about your wedding and it is a very important way of communicating what your wedding will be like. First impressions really do count!
Come and see me as soon as you have decided on your wedding style/ theme...

I like to have a minimum of 8 weeks if possible for my bespoke service in order to gather research, design prototypes, get feedback from my clients and go to print. There is also time involved with sourcing and costing unique materials and delivery.  The longer I have, the more I can do for you.

For my pre-designed range at The Wedding Stationery Co I like to have at least six weeks before you need them to personalise your invites and get them delivered to you.

I have some really busy periods in the year and so sometimes things take a little longer, but there are also times when things quieten down for me so if you are in a rush don't hesitate to ask as I may be able to turn something around quite quickly for you.

You should think about sending your Save the Date cards out to your guests as soon as you have set the date and booked the venue. This gives them time to make arrangements and avoid going on holiday when you are planning to get married! If you have sent Save the Date cards out then formal invitations containing all the important information can go out approximately 6 -8 weeks before the big day, giving guests time to send their reply cards back to you. You may also need to gather menu choices from them and give this information to your caterer so you need to factor that in as well.

Don't forget to think about Order of Service booklets, seating plans, place name cards, table menus and thank you cards! These things are often thought about last-minute also and I've seen many a stressed bride rushing around last-minute trying to sort these things out!  I can take the stress off you and design these to match your bespoke invitations and we also have matching products available for our ranges at The Wedding Stationery Co.

Top tip for choosing your perfect wedding stationery
My top tip for choosing your wedding stationery is simply to choose something that you love. There is nothing worse than going for something which is plain and boring just because it was cheap. You will regret it! Go for something that ties in perfectly with your wedding theme, don't be afraid to show your personalities in your invites (and possibly even your sense of humour!). You want to make your guests excited and give them a taste of what's to come. My mum still has a copy of my wedding invitation from five years ago in a keepsake box upstairs and she will probably keep that forever.

I’d love to start the process of working with you... how would I go about doing this?
Give me a call to make an appointment or pop into Princes House. I'm there most Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays unless I have other meetings. I offer a free no-obligation consultation if you want something bespoke designed and my full range of products from The Wedding Stationery Co are on display in my showroom and studio.

If you wish to make your own wedding invitations I am starting to fill up my DIY wedding invitation shop on my website www.weddingstationeryco.com

If you can't find what you need please ask as I may be able to get hold of it for you anyway.

I am also starting to plan some DIY wedding invitation workshops for the summer so please get in touch to register you interest if this sounds like something you would like. The workshops will be held at Princes House and you will learn several different techniques in the morning. The afternoon will be spent making your invites and I will be there to help you! It's great if you want to gather your friends or bridesmaids together and get your invites made and ready to post out! I've even talked Cornwall Chef into providing us with a yummy lunch....

Can I find you at any wedding fayres this year? (might not be relevant to everyone)
I don't do too many wedding fairs but please pop into my studio or visit my website to see my product range. If you want to stay in touch with what's going on please 'Like' my Facebook page www.facebook.com/weddingstationeryco

Random question please choose and one from the following: What was your best Christmas present?
My husband and I have a rule that we will buy something silly for Christmas and spend no more than £5. It's actually quite a challenge! Last year was books - I bought him a book called Gods of Rock and he bought me a Thesaurus....how romantic.

Where can I find out more about your business?
Please visit my website at weddingstationeryco.com or call me on 07838 778 553
email: [email protected]
facebook: facebook.com/weddingstationeryco
I'm on the Lower Ground Floor downstairs at Princes House.
If you don't live in Cornwall I'm happy to carry out a no-obligation consultation over the phone!

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Princes House Resident Round-up

08/05/2013

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While Summer sees a downturn in many businesses, life at Princes House is neither quiet nor dull! We continue to benefit from the joys of doing our own thing, while sharing in the value of being a collective.

At our recent business get-together, we were delighted to welcome Terry Mullins from The Reluctant Salesman. With great gusto and enthusiasm, he inspired us creative beings to enjoy valuing our expertise in business terms. As award-winners in our own rights, we are now proud to shout about this and to share our expertise: we are already seeing the results!

Annie Harvey has been asked to design a wedding gown for literary heroine Elizabeth Bennet! This year sees 200 years since the publication of the nation’s favourite novel “Pride and Prejudice” and the organisers of the Jane Austen Festival, in Bath,,have asked Annie to make a Lizzie Bennet inspired Gown to close a Fashion Show being held the on the 14th September 2013 which will be broadcast to Jane Austen societies around the world. This is a real 'home-coming' for Annie as she visited Jane Austen's House,with a friend at aged 15, dressed as the lady herself and had her picture taken by a handful of Japanese tourists as they 'took a turn about the grounds' with the director of the museum.

Just four years into her business, Victoria Walker has been selected to exhibit at the prestigious Goldsmiths Fair in London this September. The Fair is described as 'the ultimate one-stop destination for those seeking out jewellery and silver, by the most exciting independent designer-makers in the UK. Established in 1983, the Fair has grown in stature and allure, and is now considered to be the most important and prestigious event of its kind in Europe. Victoria is absolutely delighted and plans to exhibit a selection of her kinetic lockets made entirely in gold. She will be exhibiting during week one, 23-29th Sept. Goldsmith’s Hall, Foster Lane, London, EC2V 6BN.

Meanwhile, Natalie Fox has launched a new website advertising her bespoke stationery design service. This covers wedding stationery, event stationery and business stationery. Go to www.nataliefoxdesign.co.uk for ideas and feel free to ask her advice.

Clare Greenwood has been booked for a diverse range of talks, including a presentation in Plymouth, for the Dental industry, from all over the South West, as well as seminars to various medical faculties and corporate ventures. Her strap-line “Look the Biz with Looks Magic” is recognised as an important aspect of engaging on a personal and corporate level.

Anna Burt and Helena Giles are developing their business models as we speak, so look out for our forthcoming blogs. Ella Butler is busy revamping her website and Mirri Damer is currently sourcing sapphires in foreign climes, so we can’t wait for her update on that adventure!

Corinna and Steve are so busy preparing food that we hardly see them, but we so enjoyed their fantastic canapes at our recent “Wedding Planners Open Day”. Sarah Hooper has a busy itinerary at the moment, in some cases going to three weddings a day to do their hair, quite a feat but achievable for someone with her skills.

Anna and Holly have been working together coming up with some fantastic ensembles using matching fabric for the headdresses and wedding dresses and, as people realise that the occasion doesn’t need to be a wedding, the creative prospects are becoming limitless!

So just when we need it, at the end of the busy day, we can now enjoy being pampered by Rosemary Taylor who has an amazing therapy room offering a range of pampering and therapy sessions also available to men, an ideal gift idea!

Check out our new brochure and feel free to contact us at any time!

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A Royal seal of approval for Princes House businesses - by Holly Young

08/01/2013

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On the 15th July the Duchy Nurseries in Lostwithiel hosted the Cornwall Crafts Association's 40th Anniversary. The Crafts Association showcases its' members work in galleries at Trelissick Gardens and Trelowarren Estate, both beautiful locations that attract thousands of visitors each year. View the website here: http://www.cornwallcrafts.co.uk/home. I am lucky enough to be a selected member and I was delighted to have been invited to this very special celebration!
Prince Charles has been the chairman of the association for 35 years, often buying his Christmas gifts from the work of members. On a sunny Monday afternoon he came to the nurseries to meet and talk with all of us.
As well as myself two Jewellers from Princes House Victoria Walker and Miri Damer are both members of the Cornwall Crafts Association. They were showcasing their stunning pieces which Camilla took particular interest in (see Victoria pictured showing her kinetic flower pendant)
Mirri Damer and Victoria Walker introducing Charles, Princes of Wales and Duke of Cornwall to their collections.
Victoria Walker demonstrates her kinetic jewellery to Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall
It was a delight to speak to Camilla first of all. She recognised the flamingo mask that I had made for The Animal Ball, held the previous week at Lancaster House. 

The Elephant Family foundation, which the ball was held in aid of, was set up with the help of her brother Mark Shand. Here is a funky video of masked ball event:http://vimeo.com/70184595
She asked me about where I trained and was interested to hear about my work at Philip Treacy (Philip makes most of her hats including her wedding head piece). She said she liked my pink hat most of all and a friend of hers ended up commissioning a feathered headpiece from me! (New range of feather tiaras coming soon...!).
Later in the evening, one of Charles' close friends got wind that I was a Princes Trust member (I initially received a loan to set up my website in 2010) and he ushered me over to speak to him. It was so nice to meet him in person and thank him for the work of the Trust and explain that I still see my mentor three years on (they are only allocated for two).
The Duchess of Cornwall catching up with Holly about the Masked Ball for which Holly made two masks. The event was held in aid of a charity founded by the Duchess' brother.
Holly Young with Col Edward Bolitho (Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall) chatting about the work of the Princes Trust with its founder, the Prince of Wales.
All in all it was a very pleasant and relaxed evening. Charles gave a very witty speech taking the 'mickey' out of the organiser's block patterned shirt and Camilla did a spot of retail therapy from various members.
It's not every day you get to meet a royal and I can honestly say it was a pleasure!
Videos of Victoria Walker's incredibly kinetic jewellery can be seen on her website here, along with the rest of her collection.  Both Victoria and Mirri take commissions for special occasions so do check them out if you are in need of something that extra little bit special.
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