Wedding Favours

It is hard to find an original Wedding Favour that your guests will treasure. So I think these little Echeverias planted in terracotta pots are just gorgeous, and they are also something that can be nurtured by your guests as an on going reminder of your Wedding day.

Pop a label on each with your guest's names on, or simply write 'take me home' and they could also double up as place settings or table centre decorations. I think they are great value too, priced at £40 for 20 potted plants, available from Etsy.

Interview with Branche d’Olive Owners - Ruthie Watson & Jane Comyn

Our history/training...  

Ruthie: I never for one minute thought I would end up selling soap! After a career at Sotheby’s and then a far more important one bringing up our two children, I realised that I just like being busy.  I really do admire 'Ladies Who Lunch' but it’s not for me. I just find it hard sitting down and like being on the go. It’s been hugely satisfying starting Branche d'Olive and I must say, fun too. I always said the minute it stopped being fun, I’d stop.

Jane: Distinctly haphazard!  I left school at 15 and didn’t go to university until my late 30’s.   In between I trained first in dress design and pattern cutting and then, once realisation dawned that I was not the next Mary Quant (or, in today’s terms Stella McCartney) I became a bi-lingual secretary – not a conventional progression!   With hindsight I realise I’m a serial and historically at least, stunningly unsuccessful, entrepreneur.  Excluding childhood enterprises:  from post offices to piano lessons – despite having no piano, Branche d'Olive is officially my fourth ‘business’.

We were first inspired to set up Branche d’Olive when …
 
Ruthie: There have been a huge number of happy coincidences in the birth and growth of Branche d'Olive. My friendship with Jane and of course, the fact that I have a house in Provence, are the very foundations upon which Branche d'Olive is built.  It was indeed on one such trip to a Provencal market which actually led to the creation of Branche d'Olive. Back in the UK and wrapping soaps at our respective kitchen tables, I think even our husbands thought we would tire of it before long, but they now look on us with probably quite a lot of respect. I think in today’s climate, it’s important to highlight that traditional business models do not in fact have to be adhered to, to run a successful business.
 
Jane: I think it was more ‘instinctive serendipity’ than inspiration.  In my mid 40’s I turned my back on a recently completed law course and opted instead to trade in decorative antiques and lifestyle items.  Taking space in a local antique centre, I scoured the flea markets of France, returning only when the car became too full to sleep in.  One journey included a visit to Ruthie in her recently renovated Provençale farmhouse.  At a local market, I fell in love with a particular type of Marseilles hand-stamped soap and bought 72 bars as a decorative addition to a wrought iron washstand acquired en route.  Back in the shop, the soap sold almost immediately, by contrast, the washstand endures still!  More purchases of soap followed and, eventually, the offer of an exclusive distributorship.   In turn, this led to forming a partnership with Ruthie, which subsequently evolved into Branche d'Olive.

We are inspired by...

Ruthie - Running my own company, it's hard and huge amount of work but so very rewarding.

Jane - Being an employer and, however cheesy it may sound, consider it a real privilege. 

Branche d’Olive products appeal to...

Jane: Literally anyone needing to give (or wishing to receive) a present.  At one time or another, that’s pretty much everyone!   Principally sourced from Provence, a worldwide reference for Mediterranean wellbeing, Branche d'Olive has a range of top quality, authentic home fragrances and luxurious bath/beauty products.

My favourite place to shop is…

Ruthie: The markets in Provence are always a wonderful place to get new ideas.  Our double-drainer soap dishes were based on a market find and our linen hand towel, which is woven by a small master weaver I discovered in Angus, Scotland, has similarities to the wonderful old linen found at L’Isle sur le Sorgue market. 

Jane:  I adore Liberty, and not just because they stock a wide range of Branche d'Olive products in their Bath Shop!  As more and more department stores become, effectively, clones of each other, Liberty can still be relied upon to provide an eclectic and innovative experiential boost to the spirit.   Their fabric department is particularly wonderful - any Bride looking for inspiration (perhaps for the Groom’s waistcoat?) will not be disappointed. 

Product prices start from...

£2.75 – this is for a 30g bagged guest soap – another very popular wedding favour.

Available from…

Over 300 stockists nationwide or direct from Branche d'Olive.

Our office is...

Ruthie: I am lucky to be able to work from home. My house here couldn’t be more different to ours in Provence – we live in a thatched cottage backing onto the Lambourn downs.  From my office window I look out onto a little parterre and roses everywhere.  In Provence we don’t have a formal garden as such, but only plant things which grow in the wild.  We’ve just planted a lavender field – can’t wait for our first harvest and perhaps we will be able to use the lavender essence in our Branche d'Olive products.  Who would have thought, twelve years ago when we started out, that we might be doing that?

Jane: Adjacent to my kitchen and, if I lean back just slightly, I can get a glimpse of the kitchen table upon which those first soaps were wrapped.  I can also see a wine glass… but I still have one more question to answer...

Every bride should...

Ruthie: Enjoy every second of her wedding day.  She won’t get a chance to re-live it!

Jane: Ensure her Groom is both ‘hero and safe harbour’.   I would say the same to a Groom about his bride.  For me, the saying (often used by my mother) is "not a rallying call for blind allegiance but an appreciation that marriage requires the bedrock of a mutual generosity of spirit:  each partner should for ever be both a champion of, and a comforter to, the other."

Wedding Favour - Chocolate Fortune Cookies

I love these sweet little chocolate fortune cookies, available from Maple Molly's... tasty and entertaining... you can't loose!

Priced from 80p each.

Forget Me Not - Wedding Favours

Looking for a simple, organic Wedding favour for your guests? I love these sweet, personalised seed packets containing hundreds of forget-me-not seeds.  Forget me nots symbolise faithfulness and enduring love, so their easy-to-grow seeds make perfect wedding favours.

Priced at £1.80 each including personalisation from Not on the High Street

Wedding Favour Idea - Charbonnel et Walker

Founded in 1875, Charbonnel et Walker is one of Britain’s earliest chocolatiers. Encouraged by Edward VII, (then the Prince of Wales), they first formed as a partnership between Mrs Walker and Mme. Charbonnel, the latter from the Maison Boissier chocolate house in Paris. The original shop opened at 173 New Bond Street in Mayfair and has remained in Bond Street ever since, now housed in one of London’s elegant arcades, the Royal Arcade on Old Bond Street.  Endorsed by a Royal Warrant as chocolate manufacturers to Her Majesty The Queen Charbonnel et Walker chocolates are all hand-made according to traditional recipes.  I love their mini heart shaped boxes filled with truffles and the classic boxes of sugared almonds too. They would make absolutely lovely Wedding Favours although they are not cheap, priced at £4.99 each.

Favour Idea - Tea cake treat!

I just spotted these delightful little treats in Bride Magazine... I think they are such a fantastic idea for a simple, budget friendly and tasty favour for your guests! They also double up as place names - an added bonus!

A great splash of colour for the tables. Tea cakes are available at most supermarkets and the little flags are fairly easy to find too. I have found the ones below on Etsy, with the option to print a personalised message on the reverse.

A Very Special English Country Wedding

Set in the heart of the beautiful English Countryside this Wedding has a very special place in my heart.  It is the Wedding of my little brother and his gorgeous new wife Becky.  From start to finish every single little detail was considered making the entire day very personal, both to the bride and groom and to their families.  The Wedding reception was held at the Bride's childhood home with the ceremony in the village church, just a short walk across the road... an absolutely perfect fairytale Wedding.

The Wedding itself was very traditional and romantic but the groom was keen to mix some madness into the day. You can see this in the choice of wedding vehicle above!

The marquee was decorated in pinks and purples and Becky bought hundreds of paper lanterns to attach to the ceiling of the marquee. On each of the place settings she placed a scented fan for the ladies and a cigar for the men. Small bags of her favourite sweets (flying saucers) were also placed at each of the settings.

A 'chill out' tent was created, a very popular area in the evening for guests to be able to take a break from the dancing.

One of the bridesmaids did the most amazing fire performance and absolutely stunned all of the guests.

Becky's Three Top Tips:

1. Make sure your photo session is really organised and timing is kept to a minimum. The photos part can easily take over an hour if you're not careful and you'll miss out on spending time with your guests and enjoying the atmosphere
2. Try and get someone to be a point person for all your suppliers on the day, otherwise you the bride or your mother will probably get landed with any issues which can really detract from the day if you have to run around sorting out silly things like champagne for the toasts
3. Keep the formalities as relaxed as you can. It's really great to cram the tradition in there but the more formal and rigid you make your day the less enjoyable it is for your guests. Just keep it flowing and there will be no chance for anyone to get bored!

Suppliers:
Dress - Caroline Castigliano / Veil - Martin Charles / Shoes - Rachel Simpson / Tiara - Debenhams / Flowers - by my Mum! /  Make-up - Fleur De Force / Hair - Hensmans / Bridesmaid Dresses - Gill Bunting / Cake - Sugarcraft Sensations / Photographer - EWP Photography

Macaroon Pops

My new love... macaroon pops! Light, sweet and utterly delicious these fantastic treats don't just look fabulous, they are scrumptious too. Perfect in every way for a wedding treat.

I am all for DIYing as much of your wedding as you can.  I may be crazy but I think it is fun and it also means so much to all your guests if the time has been put in by yourself, your family and friends. So, I have found an amazing step-by-step recipe for you to follow.

The amazing Bakerella provides step by step instructions, with photos, to help you along the way. My only advice would be to practice, practice, practice before the big day!

Good luck to you all! We would love to see photos of your creations once you've made them!