June Weddings!
Everyone loves a summer wedding! From the moment the personalised invitation drops through the letterbox the excitement starts to rise. The crisp card, the colours chosen, the font and the embellishments all gift us with a sense of what is to come and are a reflection of the couple whose marriage will be celebrated. With a huge choice of wedding venues, it is possible to have a dream wedding in these fair isles and with a reasonable expectation of warm, sunny weather outdoor options are also possible. We will all have memories of summer weddings, maybe our own, maybe someone dear to us or maybe weddings at which we have helped out in some way or another.
Weddings are a showcase for creativity, where handcrafted and home-designed items abound. You might be remembering a wedding with a folksy vibe, where neutral tones and natural fabrics are accentuated with the delicate palette of summer flowers. The bouquet may be sourced primarily from wildflowers gathered from the wayside and tied with a hessian bow. After a hearty meal, maybe a hog roast washed down by a local cider or ale, guests would join the couple in an evening of music and dance led by a lively folk band, while fairy lights twinkle down on the scene of merrymakers twirling around the floor or relaxing on hay bales and picnic rugs.
Or the wedding in your mind could be a classic summer celebration, suffused with blowsy flowers, sparkling champagne, swishing skirts and a marquee bedecked with garlands, white linen tablecloths and silver cutlery. After a meal of delicate flavours and light summer desserts, a string quartet may have delighted the wedding guests while the bride and groom circulate amongst them as the sun gives way to a warm, velvet sky and eventually the stars twinkle down upon the contented scene.
The wedding season provides good opportunities for craft businesses, whether that be for the wedding itself or gifts. Candles, vases, flower garlands, wall hangings, tableware and of course wedding favours may all be on the bride’s wish list. Bespoke invitations, table plans and name place cards might be worth considering for the calligraphers amongst you. Wedding fairs are big events now and a stall at one might be pricey, but if you are considering tailoring your products towards the wedding market, booking at one of these could be worth investigating. Word of mouth is often the easiest and most inexpensive way of building up a wedding market (whether you achieve this by digital or analogue means). If you can provide a service for one wedding, the chances are this might act as a springboard to another, and so on.
You may not be contemplating the wedding market itself, but the summer will provide an increase in the number of people looking for a gift. If you sell online, your product might be included in the official gift list. If not there will always be some guests who will want to indulge in something a little different for a couple special to them. They will be willing to pay a bit more for something both unique and well-made, thus ensuring longevity. Maybe a quilt created out of the couple’s favourite colours, a set of earthenware mugs with a motif designed especially for them, or a framed embroidered sampler depicting memories, hobbies and pertinent events from their lives thus far.
Jewellery of course plays a crucial role in every wedding; not only the rings, but necklaces, earrings, bracelets and hair adornments. Sometimes the bride will wear jewellery with sentimental value for her big day, but often she will be looking for the appropriate jewellery not only for herself but also for her bridesmaids and flower girls. Locally produced, sustainably and ethically sourced jewellery may be a little more expensive than its mass-produced counterparts, but weddings are occasions when customers will splash out to get something memorable and lasting. Remember to put your ethical and sustainable credentials on your website.
Whether you are capturing the wedding market specifically or just as one of the strings to your bow, you will need to investigate insurance for hand-crafted items before you launch your website or head out to a market or fair. Whether you are selling online or directly to the public, product liability insurance is worth having. This covers you for any claim a member of the public might make towards you for damage done, whether true or not, by one of your products. Public liability insurance is often required by craft fairs or market organisers. While neither are legal requirements, having insurance for hand-crafted items into which you have poured time, finances and your own creativity is well worth considering. As a family business we have several decades of specialist experience in insurance for hand-crafted items; pick up the phone or drop us a line and either Naomi or Sam will be here to talk you through the best insurance for your unique business requirements.
Weddings are glorious occasions, suffused with happiness and hope and it is wonderful to celebrate in style at such a significant event. However, in the often frantic and certainly busy lead up to a wedding it is easy to forget that the marriage which will follow will benefit from thoughtful, helpful gifts. Maybe there is an opportunity for textile crafters here; creating a Listening Cushion to be given as a wedding gift. This comes into play during those seasons when the relationship is strained and the couple really need to listen to each other. They take it in turns to hold the cushion; whoever has it is allowed to speak and must not be interrupted. When they have finished the other one then speaks uninterrupted. It is amazing now this can calm a heated situation!
So, let the season of summer weddings begin in all their timeless elegance, floral abundance and whimsy wonder. And for any of our customers tying the knot under these summer skies, we wish you a truly joy filled day, full of magical moments and precious memories.