Today I have a real treat for you!! A chance to win your wedding stationery WORTH OVER £500 courtesey of Glyn Archer Wedding Designs – Let me hand you over to Glyn to tell you a bit more about Glyn Archer Wedding Designs and full details of their competition…

Client service and satisfaction are at the top of our list.  We create contemporary (or vintage), beautiful (or fun) wedding and civil partnership stationery as well as stocking unique favours, loose chocolates and reception products.

Our stationery has been designed specifically to help you find your dream wedding stationery at a price which will keep you within your budget.  We do this by giving you a large range of style/embellishment options to choose from to enhance the designs (or not) as your budget or design preferences dictate.  Options include card types, style of insert printing, envelope choices, plus various embellishments such as glitter, crystals, ribbon and diamante buckle enhancements. PLUS up to 2 hours free artwork time to customise any designs to your colours or themes, or to design something brand new especially for you!

THE PRIZE

80 Save the Date cards (A7 cards)
50 Invitations
(Postcards – A5 or DL size)
20 Menu Cards (A5)
10 Table Name Cards (210×210)
50 Order of Service Cards
(1 or 2 sided DL postcard)
80 Personalised Favour Stickers

Today’s Friday Treat comes from Ally at My Little Wrapper Chocolate Bars who has very kindly taken the time to chat with us and tell a bit more about her fantastic business and how it all started……

Company Name:

My Little Wrapper Chocolate Bars

What inspired you to start your business?

A throwaway remark by my husband about 3 or 4 years ago!  At a friend’s wedding he was keen to tell us all how ‘pointless’ wedding favours can be; that often they get put in a drawer somewhere or left on the table at the reception.  We started saying ‘now if that was chocolate, it would be a totally different matter!’

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The variety of what I do – I’ve honestly never created two bars the same. Due to the nature of my personalised product, I create something for each individual no matter what the occasion might be & it’s their reaction to what I create that I love.  Whether that’s for a Wedding, New baby, Corporate event, Christmas, Children’s birthday party, 60^th Wedding Anniversary, or Mother’s Day – I love the creativity that my work allows – Brilliant!

What has been the best moment of your business?

Well, there’s a few really………

Providing several hundred bars to the celebrity guests at ‘The Make A Wish Foundation Summer Ball’ at Blenheim Palace.  That was June last year; great exposure for me & as a result I have a lovely testimonial  from them on my website.

Coming to a bride’s rescue when a supplier had let her down in the week before her wedding; the couple were so thrilled with their bars & wrote me such a beautiful thank you letter

Delivering 300 bars to Belgium for a Wedding! – Yes Belgium!!!  I thought they would have all the chocolate they could possibly want out there; but really chuffed that they chose me J

But most recently……..Being nominated as ‘Most Innovative Wedding Supplier 2011’ in the Incredible Wedding Awards; organised by Ice the Cake.  They are all about finding Professional, Credible & Reliable Wedding Suppliers in the UK, so I am thrilled to bits to have my work recognised & have people vote for me.  I’m now in the final with the winner announced at the end of November at the awards do…… Fingers crossed!

What are your business plans for the future?

To keep doing what I’m doing!  2011 has been all about networking for me, so I want to build on those links I’ve established & branch out into some more new areas.

Can you give us a ‘Typical day in the life of….’?

There really is no such thing for me……..  I have 2 young children & a husband that works strange shift patterns, so really I’m incredibly lucky that I’m able to fit my work around them & a busy family life.  Every day is completely different.

I’m always checking emails & responding to website enquiries throughout the day ……a prompt reply is very important to me.  I try to do the majority of my design work & production in the evenings when little ones are in bed. During the day I have to keep my chocolate stocks locked away!

I also work 2 mornings a week for Blueprint Imaging in Witney, who are experts in large format display graphics, exhibition stands & signage of any sort.  That’s giving me a great opportunity to offer other businesses in the wedding industry (& beyond) superb signage solutions for their shops/wedding fayres/ exhibitions……..so should you need any PVC banners, canvas prints, or Pull-up banners, then I’m the woman to talk to!

What a fantastic idea! I love these and would be chuffed to bits if someone gave me one of these as a wedding favour!

Huge Congratulations on your Ice The Cake award nomination Ally! To vote for My Little Wrapper Chocolate Bars, click here – voting closes on the 14th October 2011.

Don’t forget to check out My Little Wrapper Chocolate Bars discount here!

Muchos love,

I was contacted earlier in the week by one of MWD’s readers, Kristen (or @Kristen_72010 for any Tweeters!!) to tell me all about Scentsy and I just had to share this fab concept with you guys.

This is what Kristen had to say….

Scentsy is a wickless, flameless alternative to scented candles; plus much cheaper and cuter!!  The scented wax bars come in 80+ scents and the warmers come in mid-size, full-size, and plug-ins.  The wax is melted by a low watt bulb that comes with your warmer and the wax never goes above body temperature, so it’s not only safe for babies and pets, but there’s no risk for fires like there are with candles.  Once the wax melts your whole floor (depending on how open the rooms are) are filled with the scents!  The best part is that they come in USMC, Coast Guard, Army, Air Force, and Navy full-size warmers!  Proceeds go to varying Military programs.  All you need to do is get a warmer and then buy your scent bars and that’s it!! ..They have a scent and warmer for everyone…not just Military but holidayand  the bars burn up to 100 hours so they’re so much cheaper than candles in the long run! They just came out with their holiday scents and warmers that are amazing!!..Scentsy also offers travel tins, scent pouches, and scent buddies (comes with a scent pouch to keep your kiddies rooms smelling wonderful).  They’re awesome for gifts and especially to show your support for the troops!!

Now, anyone who knows me will know how much I LOVE smellies!! I’m addicted to perfume and my house HAS to smell nice. I have candles and plug ins everywhere, so when I got this email I was sold at the word ‘Scentsy’ and it just got better and better!

Here’s a couple of examples of Kristen’s Scentsy’s

Details of how to order..

The page can be found at www.fanaticfowler.scentsy.us, go to the far right of the page where it says “Open Parties”, and click on “Kristen B’s Party” to shop from mine..The Military warmers can be found under “full-size warmers” and then go to “Patriot Collection“.  Along the theme of weddings, you can also buy a DIY warmer, then go to “close out items” and purchase the wedding theme and create your own warmer with a wedding theme!!!

Kristen’s party ends on the 30th September so you haven’t got too much to take advantage of these fab products – don’t miss out!!

Muchos love,

This afternoon I have something very special to share with you – the launch of the Royal Marine Wags Calendar 2012 – Available to buy from TODAY!

Image Source: My Boudoir photography

It’s been a long journey to get to this stage but creators Becci and Lois could not be happier with the result.

Having met while their partners were deployed in Afghanistan with the Royal Marines the girls quickly formed a bond, supporting each other through the difficult time that is a six-month tour. In May 2011 they decided that they wanted to find a project to firstly distract them and secondly raise money for the very worthy Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund (RMCTF). Having seen other calendars produced by Forces families they set about seeking out the wives and girlfriends of soldiers currently serving in the Royal Marines.

The response they got was quite simply astounding. Setting up a page on Facebook they were inundated with over 50 entries over a two-month period; “all of the girls who entered were gorgeous, it was a very difficult task picking a final twelve,” says Becci. “The selection process wasn’t based just on looks but took into account their stories and their other halves.” Twelve women were chosen from across the country with partners serving at all of the major Marine bases in the UK, there is a selection of girlfriends, fiancés and wives many of whom also have young children.

The overwhelming response from the companies and individuals who have sponsored the production costs of the calendar has been beyond belief. Companies were offered the opportunity to sponsor a month of the calendar for a minimum of £150, having this financial input meant that the girls would be able to pay for the cost of printing the first 1000 calendars and start making money for the charity straight away. Lois says: “We simply couldn’t have done it without the support of our wonderful sponsors, having this money behind the calendar means that we’ll start making money for the RMCTF from our very first sale!”

The calendar was shot by the hugely talented Nicola Grimshaw-Mitchell of My Boudoir photography at her Manchester-based studio in July 2011, together with hair by Love the Salon of Cheltenham and make-up artist Michelle Sisson, she took all of the photographs in one day. The girls can be seen wearing beautiful underwear, all of which was donated to the calendar by Boux Avenue, Playful Promises and Joyce Brooks Lingerie; the combination of such beautiful pieces and great hair and make up gives the photographs their professional edge.

Designed by Aqua Design Group, the calendar is now available to buy from the official website as well as in-store via several of the sponsors. Sponsor Combat Casual Tees (www.combatcasualtees.com) have very kindly designed the official tshirt to support the calendar, all profits from which will also go to the RMCTF.

The Royal Marines Wives and Girlfriends Calendar for 2012 is now available to buy for just £8.99 from www.rmwagscalendar.co.uk!

What a brilliant idea and a fantastic acheivement too – and how gorgeous do those girls look!!! A complete bargain at just £8.99 and with all the proceeds going to such a good cause it’s just got to be had – I’m sure there are plenty of people on your Christmas list that would love one of these.

Thanks again to Becci and Lois for sharing this with us and I wish you all the very best and every success!

Muchos love,

Emma @ Military Wedding Discounts xXx