The Vintage Teacup Hire Company - china, props and music for your vintage wedding and events The Vintage Teacup

April 9

STYLED SHOOT: A MAD HATTER’S TEA PARTY WITH VINTAGE WEDDING DRESSES

AUTHOR: Kirsty Patterson // CATEGORY: Styled Shoot
No Comments

9
APR

Alice in Wonderland continues to be a popular theme for weddings. The tea party element lends itself easily to a wedding breakfast and the ability to embrace steampunk, kitsch, retro or vintage decor provides brides with very different tastes the opportunity to add their own slant to the ‘Alice’ theme.

When we first embarked on our shoot with Cara Bendon the idea to use Alice in Wonderland as our inspiration sprang from the tall hedges that we had chosen as a backdrop for our tea party picnic. They reminded me of a maze and I pictured my bride, in an original fifties dress, peering over the hedge to find her way through the fairytale-like world in which she was immersed. (more…)
March 26

ATTENDING THE YAXLEY WEDDING FAIR

AUTHOR: Kirsty Patterson // CATEGORY: Running a Business
No Comments

26
MAR

We’re just heading into Wedding Season now with the sunshine staying around a little bit longer and our tea cups, suitcases and props flying off all over the county to celebrate wedding days in the coming summer sunshine. But Spring is Wedding Fair time and we wanted to give you a quick round up of our first outing this year to the Yaxley Wedding Fair at the Royal British Legion in Yaxley, near Peterbrough.

The Yaxley Wedding Fair changed dates this year and we were concerned as it clashed with two other major wedding fairs in the area. However, there were still plenty of couples through the door and some even popped in after they had been to the larger fairs as they spotted the signs on their way home! (more…)
March 20

WELCOMING SPRING!

AUTHOR: Kirsty Patterson // CATEGORY: featured product
No Comments

20
MAR

Today is the first day of Spring and we are celebrating with a Fundraising Tea Party for Chatteris in Bloom. When we first heard that the theme of today’s fundraiser was to be a ‘Daffodil Vintage Tea’ we knew exactly which teacup would be best placed to celebrate the spring equinox.

This handpainted trio, produced in the 1920s, is possibly by ‘Stoke’ potteries. It is unusual in that it is gilded with a silver metal instead of gold. (more…)
March 18

NEW PRODUCT: PINK CHINA TEA SET

AUTHOR: Kirsty Patterson // CATEGORY: featured product
No Comments

18
MAR

Happy Belated Mothering Sunday to all you lovely Mums out there. I spent Mother’s Day chaperoning my eldest daughter through a days worth of dance rehearsals before her first ballet show next week so there wasn’t much chance for celebrations.

We did however have a treat for Mummy on Saturday when we went over to Ely for the day, to deliver our prop suitcase for a wedding at The Old Hall, and had a lovely meal with our children and my parents. This was followed by an obligatory trawl through the antiques centre where, inevitably, I fell in love with some china. (more…)
March 17

A FUNDRAISING VINTAGE TEA PARTY FOR CHATTERIS IN BLOOM

AUTHOR: Kirsty Patterson // CATEGORY: fundraising
No Comments

17
MAR

On Friday 20th March The Vintage Teacup Hire Company is hosting a “Vintage Daffodil Tea” for Chatteris in Bloom, an organisation that prepares the town of Chatteris for the annual Anglia in Bloom competition in which they are regularly awarded some of the highest merits.

The ‘Vintage Tea’, which takes place three times a year, is an important fundraising event to help pay for planting, equipment and materials throughout the season. In June last year we hosted a ‘Strawberry Tea’ with homemade meringues and fresh strawberries. At the end of November there is a ‘Christmas Tea’ with cinnamon flavours and mince pies on the menu.

(more…)
March 15

WEDDING COLOUR PALETTE: NAVY BLUE AND BLUSH PINK

AUTHOR: Kirsty Patterson // CATEGORY: wedding colour palette
No Comments

15
MAR

I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many pretty teacups. I find each one of them to be individual works of art and full of inspiration. I could easily design an entire wedding around each and every one of my pretty china treasures.

So I’ve decided to do just that! Here are some of my ideas for a navy blue, blush pink and coral wedding inspired by a stunning Paragon Star teacup with a cobalt blue glaze and hand painted pink flowers.

(more…)
March 14

STEAL THEIR STYLE: BOHEMIAN OUTDOOR TIPI WEDDING ON WHIMSICAL WONDERLAND WEDDINGS

AUTHOR: Kirsty Patterson // CATEGORY: Steal their style
No Comments

14
MAR

Did you see Stephen and Laura’s Bohemian Outdoor Tipi Wedding with a Festival Vibe over on Whimsical Wonderland Weddings the other week?

This is one of those weddings that we really wish we had been at! I love outdoorsy weddings with a rustic feel and everything from Laura’s peonie and angelica bouquet to the floor length pastel bridesmaid dresses has got me in a bit of a flutter over this beautiful wedding.

Here’s how we can help to steal their style: (more…)
March 13

REAL WEDDING: HENRIETTA AND RALPH

AUTHOR: Kirsty Patterson // CATEGORY: Real Weddings
No Comments

13
MAR

Here are some sneaky peaks from behind the scenes at Henrietta and Ralph’s Notting Hill Wedding. The wedding reception was a sumptuous tea party held in the garden of Henrietta’s parents’ georgian town house.

The generous floral borders were the perfect backdrop for our delicate chintzy china tea cups, cakestands, teapots and cake plates. We absolutely loved the baskets full of wildflowers displayed on the tables in the garden. The simplicity of the plain white wedding cake made a feature of the colourful blooms set on top of it.

(more…)
March 12

WHAT MAKES US SPECIAL?

AUTHOR: Kirsty Patterson // CATEGORY: Running a Business
2 Comments

12
MAR

Vintage china hire companies are cropping up all over the place. I find a new company on twitter, facebook or on Google virtually everyday. I am absolutely delighted to see vintage taking off in such a big way.

It does sometimes seem quite daunting given that there is so much competition in the market. However, a plethora of other china hire companies can only mean that vintage weddings are still growing in popularity and that there is a market out there for what we do. Fantastic!

(more…)
March 11

NEW PRODUCT: SHABBY CHIC DESSERT TROLLEY

AUTHOR: Kirsty Patterson // CATEGORY: featured product
No Comments

11
MAR

We have added a new product to our hire catalogue. Perfect for vintage weddings or church hall weddings our shabby chic tea trolley is staged with everything you need for a perfect dessert table.

The package includes the hire of three large and four small glass cakestands, a silver plated cake knife and three silver plated cake slices. Stack up the cakestands to make pretty tiers with sweets and biscuits on each layer or use them on their own to display larger cakes and desserts. (more…)