Summer Daze...

I have finally found a moment amidst these mad summer months to share something I have been sitting on for a while. With the brand new website in progress, it seemed the right time to pack the van full of seasonal blooms and spend a few days shooting with the unbelievably talented Katy Lawrence, to really try and capture the essence of Verity & Thyme.

It is no secret I adore the Cornish coast with its wild waves, bountiful hedgerows and sense of seclusion, so shooting flowers on real film with my dear friend Katy for a few sunshine filled days was heaven on earth. Laden with flowers, film and more white dresses than anyone should ever really own, we spent a few beautiful July days jumping in corn fields, scrambling down into secret coves and hiking up heather covered cliff tops for the best views of the sparkling Cornish sea. We returned home each day with more freckles on our noses and salt spray in our hair, choosing homegrown strawberries from down the lane for tea in the garden. It was one of those perfect summer weeks where life seemed to stand still and I had time to fully enjoy how perfect the English summer can be. I picked hydrangeas from the hedgerows (in the most heavenly shade of dusky lilac I have ever met), wild mint growing abundantly from gaps in the stone wall and honeysuckle from the garden to make bouquets for Katy to shoot and I don't think I will ever tire of looking at them on film.

So I leave with you our photos, full of happy summer flowers and perfect Cornish sea and sky. Enjoy...

There are more, but I wish to save a few for a rainy day when a reminder of summer is all we need to lift the spirits.

I can't quite put my finger on why but I feel this summer has slipped by in a heartbeat and although I welcome autumn with arms wide open, I fear I have missed those long sultry summer days this year. Afternoons spent lounging in the long grass with a picnic by the river and balmy evenings spent in good company with delicious food, or maybe I had them but they seem lost in my memory as the weeks have rolled by. I may have to dedicate the last bank holiday next weekend to the above, lets just hope the weather holds or there will be some rather soggy sandwiches to pretend to enjoy.

Having said that, I love watching the seasons change and I get that same excited back-to-school feeling every autumn and I have to stop myself running out to purchase some tan brogues and a new notebook. The end of the summer will see a few more lovely weddings for delightful V&T bride and grooms to be and the launch of the new website, so this may be the last post on this blog as it will have a new home this autumn. More to come soon...


Charlotte xx

The wedding of Helen & Liam...

Helen and Liam's pretty palette of pale pastels, soft white and green made for a very romantic summer wedding last month. Blowsy seasonal blooms such as homegrown peonies and garden roses sat happily next to fluffy nigella and astilbe, and a touch of sweetly scented freesia (a favourite of the bride's), stock and sweetpea created a truly beautiful bridal bouquet. 

Helen wore a fresh flower comb, made to match her bouquet, in her hair and her four bridesmaids had delicate fresh flower corsages on their wrists. The groom and his groomsmen carried blush spray roses with white astilbe, whilst the ladies had a sprig of homegrown flowering thyme amongst their roses. 'Just picked from the garden' style clusters of jam jars in pretty pastels dressed the tables at Oh Me Oh My, full of blooms such as garden roses, sweetpea, lilac scabious, powder blue nigella and fresh green achemilla, and lots of fresh foliage added a natural touch...

Helen's blush, white and green natural style bouquet

Blush pink, white and greens sitting pretty together

Flowers for the bride

Flowers for the maids 

Flowers for the men

Flowers for the ladies

Wedding party blooms

Seasonal clusters for Oh Me Oh My

I still have a whole host of lovely June weddings to share with you, but for now I am signing off for a week in Cornwall with family, good food and hopefully more of this glorious weather!

Charlotte xx

The wedding of Kathryn & Yaw

The wedding of beautiful bride Kathryn and her husband Yaw this weekend was a rather gorgeous one. A celebration centred around family at St George's Hall and good food at Leaf on Bold Street complemented the couple's laid back style, and it was an absolute pleasure creating their big day florals.

I met Kathryn at Oh Me Oh My's wedding fayre earlier on in the year, and we instantly bonded over our love of palest pastels, scented flowers and pretty lace. Blush pink and white seasonal spring blooms took Kathryn's fancy and her bouquet was bound with delicate lace offcuts from her wedding dress, to which I added trailing nude velvet ribbon and vintage lace. I made matching mother and daughter bouquets full of sweetly scented lilac, stocks and paperwhites mixed in with the palest pink spray roses and fresh variegated foliage. For the men and mum's of the bridal party, blush roses were accompanied by delicate little rose buds and plenty of foliage for a pretty spring look. 

Kathryn's Bouquet

Nude velvet ribbon and vintage lace bound Kathryn's bouquet

Flowers for Kathryn's daughter, Habibah 

Blush roses, lilac, paperwhites and stocks

Flowers for the groom

Flowers for the bridal party

I am so excited to welcome in the month of May tomorrow, as I think I have decided it is my favourite. Alongside the gorgeous wedding of Jen and Morgan this bank holiday, a beautiful shoot with some my favourite people and lots of lovely meet ups with V&T couples, I have decided to take a little time off this month to celebrate my birthday with loved ones and give myself a little rest before the summer season kicks off. A trip to Cornwall is on the cards and I cannot wait to share it all with you - be prepared for lots of cow parsley, floral inspired baking and seas views on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! 

Charlotte xx

Spring Bake

It is no secret that I love flowers. I love arranging them, growing them, eating and drinking them. Nothing makes me more excited than a cake piled high with fresh blooms or a drink laced with floral syrup. Whilst planting up my old tin bath tubs this weekend, I made a promise to myself as I bedded in some violas and primrose - to start using them in my kitchen more. I picked up a mini cake mould earlier on in the week and was desperate to try it out, so I made the simplest of rose flavoured sponges topped with seasonal edible blooms for a weekend treat. It couldn't have been easier, as you can see below...

Mini rose sponges topped with edible flowers (makes 10 mini cakes):

Equipment:

Mini cake mould, picked up from any good cook shop (mine is made from silicone)

Ingredients:

225g unsalted butter, very soft

225g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract (or if you are feeling really fancy, the seed from one vanilla pod)

225g golden caster suger

2 tsp rose essence

For the icing:

250g icing sugar

1/2 teaspoon of rose essence

Cold water

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190c/fan 170c/gas mark 5. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, and then add the eggs, vanilla, rose essence, sugar and butter. Cream together thoroughly by hand or with an electric hand-held whisk, but not too enthusiastically as you are looking for a light sponge. Divide the mixture between the moulds, careful to only half fill them as they rise quite dramatically. 

Bake in your preheated oven for about 20 minutes until they are golden brown on the base. Leave the cakes in the mould for a couple of minutes before turning out on to a cooling rack. To make the simple icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl (trying not to cover yourself in it as you do so) and add the rose essence. Then add in cold water a little at a time to form a stiff paste. Once the cakes are cool, turn them right side up and use a teaspoon or piping bag to gently drizzle over the top of the cakes. Decorate with edible flowers (violas and primrose here) and leave to set. Serve on a pretty plate with a vintage cake fork and a pot of tea. 

Enjoy...

Old English Romance...

One Tuesday morning not so long ago, the wonderful Amy Faith Photography and I met at one of our favourite venues to take some photographs. Amy provided a keen eye, her camera and a lot of laughs, and I set about tweaking the flowers, fabrics and candles for the shoot you see below.

This shoot has been brewing for a long time, and the beginning of spring seemed the perfect time to show you what Verity & Thyme is all about. Beautiful flowers in romantic hues set the scene, placed on a backdrop of slubby muslin and vintage napkins with soft candlelight and a scattering of petals adding to the ambience. It is relaxed romance, inviting you to sit and eat and enjoy your surroundings with good friends and family - how I believe a wedding celebration should be.

Image - Amy Faith Photography

Image - Amy Faith Photography

Image - Amy Faith Photography

Image - Amy Faith Photography

Image - Amy Faith Photography

Image - Amy Faith Photography

Image - Amy Faith Photography

Image - Amy Faith Photography

Image - Amy Faith Photography

Image - Amy Faith Photography

Image - Amy Faith Photography

Image - Amy Faith Photography

Everything you see in these photos is available from Verity & Thyme, so don't hesitate to drop me an email if you are interested in the flowers, textiles and table styling for your big day. You will find me at verityandthyme@gmail.com.

I would like to say a huge thank you to the staff at Oh Me Oh My for, once again, being the most helpful, attentive and wonderful group of people I know.

Pretty Little Paris, Deux

A few more photos from my trip to Paris, taken on my old 35mm film camera and my iPhone. Find more photos and other pretties at...

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