As it's now officially the season of giving we thought we’d give some love to a selection of stand out suppliers in the glorious world of weddings.
We've been part of the wedding industry hiring pole and canvas marquees for a few years now, and we've been lucky enough to have worked with the best wedding suppliers around. We've experienced their service first hand and peaked behind the scenes, which puts us in a great position to wholeheartedly recommend them to you. Unfortunately, we can't include all our faves in one blog article (watch out for further instalments!) So, this is a selection of our BSFs (best suppliers forever).
So, without further ado, let’s get to know the creme de la creme of wedding suppliers who we couldn't recommend highly enough. They are a breeze to work with and our clients absolutely love them as much as we do. Leaving a trail of over-the-moon newly weds in their wake, here are some suggestions for your luxury marquee wedding dream team.
Florists
Coco in the Country
Who are they?
Coco in the Country, is a floral design studio based on the beautiful and historic Hackthorn estate in Lincolnshire, UK.
What do they do?
They work worldwide alongside style conscious couples to craft exquisite, wild and wonderful flowers for their special day.
Why we love them
Creative designer and owner, Lucie has an exciting jet-setting background in the fashion industry, so she has an eye for design, style and luxury. Plus, a knack for sourcing the best and most sustainable materials around. Lucie and her team create elegant and exquisite floral pieces with a slightly wild edge. If you’re aiming for that ‘just gathered from the garden’ or ‘picked from a flower meadow’ look, Coco in the Country is the supplier for you.
Blue Sky Flowers
Who are they?
Blue Sky Flowers offer bespoke floral design all over the UK, from their workshop at the iconic New Covent Garden Flower Market in London.
What do they do?
Owner Liz Inigo Jones, loves nothing more than working on, talking about and creating wedding flowers. Liz and her team provide everything from the simplest buttonhole, to seasonal wedding bouquets and floral decor for the grandest marquee wedding.
Why we love them
Liz goes the extra mile (literally) to get to know her clients and their vision, what they like and dislike. She takes the time to meet, in person wherever possible, to talk, look through visuals and create a mood board with examples and ideas. Liz says,
"To be able to work with a couple to bring a vision of their special day to life is the biggest privilege"
Here at Peacock and Bow, we know exactly how Liz feels.
Caterers
Carte Blanche Catering
Who are they?
Based at the beautiful Bury Farm in Hertfordshire, Carte Blanche is a catering and party planning company. Since 1985, Carte Blanche have been providing inspirational and bespoke menus for weddings, parties and events.
What do they do?
As well as catering, Carte Blanche offer a flexible party planning service, whether you want someone to organise the whole shebang from scratch or just an extra pair of hands on the day, Carte Blanche will rise to the challenge. They have an excellent reputation for delicious food, charming service and total reliability, as many of their long standing clients would attest to.
Why we love them
Like Peacock and Bow, Carte Blanche knows that every wedding is unique. They are committed to supporting their clients from start to finish by bringing a calm and can-do attitude. They’ve been in the biz for a long time, but they maintain a passion for fresh ideas and new challenges.
Goose & Berry
Who are they?
Goose and Berry is an award-winning event and wedding caterer. Based in Maidenhead, they serve the surrounding areas, including London.
What do they do?
Goose and Berry provide high-end catering using seasonal, locally sourced produce, so you always get everything at its best.
Why we love them
Goose and Berry’s combination of style and good taste creates a luxury experience to be savoured…or gobbled down without touching the sides, no judgement here. They are highly experienced at working from ‘unusual event locations, so our service tents are like a second home for them to create their culinary magic in.
Becky Griemink Catering
Who are they?
Becky Griemink Catering is a professional catering service based in Lincoln. They are available for weddings and events of every type.
What do they do?
Becky Griemink Catering provides fun, homemade food. From summer buffets, champagne and canapés, to corporate functions and weddings, Becky and her team will cook up a storm. They source seasonal, fresh, local produce from the surrounding fields of Lincolnshire.
Why we love them
Becky started cooking at a young age, learning from her Grandma and her Mum. She is a natural foodie and loves home cooking. She understands how food can bring people together and provide happiness, comfort, chatting and giggles. This is reflected in her fun, fresh dishes, which are always beautifully presented. She runs a calm, friendly, efficient and professional service that never fails to delight her clients and take the stress out of hosting. She is also very at home working in one of our marquee service tents.
Wedding planners
Big Green Space
Who are they?
Big Green Space provides tailored wedding planning and event management services.
Founder, Louise Barcock, has over 20 year’s experience in event planning and has seen pretty much everything. In 2013, Louise found her niche in planning weddings and private parties alongside her glamorous, all female team of experts.
What do they do?
Big Green Space takes a personal, creative, yet discreet approach. They can be present every step of the way, offering unbiased, professional and intuitive advice, without taking over. They work closely with their clients to create their perfect, unique event. They are based in Hertfordshire, and do a lot of events in Bedfordshire and London. But, wherever you are in the UK, they are happy to come to you.
Why we love them
These self proclaimed ‘planners with a personality’ share the same values as Peacock and Bow. As luxury wedding planners, they’re passionate about creating weddings that are a true reflection of the couple. Also, like us, they love a logistical challenge and can transform any space into a luxury wedding or party venue seamlessly and calmly.
And, if that wasn’t enough to gain them a special place in our hearts, Big Green Space are also experts in planning weddings at home. Louise says;
‘‘Give us a beautiful garden, a couple of Labradors to get under our feet and a family who want to create a unique and personal marquee wedding and we are extremely happy.”
We couldn't have put it better ourselves! Big Green Space has the vision, the skills and the experience to take an outdoor space and transform it into the perfect marquee wedding or party setting.
Katrina Otter Weddings
Who are they?
Farrow and Ball loving couples, look no further, Katrina Otter Weddings are the planners for you. The Forge, their 17th century headquarters in Cambridgeshire, perfectly reflects their love for the classic English stye. Katrina Otter Weddings plan weddings and events in Cambridgeshire, London and exclusively for the magnificent Holywell Hall in Rutland.
Founder, Kat, has over 15 year’s experience planning weddings all over the world. She is detail and design obsessed and loves to collaborate and bring together expertise and talents.
What do they do?
Katrina Otter Weddings can design and plan your wedding from the ground up, keeping it totally unique to you. They guarantee a stress-free planning experience and a wedding that surpasses all expectations. They also offer wedding day management and party and event planning services.
Alex and Ross at Holywell Hall, Katrina Otter Weddings. Video credit - Baxter and Ted
Why we love them
Kat and her team share our love of effortless, understated elegance. The weddings they plan are characterised with abundant flowers, incredible food and wine, and memorable experiences. A beautiful and quintessentially English setting, such as Peacock and Bow's pole and canvas marquees, is Kat’s idea of planning heaven.
Marquee décor
Wren Ark
Who are they?
A high-quality event rentals company, based in Cambridgeshire, providing an extensive range of luxury and stylish tableware and event décor. Wren Ark was established in 2019 by Kate Kashiri. A former florist, Kate often struggled to find high quality vases, candlesticks and tableware for her clients. So, she embarked on a mission to source these accessories herself from artisan designers across the globe.
What do they do?
Wren Ark offers a range of unique and contemporary tableware and props, that are perfect for luxury marquee weddings. They work with event planners, hotels, companies, and caterers, as well as individuals who are hosting parties, weddings, and celebrations, to provide elegant and stylish tableware, such as charger plates, cutlery, glassware, candlesticks, tea lights, vases and more. They cover Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, London and beyond.
Why we love them
Wren Ark’s high-quality products are the perfect pairing for our marquees as they too are timeless, memorable and beautiful. Wren Ark’s original ideas, attention to detail, and high-quality artisan props create a graceful atmosphere at any wedding or event. We love how each piece brings a unique twist to the overall marquee décor.
We love working with other suppliers who share our values and like the P&B team, Wren Ark go the extra mile to bring any vision to life. Plus, we just can't get enough of how fantastic their contemporary colourful glassware looks against the pure white canvas of our traditional marquees.
Photographers
Who they are
Having had a camera in hand for as long as he can remember, Jim is passionate about taking pictures. He has a degree in Editorial and Documentary Photography and worked in the fashion industry as well as being a portrait, studio and editorial photographer in London. Now based in Suffolk, he specialises in wedding photography, documenting memories in the most beautiful and lasting way.
What they do
Jim's style is relaxed, fun, sincere and extraordinary all at once. He's the perfect mix of professional and personable, with his clients raving about how respectful he is and how relaxed he made them feel. His approach is to 'let the day happen'. Rather than stage moments, he captures the real interactions, joy and emotions as they happen. His goal is for everyone to have fun as that's when he gets the best shots.
Why we love them
A good wedding photographer should capture all the key moments of your big day, that's standard, right? But you want more than standard wedding photography, you want someone who will reflect the emotion, tell the story of the day and make you look good! Jim does just that with his elegant editorial wedding photography that exudes all the feels in droves. He manages to beautifully portray the fun, the style and the diversity in his relaxed and natural shots. Shots you won't even realise he's taken until you excitedly sit down with your newly-wed to look at your photos and relive all those happy moments.
How to find the right wedding supplier for you
Selecting your wedding suppliers is exciting, but it can be time consuming and overwhelming too. To round off this article, here are our quick tips to ensure you make informed choices.
Take your time; don’t rush these decisions or you might second guess them later on
Research; look online, ask for recommendations, check directories, read articles, think about real weddings you’ve attended and go to wedding fairs
Consider your wedding style and location
When sending inquiries, include essential details about your wedding and ask about availability, pricing, deposits, terms, and booking procedures. Based on responses, create a shortlist of two or three preferred suppliers in each category. You can then arrange consultations to get an feel for who's going to be the best fit
Look into your shortlisted suppliers' websites, social media, and reviews to understand their work and reputation.
Trust your instincts when making the final decision
Review contracts carefully, address any concerns, and embrace the excitement of getting closer to your big day.
Now, this article is by no means the extent of our little black book of amazing wedding suppliers. But, we hope we've given you some ideas or even just a place to start as you embark on finding your dream team. If yours truly happens to have made your shortlist, don't hesitate to contact us. We are always transparent about what we offer and are more than happy to answer any questions you throw at us. Happy planning!