Antony Lamb, Author at Vintage Partyware

How To Plan Your Wedding At Short Notice

15th January 201714th May 2017 By Antony LambNo Comments

There’s no doubt about it, all weddings are romantic whether they’re planned years in advance or within a few short months. There’s all sorts of reasons as to why you might plan your wedding at short notice and if 2017 is the year you are getting married and there’s still lots to do, keep calm and more importantly make sure you and your other half stick together! Here’s a few handy tips to help you through. What are the essentials? Your budget, guest list and theme should be the first decisions you make: everything else can fall into place around them. Don’t forget that if you’re planning a wedding at short notice, then you might have fewer guests able to attend. It’s worth bearing in mind the the more you invite, the more it’ll cost. Figure these out early on, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Commit. Remember that things can crop up whether you’re planning your wedding three months in advance or...

How to throw an amazing New Year’s Eve Party

4th December 201615th May 2017 By Antony LambNo Comments

It's the biggest party night of the year and even though we’re already in December, it's not too late to plan the perfect New Year’s Eve Party! Most of us will be making New Year’s resolutions that will include getting fitter, eating healthier, and drinking less. We’re hoping the ideas below will take the sting out of your New Year’s resolution by providing you with one last hurrah where you can indulge in your vices before 2017 gets started. As usual, you’ll find further ideas on our Pinterest board. Theme Choosing a theme is certainly not essential, but it will make the whole planning process much easier and can also be a lot of fun! Our favourite idea is a 1920s Gatsby / speakeasy era theme with Art Deco decorations, big band music, and flapper girls, allowing you to party like the greatest economic crash of our times isn’t imminent! Other ideas include a ‘Best of 2016’ party, where you can invite your...

Stag dos. And stag don’ts!

22nd May 201628th May 2017 By Antony LambNo Comments

When planning a stag do, there’s already enough to think about: who to invite, how much to spend, what activities to do… You don’t have to go through all the vagaries involved in being forced to wear fancy dress or booking a stripper. Do something you will enjoy and remember. Avoid the clichés and have a good time. With that in mind, we’ve scoured our local area for some different stag party ideas. Take a look at our Pinterest board for more inspiration. Man up! The ExTREEme Adventure high ropes and tall trees course in Weasenham Woods, not far from King’s Lynn, is set at two different heights. There’s the “low” ropes at 20ft and high ropes at 40ft. The giant 3G swing can be winched up to a height of 45ft before release. Then there is the option to add the 1000ft long zip line and fan descender jump to the high ropes course. Combine this with real tree climbing...

The Hen Party (minus the L plates)

1st May 201628th May 2017 By Antony LambNo Comments

Before she says ‘I do’, it’s only right to enjoy a drink or two… but, there really doesn’t have to be inflatable body parts or L plates on show. Be you, be comfortable. Whether your hen party is a lavish affair or close and intimate there are plenty of options available to you that don’t require a pub crawl adorned in L plates and veils! Be you adventurous or crafty, creative or a foodie, you and your hens can enjoy something different (and as you know, I’m all for a little bit of different!). I’ve spent this week having a look at what’s available locally, and while this little compendium isn’t exhaustive, it does show that our part of the world has a lot to offer. As always, there’s lots of inspiration on our Pinterest boards, too. Be pampered. Schedule some treatments and relax. Think massage, manicure, pedicure, nails, and a glass of champagne to ensure you feel relaxed and refreshed...

You look like a monkey, and smell like one too… Happy Birthday!

24th April 201628th May 2017 By Antony LambNo Comments

I can’t imagine that it escaped anyone’s notice that Her Majesty the Queen celebrated a rather special birthday this week… Inspired by the celebrations, this week’s blog post is about all things birthday party related - parties for both the young and the young at heart! There’s lots of inspiration on our Pinterest board. Let’s start with the grown ups. Us adults (mostly) enjoy parties as much as the kids and there’s no better way to celebrate a birthday than being surrounded by your close family and friends. Hosting an adult party means that you can really go ‘all out’ - think dinner, games, cocktails… • Start by choosing the date. A weekend date close to the actual birthday usually means that most people will be available. • Theme or no theme? Well, this really depends on the birthday person. Are they the sort of person who likes to dress up and make a statement or would they prefer a more...

Let them eat cake! Wedding Cake Alternatives

16th April 201628th May 2017 By Antony LambNo Comments

I overheard a really bad joke this week: ‘I went to a really emotional wedding the other day; even the cake was in tiers’. Oh dear… Anyway, it set me thinking - this joke exists because cakes at weddings have traditionally been tiered fruit cakes. But as regular readers will know, I have a passion for all things different, and so I set about researching some wedding cake alternatives. Some beautiful examples can be found on our Pinterest boards. Here’s what I found: The ‘Cheese’ Cake. I have put ‘cheese’ in inverted commas because this is not to confused with a cheesecake dessert. Far from it, these are stacked wheels of cheese and can look even more stunning than their traditional counterparts. When we first began our little venture, we were contacted by a lovely lady who asked if we did ‘cheese carts’. Not knowing what they were, we quickly had a rummage online and discovered that it was one of...

What’s old is new again – wedding themes

10th April 201628th May 2017 By Antony LambNo Comments

Your wedding is the one perfect day that you can truly let your imagination go wild, and any passions you have in life can be expressed throughout your day. A vintage theme doesn't just have to be chintz, though. There are so many variations of vintage you can choose from, which is one of the reasons why I love the vintage theme so much. And it’s not just for the girls. As a guy, I have developed somewhat of a dislike for the ‘traditional’ top hat and tails look. And the mix match of swirly patterned waistcoats and the satin cravat is more than a bit of a cliché. I’ve seen too many ill fitting morning suits at weddings and it’s not such a good look. If you ask me, a gentleman looks so much more stylish and well groomed with a suit that fits and doesn’t make him look like a penguin. So guys, be original! While thinking about themes this week,...

Spring Has Sprung

3rd April 201628th May 2017 By Antony LambNo Comments

Spring has well and truly arrived here at Vintage HQ - there’s frogspawn in the pond, daffodils in the garden and blossom on the trees. And it all looks beautiful (if you ignore the weeding that needs to be done!). Spring marks the start of the wedding ‘season’ too, although I really don’t like calling it ‘wedding season’ - it makes it sound as though it is THE time to get married. And of course anyone can get married at any point during the year. Nevertheless, more weddings happen at this time of year, and I was wondering if the reason for this is more than just the better weather. One thing that is easier to source at this time of year is wedding flowers. There is so much choice now spring is here, and so much colour. In a spring wedding, flowers take on a leading role - not only in the look of the bride / groom, but also in...

Love Local

27th March 201613th May 2017 By Antony LambNo Comments

I’m an avid supporter of ‘keeping it local’ and will do what I can to support local businesses. I know full well that the old saying ‘use it or lose it’ truly applies to local businesses. We are lucky to have in our village a village shop, a post office and a very charming florists. I will use all of these whenever I need those services rather than schlepping to the nearest supermarket. And I enjoy being a part of that. But this isn’t a blog post about local business. It is a blog post about vintage items with a local twist however. We are fortunate enough to have a well in our back garden. We discovered it completely by accident when installing a fish pond. Digging in the ground, we found a row of bricks and further investigation showed that they lead round in a big circle. We dug out as much as we could, and got very deep before the...

Usually Unusual

20th March 201612th May 2017 By Antony LambNo Comments

While out shopping this weekend, I couldn’t resist and bought a few new items. As usual, these were unusual! Vintage Partyware can now offer a swan ice sculpture (yes that’s what I bought; well a mould) and two large glass lanterns. I don’t know where my love of all things ‘different’ comes from, but I can honestly say that I’ve never liked the ‘norm’! And this got me thinking - why do we have a ‘norm’? Every single person who has ever lived, or ever will live, is unique. Even identical twins. You are truly ‘one of a kind’. So am I. Everyone knows that we share the usual bits and pieces that most of us have in common, such as certain essential body parts, but the similarity ends there. Everything you have experienced in life has made you what and who you are. You learned things others did not while they were learning things that you did not. Yet we...