Who is Wedding Buttonique??

I thought it maybe a good idea to interview myself as a way of introduction to Wedding Buttonique.  I probably should have done this before my first post! 

 

Who are you, and what do you do?

Wedding Buttonique is a bespoke online shop specialising in Bridal Bouquets for the individual Bride.  Most of the bouquets produced have a Button theme and that theme is then linked to fit the ideas, and wedding colours, of each bride.  The bouquets can be kept simple or they could contain a selection of objects of any vintage like Steam Punk inspired pieces, a group of Butterflies or a random swathe of Pom Poms as all have been requested by brides so far.  Some brides ask for a brooch to be added, a special button or memory charm of a loved one.  All of the bouquets, corsages and button holes are all made individually by me, in my Craft Studio - also known as ‘The Garage’.  My name is Jennifer, I am just over two years married and we have a beautiful 10 year old daughter called Eva who has luckily got her mothers’ crafting genes and her fathers’ good looks.




When and why did you start you bouquets?

Like a lot of wedding suppliers, who produce handmade crafts, the original impetus came from making items for my own wedding.  That is how all of this started for me back in November 2011.  As part of the wedding plans I found a button bouquet I loved, and I already had a box of old vintage buttons from my Nan, so I set to work trying to copy it.  After a few months of errors, tears and tantrums a bouquet was finally produced that I was happy with.  A friend of mine suggested I should try and sell it as it seemed so unique to them.  This became the start of Wedding Buttonique.  Now is the point I feel I need to say that I’m not blessed with an inheritance allowing me to stay home all day!! I work full time doing ‘proper’ work – work that pays the bills.  Wedding Buttonique is a love of mine which is fitted in around after school clubs, homework (not so much housework) and looking after a family.  The bouquets are completed during the evening or at weekends when I can dedicate time to them.

What inspires you?

I love searching and finding old boxes, bags and tins of buttons.  It is what you find inside these little treasure troves that gives me ideas for the next bouquet.  Even if I don’t fully finish a bouquet off I do have shoe boxes with wired buttons ready to use.  I try not to have too much premade stock as Brides usually have their own ideas of how they would like to see something finished. 

Do trends influence the products you stock/ service you provide?

Trends do not seem to have too much of an impact on my work.  The bride that wants a button bouquet usually is not following a trend.  They are setting their own.

What is your greatest achievement with your company?

Maybe not so much a greatest achievement but a challenge I was happy to be part of was a bride from Athens.  The company she was using in Greece last summer closed 6 weeks before her wedding.  By the time she contacted me, via my Etsy site, she was struggling to find someone to help.  I do try to keep wired button stems in stock ready to use and this came in useful to complete her bouquet, and get it posted to Greece, in time for her September Wedding.  It was all a rush to find the diamante brooches and extra beads she also required but I loved every minute of it.

 

What do you see as the future of your Company? 

Wedding Buttonique is still in its infancy stage.  In February last year, after three years of making, I exhibited at my first wedding fair.  I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to my next.  Where it will eventually lead I am not sure.  My long term plans (all in my head in case my husband reads this) would be to give up my job and open a bridal shop – a one stop dress, accessories and bouquet experience.  Wedding Buttonique could do both the bouquets and the dresses in one place – but let’s get back to reality and I will probably carry on, as I am, happy in my garage. 

Any questions please email WeddingButtonique@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter @Buttonique