Simply romantic photography by HEARTS ON FIRE

We are very fortunate at Most Curious to know some of the most awesome photographers in the wedding industry. 

Today we bring you one of our all time faves, Karolina AKA Hearts on Fire. Polish born Karolina is based in East London and her personal take on modern wedding  photography is completely spot on, focusing on the real people and their romance.

Check out our blog today and see what we mean! We bet you fall a little bit in love with her too.

Talk us through a typical day in your life

I like to get up in the morning between 7am and 8am and as I mostly work from home, I’m lucky enough to be able to organise the day as I like. I always drink a black coffee in the morning and read online news but, occasionally, I skip the news and go to a nearby café and walk around the marshes.

Creating lists helps me with my day-to-day work schedule. There is always so much to do and I‘m not always able to cross out the whole list at the end of the day. I try, though.

I dedicate a few hours each day to editing photographs and I listen to the podcast ‘This American Life’ at the same time. The rest of my time goes on meeting customers, administration and also reading books and watching films.

I recently took an MA in visual anthropology and I like to work on developing a couple of my own photography and film projects. Around lunchtime I mostly go for a run or a squash session with my boyfriend or, sometimes, I just go for a long walk and shop for food. 

I tend to stop working on the computer around 6.30pm and go to cook and listen to Radio 4. I love preparing food and I’m very happy when I can do it for friends. I cook vegetarian and try to be seasonally conscious. My new favourite is celeriac pate and plums, which I can eat all day long. I love them.  

In the evening I try to read as much as possible. I’m reading Ignacy Karpowicz at the moment – he is a Polish writer and his books are very smart and witty, such a good read. I can’t stop reading him and I don’t want to finish, either.

Who or what is inspiring you right now? 

For recent inspiration for my wedding photography, I really like the work of Fergus Padel, who had one of his photographs shown at the National Portrait Gallery in London. 

I like the simplicity of the moments he decides to photograph and the way he uses light. 

My idea of wedding photography, which I’ve developed over a few years of doing it, is to not only capture the key points of the day but to put lots of attention on the moments before and after, the in-between romance and happiness, the settings, details, atmosphere and smells.

My aim is to create simple, well-composed images that look effortless.

Describe a Hearts on Fire bride

Hearts on Fire brides (and grooms) are fun-loving, kind and laid-back people. 

We are all individuals and come from various backgrounds and do diverse things in life, so I think it’s all about being able to click at the first meeting. 

Once the feeling of mutual understanding and laughter is reached, the rest is a piece of cake. Couples trust me to do a good job and I feel comfortable and welcome to be part of their special day.

You can meet the lovely Karolina at our 2016 London show at the Old Truman Brewery so get your tickets now!

Hearts On Fire
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter

Glorious wedding tipis by the BOUTIQUE TENT COMPANY

For unique, extraordinary weddings, who doesn't love a tipi?!  

And now you can celebrate your nuptials whatever the weather in the most glorious tipis by the Boutique Tent Company.

Made in Lapland, their sturdy Scandinavian design enables them to withhold whatever the Great British weather has in store.

In the summer, the Tipis keep their cool, by allowing you to lift the sides and extend the party into the garden. Whilst in the winter, the Nordic inspired Tipis trap in the warmth, keeping you and your guests nice and snug.

The thrilling bit is that the cone shape and smoke hole at the top of the Tipi allow you to have a rustic open fire to add to the ambience of your event. 

The tents each hold up to 70 people for sit down parties, up to 100 for more informal gatherings and can be linked together for larger events. The tipis arrive as a blank canvas for you to decorate yourself or props and furniture can also be hired to fit your style, from retro to bohemian!

Founders, Jack and Tina, will get to know you and chat through all your ideas to make sure you have a magical celebration.

So, Jack and Tina, please talk us through your typical day

There isn't really a typical day for us!

As with any wedding supplier, the summer months are our busiest and most events fall on a weekend. With Saturday being the most popular day for weddings, we would typically start building the Tipis on a Thursday, giving our couples the Friday to jazz up the interior and add any finishing touches. 

A lot of behind the scenes work goes into the build and although we love the great outdoors, it's not much fun if the weather isn't on our side. 

The feeling at the end of a build, when we take a step back to admire the magnificent Tipis in all their glory after starting with just a bunch of wooden poles, makes it all worthwhile. 

During the quieter period after New Year, we take the time to do site visits, as this is a great opportunity for us to meet our couples and for them to ask us lots of questions - we're a family run business, so we take a personal approach and like to get to know our customers. 

What is inspiring you right now?

We are avid readers of blogs such as Boho Weddings, Love My Dress and Rock My Wedding, for inspiration on how to style our Tipis. We were very excited to have our wedding featured on Boho Weddings in October - you can see it here! 

Pinterest has also been a great hub of inspiration for us and is where we have sourced ideas for our lighting collection and hire items. 

We love seeing the creative ways couples have brought their Tipis to life, from vintage furnishings, to lovingly handmade decorations. The great thing about starting with a blank canvas is that you can truly make it your own, and no two Tipi weddings are the same. 

Describe a Boutique Tent Company Bride!

Our Tipis add the wow factor in any setting and suit many themes, from the bohemian bride celebrating in festival style, to the country chic bride looking for a little rustic charm. 

Whatever her individual style, a Boutique Tent Company bride is fun, laid back - and one thing is for sure, she knows how to throw a great party! 

The Boutique Tent Company is exhibiting at our 2016 London show at the Old Truman Brewery so get your tickets now and start planning your unique wedding party!

The Boutique Tent Company

https://www.facebook.com/Theboutiquetentcompany

https://www.instagram.com/theboutiquetentco/

Cutting edge wedding dresses by MUSCAT

Muscat creates the most exquisite, minimalist wedding dresses for modern brides.

The deserved winner of our BridalNEXT! competition to the find the NEXT BIG THING in 2014, Muscat is renowned for it's bold, cutting edge designs and couture finishing.

Most Curious have been following Muscat since they exploded onto the bridal scene and we think their 2016 collection is the best yet. 

Designed to accentuate each bride's natural beauty rather than overwhelm with complexity, every dress is designed and handcrafted in Muscat’s London atelier using the most luxurious fabrics.

Most Curious also highly rates the exciting range of headwear offered by Muscat, featuring a selection of stunning pieces including Riri, the ultimate studded statement, and Loren, a softer but equally striking look - modern bride must-haves!

Riri

Loren

And did you know that designer and founder, Kevin Muscat, has a most curiously fascinating past?! 

Kevin left his native Malta at 18 to pursue a top flight career in dancing that took him to the Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne and international tours including Matthew Bourne’s world famous all-male Swan Lake. 

Upon retiring, Kevin moved into fashion, developing his extensive self-taught skills while working for four years under Stevie Stewert, co-founder of internationally acclaimed 80s brand BodyMap, creating costumes for pop icons such as Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears and Cheryl Cole. 

Drawing on his background as a top-flight international dancer, Kevin creates timeless pieces that accentuate the bride’s every movement, emphasising her beauty as the dress dances around her.

This excites the MC team greatly...we are SO going to beg him to give an impromptu twirl at the show! 

Kevin, be warned...

Kevin, please talk us through a typical day in your life

The first thing I do when I get to the atelier is to make a pot of coffee. I have a chat to my team, talk about what we need to get done in that day, see how the orders are coming along, and how the new collection is progressing. I then sit (or stand these days) at my desk, looking at my giant mood board. This gets me into the Muscat zone. 

There are always emails to answer in the morning, but I prefer to do the creative stuff first. I am usually bursting with ideas at this time of day, so I spend some time sketching or draping on the mannequin. It is not unusual for me to have imagined new dresses in my sleep, so I test whether I can make them work in real life, using fabrics from the collection. I always take pictures as I’m working, to keep a record of anything that I might use later on. 

I have been known to do a little dance every now and again too! 

I like to take care of the more technical aspects after lunch. It’s a good time for me to oversee the cutting of patterns and the production of garments, making sure every dress that comes out of our atelier is absolutely perfect. Later on, we tend to have our fittings and appointments with any clients coming directly to us. This is always very exciting, seeing a dress come to life, seeing how it moves, and enjoying the client’s face lighting up. 

Again, I have been known to do a little dance every now and again too!  

(MC - ok, so now completely planning your dancing segment in the program Kevin!)

Who or what is inspiring you right now? 

I draw inspiration from the city around me. Living and working in an exciting city like London, inspiration comes at me from every direction. People are so interesting to look at. The architecture is fantastic. The parks, the flowers, shop window displays, museums, art…. The sources are infinite. 

My husband often discovers that I’ve stopped listening to him mid-conversation because I have seen something that sparked an idea. I always carry a sketchbook with me, so I quickly pull it out and put the idea down on paper.

With a background as a professional dancer, I am naturally inspired by movement. That could be someone’s walk, or it could be chiffon blowing in a breeze. It is a very romantic way of thinking about dresses. I can see the bride dancing the night away and having fun.

Please describe a Muscat bride

I would describe my brides as confident, happy, elegant but playful.

Muscat is exhibiting at our 2016 London show at the Old Truman Brewery so get your tickets now and prepare to be love-struck!

Muscat

Instagram
Facebook
Twitter

Artisan handmade books by LOTUS BLU BOOK ART

"Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart"

William Wordsworth

Lotus Blu Book Art is a small artisan bookbinding company based in Belfast, Northern Ireland that specialises in block printed, hand bound guest books, photo albums and journals, with a beautiful and eclectic art and design look. 

Most of their book art is custom made, each one being as unique as the individuals they are made for.

Moneeza, one half of the husband and wife Lotus Blu team, says 

"We are on a mission to get memories and musings out of cyber space and into a proper journal or photo album..Couples visiting the fair looking for a 'curious' keepsake that can be passed on will find just that in our customised books."

Most Curious especially loves the geometric, ethnic prints and bright gypsy-infused embellishments on Lotus Blu's latest designs - perfect for an off-beat wedding!

Moneeza, please talk us through a typical Lotus Blu day

Our day begins early around 6.30 am, Brian is a morning person and I am the complete opposite, It takes me at least two or three cups of coffee before I can function normally again. I reply to Etsy messages and emails while plonked on the sofa in my jim jams - the perks of working from home!

While Brian does the school run, I roll out my yoga mat. A quick shower later and I'm ready for the day ahead. Brian and I discuss what needs to be done over breakfast. We head up to the studio around 9am with more coffee and our faithful companion Ruben, our spaniel.

I normally finish off whatever I may have been working on from the night before or pack up books that are ready for the post. I usually work on a couple of projects at a time. I paint and do all the binding while Brian does all the prep work such as hand ripping and dyeing paper, making cover blanks and getting all the paper cut to size. 

We take a quick lunch break which normally involves a bit of house hold chores and then before we know it, it's 3pm and time for Kahal to come home, then it's homework, piano lessons, dinner prep, dog walks etc - sometimes I find it difficult to get a good creative rhythm going between 3-6 pm so I tend to do other things like online shopping for material or a bit of social media interaction or more prep work. 

I paint mostly at night when all is quiet and there are no distractions. I usually fall into bed around midnight, read a little and then I am out like a light!

Who or what is inspiring you right now?

Shibori is something I am crushing on these days. 

I recently dyed a load of paper using this Japanese indigo dyeing method with some gorgeous handmade paper which I have made into some guest books, albums and sketchbooks with added paintings and block printing. 

Describe a Lotus Blu couple

A Lotus Blu couple would be quite laid back, well travelled, readers, dreamers, yogis, artsy and above all have an eclectic style and not be afraid of colour.  

Lotus Blu is exhibiting at our 2016 London show at the Old Truman Brewery so get your tickets now and start planning your very own unique keepsake!

www.lotusblubookart.com

www.lotusblubookart.etsy.com

Facebook
Instagram

Bridal Jumpsuits and Combos by HOUSE OF OLLICHON

"When a dress seems too much fuss...
When you say ‘I do’ at the registry office...
When a brunch or cocktail is another celebration...
When you need a one-stop-shop for your bridesmaids...
When you want glamour at your hen-do...
When you want to dance like there’s no tomorrow..."






Oh YES, now this is what Most Curious is ALL about!

The dress-less wedding collection by House of Ollichon is, quite simply, stunning. Their range of luxury jumpsuits, playsuits and combos are just perfect for Most Curious fashionistas who don't want to go down the traditional wedding dress route.

Not surprisingly they are taking the wedding world by storm with their unique, eclectic designs and are finalists in the British Wedding Awards 2016 in both the Bridalwear and Newcomer categories - you can show your support for their beautiful, elegant and alternative creations by voting for them here!

Hannah Ollichon, founder and creator, brings her adopted French roots to the designs.

Hannah has sourced beautiful French bridal lace from the famous Dentelle region in northern France and is proud that House of Ollichon uses quality European fabrics such as luxury Italian tissutos, 100% silke crepe de chine and British embellishments and trimmings.

And every single House of Ollichon piece is made with a huge amount of love, care and experience right here by hand, in England.

Hannah, please talk us through a typical day in your life

I love this about my new bridal collection world!

Every day is different. I could be at a networking event, talking to clients, at the factory which I love, choosing fabrics, ordering zips, writing interviews, designing flyers, you name it!

Each end of the glamour spectrum and everything in between is covered!

Who or what is inspiring you right now?

The wonderfully, overwhelming, positive feedback. 

Whether this comes from the press, direct from the wedding industry or from all the gorgeous 'Brides of Ollichon', the fantastic reception of House of Ollichon has been the most motivating, inspiring thing so far.

Describe a House of Ollichon bride

The designs were carefully created to (hopefully!) provide something for everyone. 

It could be the girl who wears a big dress during the day but changes to dance like crazy in the evening, a registry office ceremony, a low key celebration, a bridal vibe for a brunch or cocktail or simply when a dress is too much fuss.

HoO is proud of its niche collection and we definitely appeal to women who are happy to push their bridal boundaries.

House of Ollichon will be exhibiting at our 2016 London show at the Old Truman Brewery so get your tickets now and check out these glorious designs in person.

House of Ollichon 

Facebook 

Instagram

Welcoming the very talented and very lovely LEE GARLAND as Photography Sponsor for Most Curious 2016!

If you're looking for a photographic storyteller who loves getting caught up in the joy and excitement of your wedding day then Lee Garland is your man. We were chuffed to see his application appear in our inbox and jumped at the opportunity to have him as our Photography Sponsor for 2016.

Not only is Lee a fantastic wedding photographer he also shoots for a number of national publications, such as The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph. He has been a professional photographer since 2002 and has a wealth of experience in different photographic genres, ranging from Interiors to Architecture, from Music to Portraiture and of course Weddings.

Lee's career began at university where he spent the majority of his time in the student magazine offices, starting out as the photographer and then progressing to Picture Editor. His talent was recognised and acknowledged by The Independent in 2002 when he was voted Student Photographer of the Year. 

Straight out of uni he secured a job as Staff Photographer for a publisher and during his time at this job he managed to fulfill his childhood dream of meeting Slash and Duff of Guns 'n Roses fame!

Lee's style is predominantly reportage, with a focus on capturing your wedding day as it unfolds, naturally and organically. He genuinely enjoys weddings, and his passion for people and for recording their special day clearly comes across in his work. Whether it's a more quiet, reflective moment before the ceremony or the laugh out loud fun at the reception afterwards you can be confident Lee will get the kind of shots you will treasure forever.

Hi Lee and welcome to Most Curious! We would love to know more about a typical day in your life.

I’m so tempted to describe an idealised, enviable world of self-employed freewheeling. Home-toasted granola followed by some hot yoga and a teaching kids to use a camera - but in reality we’ve just had a baby daughter. She’s incredible and teaches me things every day. If you’re asking what a typical day entails; I’ll be brutally honest and say getting pooed and weed on routinely.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Over an incredibly short period of time, wedding photography has gone from something that carried more than a little stigma with it, to something genuinely beautiful.

There is an incredible freedom, on the one hand coming from the photographers and filmmakers, and on the other from couples casting off the constraints and rules that built up around wedding. I get inspired by people bravely treading their own path - couples and other photographers alike - and I’m lucky enough to see that happening everywhere I look.

Describe a Lee Garland Photography couple

My ideal couples get lost in themselves on the day, they laugh, they cry and they have the best day. But more so, the best day for them - regardless of what they ‘should’ be doing or think they’re expected to do. I just tag along for the ride and they put their trust in me to tell the story of their day, whatever that might be.

Lee is available to cover weddings anywhere in the UK but also loves to travel more widely, and has photographed a number of destination weddings in places such as Ibiza, the South of France, the Pyrenees and Greece. You can find out more about the services he offers and their corresponding prices here.

Lee will be exhibiting at our 2016 London show at the Old Truman Brewery so get your tickets now, and come and say hello to the man himself.

Until then make sure you follow Lee on instagram and facebook to see more amazing images and for plenty of laughs too.

On a side note, we think Lee may possibly have the best beard in the industry!

Lee Garland Photography

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter