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| The opening line... |
A bright crisp October day saw Team Illustries hit the Big Smoke for the dazzling Luxury Wedding Show London at none other than the Saatchi Gallery (eek!). You’ll have heard loads about the show - the fabulous catwalk, the stunning dresses, the floral fantasies, delicious cakes and hopefully little old us – on blogs like RocknRollbride, Love My Dress, Bijoux Bride, Boho Events, annaandthering and Beyond Beyond to name but a few. But we thought we’d shed a little light behind the scenes and let you into the show from an (admittedly small) exhibitor’s perspective... Friday, 08.30, Lytham
Illustries North West begins another wedding show weekend. Bags (at least six pairs of shoes as anticipated pain and an inability to commit necessitate overpacking) are squashed into the pre-loaded Illustriesmobile (think Scooby Doo’s Mystery Machine: a little less seventies but still a whole load of mystery as to how we fit it all in) and the road is hit.
Friday, 11.30, Worcestershire
Illustries Midlands has finished printing press releases and counting lovely new tote bags and is ready for the arrival of Illustries North West (NB There is no tea on arrival. Bad Sam). More things are squashed into the Illustriesmobile and it is off to London Taaarn (really sorry to any genuine southerners, but it made us laugh every time).
Friday 14.00, London
Excellent progress is made and Team Illustries hits the holding car park on schedule. Obviously not on schedule for the car park though. Dejected hoardes swarm around the portacabin and a knowing nod creates a Mexican wave as each new arrival makes the walk of hope to the despatch desk. Friendships are formed only to be happily abandoned as the golden tickets are finally issued at 19.00. At least we managed to make up our press packs!
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| The Illustries Press Pack! |
Friday 19.00, Saatchi Gallery
A slightly hairy trip across London as A) it is dark and B) Emma forgot her glasses, and we grab a spot outside the gallery. We swan through the doors with our first items, squeal at the sight of our name on the gallery wall and imagine ourselves to be all glam and swanky. This illusion is shattered within a matter of minutes of humping boxes and furniture to our stand – one day, we shall have people to do this, and we shall breeze in on the morning of the show saying, ‘Oh, I wouldn’t ask you to do anything I haven’t done myself!’...One day.
Friday 23.00, Saatchi Gallery
We’re done! The stand looks awesome, some friendly chippies have been persuaded to assist and even the pictures are up. The Illustries girls, however, look like we’re protesting about something – grubby, dishevelled and slightly whiney...
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| Phew. Done! |
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| Chalking it down... |
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| Don't they look lovely?! |
Friday 23.30, Illustries Temporary Towers
We check into our temporary home. It’s a luxury weekend. You’re imagining the W Hotel, the Landmark, the Waldorf Hilton. Oh no, no, no. We are at the Travelodge, Kew. Except it isn’t in Kew, it appears to be in The Back of Beyond. Sam runs to the bar while Emma checks in and somehow manages to procure two G&Ts. They are mildly warm, in weird glasses, but as we down them in reception they taste AMAZING!
Friday 23.35, Illustries Temporary Towers
We head to our room. It is the height of luxury. We are sharing: one double bed and a sofa bed. We start to make up the sofa bed, turning the mattress. Big mistake. Big. Huge. It shall henceforth be known as the scuzzy bed. Back downstairs...
Friday 23.40, Illustries Temporary Towers
We get another room. This time we don’t risk turning over the mattress and just cover it in the three duvets we have managed to steal and add several sheets. It looks like the Princess and the Pea bed. We have half a toilet roll and the bathroom hasn’t been cleaned. But we also have a vaguely cold bottle of wine and pizza on the way. Who cares about the bathroom?
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| Luxury dinner... |
Saturday 00.15, Illustries Temporary Towers
Wine and pizza chugged, we draw straws for scuzzy bed. The Illustries Words department gets it. Whoop.
Saturday 07.00, Illustries Temporary Towers
Plenty of time to get ready. We draw the curtains and rest a while on scuzzy bed as we properly survey our locale. Behind the Travelodge is a lovely apartment block with a penthouse and roof terrace. There, a lady in a white robe sips coffee as she looks over the rooftops and burnt out cars of The Back of Beyond. This is a strange place...
Saturday 09.30, Saatchi Gallery
Who said there was loads of time to get ready! We have to grab a cab, stop to pick up some flowers and then hit the stand where we throw some books on the chalkboard table and start to arrange our freesias and anemones. Sam has a small creative strop as they don’t do what she wishes. Emma rides this out with soothing words. That’s how we roll...
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| They look fine... |
Saturday 10.00, Saatchi Gallery
We’re open for business! We stalk our roomies, eyeing them warily: Honeybells Tents look particularly dodgy and House of Tammam have hired some very young help, we’re sure Dora’s not even on minimum wage... Saturday 10.15, Saatchi Gallery
First shoe whinge.
Saturday 13.00, Saatchi Gallery
Where did the morning go?! We’ve seen lots of lovely people and had to suppress squeaks of excitement at the bloggers and other press who have stopped by our stand and have even been spotted carrying our lovely new tote bags...
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| To have and to hold... |
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| For richer for poorer! |
Saturday 18.00, Saatchi Gallery
Day one ends with a glass of bubbly and a catwalk show, all laid on by the organisers to make up for issues getting on site. What issues? We never even noticed...
Saturday 19.00, Saatchi Gallery bar
Cold. Chenin. Blanc. Three steps to heaven...
Saturday 20.00, Chelsea Brasserie
We treat ourselves to dinner. There is a noticeable flagging of spirits and Sam is told to get back in the room. She rises to the challenge, nearly causing a fight with her impressions. Result.
Saturday, 22.00, Tube
Ah the long tube journey. On this trip there is a strange Australian man who tells the person he is talking loudly on his phone to, “Kill them both.” Nervous gulp.
Saturday 23.00, Illustries Temporary Towers
Home at last. Foot cream and scuzzy bed. Bliss.
Sunday 07.00, Illustries Temporary Towers
Another day. Plenty of time...
Sunday 09.30, somewhere in Kew
Who said there was loads of time to get ready?! We grab sausage rolls for breakfast en route...
Sunday, 10.20, Saatchi Gallery
Late! Fortunately Honeybells tents have ‘looked after’ our stand and appear to have had 30 enquiries and two celebrity bookings for their lovely tents while we’ve been away. Don’t know how they do it...
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| The Hollywood Showcase Illustry we created for Jenny and Keith McAvoy |
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| It's all in the details |
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| Bookmark it... |
Sunday 18.00, Saatchi Gallery
It has happened again! Hours have passed, we’ve met lovely brides and grooms, great photographers, wonderful planners and really friendly press types. Sam and Emma are still laughing. That is the biggest surprise.
Sunday 18.30, Saatchi Gallery
We start the pack down, waving goodbye to our new friends Honeybell Tents as they pack up in two minutes and make a bid for freedom. Within moments, we are again slightly fractious and a bit grubby.
Sunday 19.30, Tube
No threats to kill. This is excellent
Sunday 20.15, Bar
Caesar salad. Chips. Wine. All is well with the Illustries world.
Sunday 23.30, Illustries Temporary Towers
Home again. More foot cream and a last night in dear old scuzzy bed. Zzzzz.
Monday 07.00, Illustries Temporary Towers
Last day. Plenty of time...
Monday 08.30, Illustries Temporary Towers
Who said there was loads of time to get ready?! No breakfast and we head to the gallery to quickly pack the Illustriesmobile...
Monday 11.00, M4
We’ll keep that last few hours secret. It may have involved a little stress, a little temper fraying and even a bit of jumping up and down on the spot. No-one to blame, but suffice to say set up and break down procedures were more than a little frustrating. But we’re done! The Illustriesmobile is crammed to bursting, we have lost the power of speech and may well never talk again. But oh what a weekend! The feedback has been amazing, we’ve made some great contacts, got some good leads and forged some sound industry friendships.
Would we do it all again? You bet.
