Elizabeth's Cake Emporium

We would like to bring to your attention a fundraising appeal that we are delighted to be involved with here at Elizabeth's Cake Emporium HQ. 

Hospice 100 is their challenge to you during the week of Monday 27th February - Sunday 4th March 2012 to raise £100 for North London Hospice.

Why don't you organise an event and get your friends involved? £100 x lots of people will make a big difference!

Read on for some inspiration and ideas to get you started...

AT SCHOOL

Go to the top of the class by getting your school involved and raise as much as you can. Don't forget that everyone can take part, even the teachers:

Non Uniform Day . Cake Sale . Car Wash . Music Concert

Sponsored Silence Or Skip AT HOME

Holding an event at home is a fun way of raising money in the comfort of your own surroundings: Come Dine With Me . Games Night . Sponsored Slim . Fancy Dress Party

Grow A Beard Or Shave Your Head IN THE PUB Get together at your local and do what you love doing. Or try something totally new:

Bingo Night . Darts Competition . Karaoke Evening . Race Day / Sweepstakes . Talent Competition

WITH A GROUP

Your local community is full of people keen to be involved. All you need to do is decide on what you would like to do.

Card Game Evening . Sponsored Walk . Bring And Buy Sale . Cheese And Wine Evening . Gym Challenge - Swim The Channel In The Pool / Cycle From London To Brighton In A Spin Class

AT WORK

Make it your business to raise money! Introduce some fun to your day at work or organise a worthwhile way to spend an evening after hours:

Dress Down Day . Job Swap . Swear Box . Department Challenge . Quiz Evening

Let the North London Hospice know your plans!

The Fundraising Team will help with any aspect of your fundraising, so contact them now for advice and support: call 020 8446 2288 or email fundraising@northlondonhospice.co.uk

We hope that you have fun organising your event and that your participants enjoy themselves. Your fundraising efforts will always be acknowledged with a thank you letter from the team.

What can be more rewarding than knowing that every penny that you raise for North London Hospice will be invested carefully and wisely in the great work they do. They are hugely grateful for every donation, no matter how big or small.

From everyone at North London Hospice and Elizabeth's Cake Emporium: Thank you!

There can be no denying that a wedding takes a huge amount of planning, finding and booking all your various suppliers can be a daunting task, even for the most savvy couple. The financial implications are rarely small, so it pays to do your homework when choosing a photographer that will make your day special and unique to you.

Yvonne White, one of the loveliest wedding vendors that I have come across, runs White Gold Images, a Wedding Photography business based in north London. She offers her clients a distinctive photography style - a fabulous mix of classic and contemporary images that blend together seamlessly to tell the story of your day. 

Her love of photography started over 30 years ago when she received her first camera and 8 years ago she became a professional photographer.  Photography to her is not just a job; her passion and enjoyment shines  through in every assignment she takes on.

She regularly gets positive feedback about her ability to make her clients feel relaxed and enjoy being photographed which results in the most amazing images.

Yvonne offers a variety of packages that eases some of the financial burden and this way the majority of her clients couples are able to opt for a bigger, better album than they might have done had they been forced to pay for it all before the day.  So whatever your preference, she will help you plan effectively.

Below is some advice from her on choosing a photographer that's right for you:

•       Get personal recommendations from friends, family, colleagues, etc

•       Google search your area, venue and possibly even photographic style if you have very fixed ideas about what you want. Check out featured photographers in bridal magazines and on wedding blogs. Blogs of other suppliers like this one are particularly useful as they will usually only recommend or feature photographers they know and are confident in passing on as part of protecting their own reputation.

•       Get a list together of possibles from your research, discounting anyone that is not to your taste style wise or beyond your budget [we will come back to budget shortly]

•       Remember different photographers will have different ‘styles’ so you will need to think about the kind of pictures you want. Just as an example of this, ‘vintage’ processing is fashionable at the moment, which is great if you are having a vintage themed wedding, but if not, will you still like it when you look back at your pictures in 10 years time?

•       Now is the time to start talking to your list of possibles and this is where the crunch can really come – do you actually feel you can get on with the wedding photographer? Is there a rapport? You need to have a good relationship with your photographer, afterall, the only person you are likely to spend more time with than the photographer on the day will be your new husband/wife.

•       Once you got yourself a shortlist, arrange a meeting with them before parting with any money – any photographer serious about your wedding day will do this. Ask to see some albums so you can see a range of pictures and the product quality you will receive afterwards. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, such as whether they have insurance and what sort of equipment they will be using.

•       Finally, armed with all this information, you can make your decision and book and remember, this is your wedding day and your choice of photographs, so make sure you get the one you want based on what you like. 

Whist you musn't feel pressured into booking by an overly keen photographer you are not entirely convinced by, remember that when your special day is over, what is left to keep those memories fresh for years to come are the photographs.

A good photographer will put many hours into ensuring everything is captured in all it’s detail, far more than you will be aware of on the day and many more before and afterwards. Look at your budget and ask yourself if you have allowed enough – if you find yourself dismissing a lot photographers you otherwise like based on costs, then you might need to consider some re-budgeting. Settling for second best might just leave you feeling less than happy in those years that follow. 

Contact Yvonne 

Call 020 8445 2848 or 07712 928000

At Elizabeth's Cake Emporium, we are very excited about London Fashion Week 2012.

According to The Guardian: 

"There is a new mood of seriousness at London fashion week. The opening honours fell to Sir Philip Green, and the presence of both Jeremy Hunt, the culture secretary, and Ed Vaizey, the minister for culture and the creative industries, reflects how successful the British Fashion Council has been in getting the coalition on board with the message that fashion, being an arena in which Britain still leads the world, is an industry worth shouting about.

London fashion week has recently emerged victorious from a decade-long battle to defend its credentials as a serious player on the global stage, and successfully fought off attempts by rival cities to squeeze it off the schedule. Rave reviews for London's designers in the global fashion press have become standard"

So far we've been very impressed by the collections of the big designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Paul Smith and the collection by Bora Aksu and Peter Pilotto.

We are looking forward to the next few days but in the meantime, enjoy our recent fashion inspired cakes.

Having spoken to fellow business owners and wedding vendors, almost all of them have horror stories with regards to their websites. Escalating costs, broken promises, links that don't work, the complaints are endless.

After years of dealing with a number of IT 'frogs' I was very lucky to be referred to Simon Oliver of So Creative who happened to be the 'Prince' of all things digital.

So Creative is a digital studio that offers cost effective marketing and simple, clean and vibrant design.

The studio uses a network of freelancers and experts to reduce the costs and keep overheads down. It also  takes on large and small projects for start ups, charities and an eclectic mix of small businesses.

Simon Oliver set up the design studio in 2005 as a freelancer to sharpen his skills and to take on fresh challenges. Since then the company has been growing gradually and last year it changed its name to SO Creative.

With over 15 years in the industry he is able to bring a huge amount of experience to each project. Simon also overseas all the work in the studio and believes in working closely with his clients till they are  happy.

So Creative's philosophy is simple. Good design is at the heart of everything they do. On offer is a range of design and website services to fit all needs. These include logo design, website design, hosting and search engine optimisation.

Most importantly they offer several website packages and plans from simple brochure sites to online shops and complex function driven websites.

IT and web technology can be daunting for some of us to use. Using the latest innovations they ensure people like me feel comfortable with their websites and have a good experience.

They understand that great design can cost and a lot of start-ups have small budgets. With this in mind they have created payment plans for 6 months and a year so your budget does not have to limit the design vision you have for your business.  

So if you are in need of a digital marketing solution, give Simon a ring, or better still go round to his studio for a lovely cup of tea and a very sympathetic listening ear.

SO Creative Digital

443 New Cross Road, London SE14 6TA
0208150 6726
info@socreativedigital.com
www.socreativedigital.com

Bruce Russell Chiasson is one of the UK's premier event planners with over 15 years experience working with world famous hotels such as the Plaza, New York and Savoy, London. Already an insider’s favourite for wedding design, he has steadily built up an established list of clients based in London and the South West. In 2011 he launched by 'By Bruce Russell' - a business coordinating wedding celebrations, civil ceremonies, private social occasions and corporate party planning.

An event "by Bruce Russell" promises originality and style while maintaining a personal touch. Bruce is passionate about every aspect of event planning; from design to detail, turning events into unforgettable memories.

A consummate professional who is a delight to work with, clients have often said that he is the equivalent of having their best friend plan their wedding to perfection.  His calm and cool attitude he makes it all seem effortless and Bruce is an authority on trends and tips for entertaining; his expert advice is sought regularly from industry media and lifestyle brands.

 Bruce believes that each wedding or event should be unique, reflecting the clients’ personalities and individual style. With consummate integrity, he insists on recommending only the most reputable vendors in the industry based on their suitability to your event.

Even in his personal life Bruce enjoys all aspects of entertaining. From baking, to throwing inspired dinner parties for friends - his creativity and passion goes hand-in-hand. Having developed a love for travel over the years, his ideal getaway includes a white sand beach and a good book – of course champagne, great food and the perfect travel partner are also a must!

Contact details: Bruce Russell Chiasson | by Bruce Russell | 079 1267 6717 | info@bybrucerussell.com | www.bybrucerussell.com

This week we are spotlighting the premiere online boutique for 
planning luxury wedding celebrations 
5starweddingdirectory.com

For those planning an extravagant wedding in 2012/13, 
this little white book of luxury wedding suppliers is the ‘go-to’ 
site for inspiration and ideas.
5 Star Wedding Directory’s popular blog (over 100,000 unique users), 
provides a host of wedding related material to help couples plan their
big day. 
From exclusive interviews with industry experts including 
Harrods wedding planner, celebrity hairdresser Richard Ward and 
highly acclaimed dress designer Caroline Castigliano. 
The blog also features a wealth of news and reviews on suppliers, venues and 
destinations for honeymoons, weddings and luxury hen dos.

 
The website is also a valuable resource for professional wedding 
planners seeking out premium ideas for their client’s special day. 
From haute couture wedding dresses, fairytale venues, 
gourmet cakes from Elizabeth's Cake Emporium, 
stylish photography and top make-up artists; 
the site is an unrivalled collection of the UK’s most inspiring wedding brands.

 
Founder, Yasmine Torab explains “We have carefully handpicked each supplier 
to exacting standards so that brides and planners know when they visit our 
site, it will only offer the best of the best.

 
5starweddingdirectory.com is not about creating a wedding with 
designer labels everywhere but instead about offering a choice of beautiful products, 
venues and destinations, some of which may be more well known than others, 
but all of an equal ilk when it comes to quality and style.”
 
So whether you are looking for a contemporary interior designed hotel or
 the opulence of a grand castle in Scotland, bespoke invites using 
speciality card stock or perhaps a tailor made hat from a royal
milliner, you will find a wealth of distinguished recommendations at
5starweddingsirectory.com.
 

Here at Eliabeth's Cake Emporium, we've been busy litte bees. Last month, we launched a new collection of cakes - The Inspired 2012 Collection, that has had everyone talking.

The couture collection is a tribute to the most iconic wedding dresses by notable designers including Oscar de la Renta, Helen Rose, Priscilla of Boston, Kosibah and Alexander McQueen.

Designs were crafted from custom made moulds and other sumptuous embellishments demonstrating our commitment to providing exceptional quality of service and meticulous attention to detail.

We are so thrilled with the lovely feedback but the best reponse we've had so far was from a very high profile and extremely knowledgable  bridal editor who immediately contacted us to say that she wanted some of the cakes for a special photo shoot as she had never seen such designs before. We were of course very happy to oblige :) and we will let you know when the magazine is published.

So enjoy the photos and let us know what you think!

This week I introduce  to you Donna Obstfeld from DOHR, the HR specialists with a passion for making any workplace a better place to be.



She is the brains behind the Business Essentials Conference, an event that provides vital information about legal and regulatory requirements and the implementation of best practice for businesses throughout the United Kingdom.


Born out of the desire to help her clients, this HR and Best Practice event has been tailored for small business employers like us.

Regardless of the sector your business operates in, as an SME, the following will be very familiar to you:
* The desire to do the right thing
* The lack of funds to go all out on extras
* The interference of HR and legal issues with the desire to be entrepreneurial and just get on with the day job
* The information overload about changes in legislation and compliance

If any of the above resonates with you, please attend The Business Essentials Conference. It  is a tool, a way of bringing you and other SME employers together to give you an amazing experience and most importantly the  information to drive your business forward.


It is probably one of the best investments you can make this year and you will get  absolute value for money at only £120 for a full day’s programme with seminars, networking and lunch – you would normally pay that for just one hour with each of the presenters!


If you book before Friday this week, you will be entitled to a 25% discount.


For more information, visit www.businessessentialsconference.co.uk