Long Time No Post!

My poor neglected blog! I am not even going to see how long it has actually been since my last post, but we are back!

Market season has begun again and we are booked up most weekends now until February which means lots of work ahead! 

The beginning of market season is also the beginning of wedding season and we are so excited to be working with some beautiful brides this year!

During my absence I have updated the website www.vintage-spice.com with lots more to add but I am pretty happy with how its looking now and you can now shop online which is very cool!

I have also set up an Instagram account where you can see more pictures from the studio and also share photos of your VS goodies in action with us, just use the #vintagespicenz you can follow us @vintagespicenz.

I have absolutely no idea how I am going to keep up with all this social media stuff without spending all my time on the computer! So far VS has a Facebook, Twitter which I will admit I still have no idea how to use, Pinterest, Website and of course this blog! I will do my best to keep them all relatively updated but to be honest I would rather be crafting and creating beautiful things as opposed to on the computer. I love the social media that allows me to interact with all of you and that is super easy to use- I am very computer illiterate so most of the time have no idea what I'm doing or if anyone actually sees what I do!


What social media do you use on a daily, weekly or monthly basis? I would be very interested to hear how you keep up with it all and what ones you use the most, this helps me know what mediums are the most effective on reaching all of my lovely followers!

I have big plans for the blog for the second half of this year I have even purchased a dedicated blogging notebook to jot ideas and plan blog posts in. If there is anything you would like to see or any blogs that you would find helpful send me a message or comment below. I would also love to do some more business features so if you have a handmade or handtrade (e.g Photography, Wedding celebrants, event stylists) who would like their business featured on our blog drop me an email on vintagespicenz@yahoo.co.nz
I will also be featuring some product reviews in the near future.


Now I know this isn't the usual blog post and there won't be many like this but it's good to have a bit of a refresher, let you all in on what we have been up to and just have a general chat about things.

Have a great day x

Robin x

Unique Bouquet Makers.

There are many bouquet makers throughout the world but they are not created equally. When you choose someone to make your bouquets for your wedding make sure to ask questions before handing over any cash!

Firstly any bouquet that have some kind of polystyrene or floral foam base will not last the test of time, while this makes them cheaper if you are looking for an heirloom piece this is not it. Vintage Spice bouquets do not contain any such thing!

Is the company genuine? While this is a horrible thought when purchasing over the Internet this is something we must consider. What forms of payment do they accept? Ask if they take Paypal, this is a much safer way to purchase over the Internet should anything go wrong you can claim for your money back.

If you have seen the persons work in person obviously this is ideal but not always possible, ask for photos from different angles this way you can be sure the person is actually in possession of the piece and hasn't stolen the image from Google or another business's website.

Beware of "I can make something like this." Some 'businesses' use photos of others peoples work and claim to be able to make it. If this is the case they should be making it themselves! You never really know what you are buying. Making a quality bouquet is not as simple as 1 2 3 and takes many hours of perfecting techniques. Don't hand over your money to someone who 'claims' to be able to make it for you from a picture they have found on Google! 

Lastly progress photos, if someone is making your bouquet for you they should have no reservations on sending you progress photos of your bouquet throughout it's construction. Now asking for a photo a day is obviously a bit excessive but just at different stages, this ensures that when you get your bouquet it will be exactly as you want it! 

Robin xx

Owner and Creator of Vintage Spice Unique Bouquets and Accessories. 

{Photographer Feature} Amanda Ritchie Photography

This weeks featured photographer is Amanda Ritchie Photography.

Amanda is based in New Plymouth and specializes in capturing all of life's precious memories. See below our interview with Amanda.

Q.How did you get into photography? 

A. I have always loved taking photos, it started when I was just a little girl and got to borrow a camera from my mum and dad to go on a school trip (there was no digital back in those days but I won’t say too much without giving my age away). I recall the absolute THRILL of collecting my prints from the lab and seeing the images come alive on photographic paper. From that day on I was hooked.

Q. Tell us about your history as a photographer.

A. Three years ago I attended some formal training under the wing of a master photographer in town. After achieving Gold for my work in the beginner level and then again Gold in the advanced level, I finally plucked up the courage to explore photographing other people’s families. 

Then thanks to the wonder that is social media (mostly Facebook) I was able to set up a “business page” to show off my work and thus Amanda Ritchie Photography was created as a part time business for me 2 years ago.  Thanks to the internet and wonderful clients who have referred all their friends on to me, I now work full time on my photography and it has just grown beyond my wildest dreams.

      

Q. What is your top tip for brides when choosing their photographer?

A. Ask your photographer if they have back up gear and what they can do for you under bad weather circumstances – are they prepared for bad lighting??

It has been a pleasure featuring Amanda Ritchie Photography on our blog, we have really enjoyed browsing through her beautiful images! 

Find more of Amanda's work on their Facebook page or Website.

You can email Amanda on amanda@amandaritchie.co.nz

A big thank you to Amanda for letting us use these beautiful images on our blog!

Robin xx

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{Photographer Feature} Zandy J Photography

Zandy J Photography is based in Auckland by a very clever mum, Zandy has taken images of Vintage Spice Unique Bouquets and Accessories such as this great series of little girls in their mummy's wedding dresses!

Zandy has a great flair for capturing beautiful moments at weddings and we love seeing her work pop up in our Facebook news feed!

If you are looking for an affordable talented wedding photographer in the Auckland area contact Zandy see her wedding package details below.

Find her on Facebook

Robin xx