Meet the Gang

Although Amazon and other big companies may be looking to replace all their staff with robots in the much-too-near future, Whitehouse Event Crockery can’t imagine not having living, breathing humans as their workforce. Though we may seem to run as flawlessly as a machine, it’s a combination of hilarious characters and hard-working men and women that keep this company afloat. Because there aren’t very many of us in the whole company, every single person is essential to keeping all the Whitehouse cogs turning. We work tirelessly to make sure that you guys don’t have to worry about a thing and, though it may be stressful for us at times, we have a lot of laughs along the way. Since it would be impossible for you to know us all inside out in just one blog post, we all answered 10 key questions about Whitehouse, and ourselves, to help you get an idea of what is means to work here.

So, without further ado, let us commence the introductions….

 

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Name: Marc
Role at Whitehouse: Mr Bossman.
Started: Uhh…I started it in 2009 if that counts?
Favourite piece from the collection: Cara gold and silver.
Why?: It’s a bold statement.
No. 1 chocolate in a Celebrations box: Galaxy.
Biggest pet peeve: Cold Calls.
What drink do you order in a bar?: Fruity cider.
Best tip for people planning a wedding or event?: Research. Plan. Budget.
Favourite part about working here?: My team! Without them I wouldn’t have a successful business.

 

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Name: Allan.
Role at Whitehouse: Warehouse Manager.
Started: October 2013 (I think…)
Favourite piece from the collection: Eliza collection
Why?: The complexity of the pattern and the subtlety of the colours make it a winner for me.
No. 1 chocolate in a Celebrations box: Maltesers.
Biggest pet peeve: LOUD PEOPLE!
What drink do you order in a bar?: Any pint of lager or ale.
Best tip for people planning a wedding or event?: Give yourself enough time to achieve success.
Favourite part about working here?: Always being busy and having a different challenge every day.

 

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Name: Shelley
Role at Whitehouse: Office Admin (as well as a professional coffee and tea maker.)
Started: October 2018
Favourite piece from the collection: Valentine collection
Why?: Clean, fresh, modern and smart. It makes me smile when I see someone has chosen it.
No. 1 chocolate in a Celebrations box: Maltesers (it’s about the crunch!)
Biggest pet peeve: People that only talk about themselves.
What drink do you order in a bar?: Fruity flavoured gin and tonic.
Best tip for people planning a wedding or event?: Don’t let your mother take over (unless you want her to, of course.)
Favourite part about working here?: Working among lovely fellas, as well as always being busy.

 

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Name: Dean
Role at Whitehouse: Manager
Started: June 2017
Favourite piece from the collection: Sienna Bronze/Rosanna/Georgia range
Why?: They are in a class of their own.
No. 1 chocolate in a Celebrations box: Mars
Biggest pet peeve: Politics
What drink do you order in a bar?: Strongbow dark fruits
Best tip for people planning a wedding or event?: Come and visit Whitehouse Event Crockery!
Favourite part about working here?: It may be work, but it’s a happy workplace.

 

whitehouse_crockery_neil
Name: Neil
Role at Whitehouse: Pot Washer
Started: 2015
Favourite piece from the collection: Isabella Copper
Why?: A very modern plate
No. 1 chocolate in a celebrations box: Maltesers
Biggest pet peeve: Dean!
What drink do you order in a bar?: Vodka…
Best tip for people planning a wedding or event?: Go straight to Whitehouse – they have something for every occasion.
Favourite part about working here?: The banter with all the gang.

 

whitehouse_crockery_lee
Name: Lee
Role at Whitehouse: Porter
Started: No clue!
Favourite piece from the collection: Pippa Lilac/Saffron
Why?: They’re just the best looking (in my opinion.)
No. 1 chocolate in a celebrations box: Maltesers
Biggest pet peeve: Wet Feet
What drink do you order in a bar?: Stella Artois
Best tip for people planning a wedding or event?: Obviously phone Whitehouse first.
Favourite part about working here?: The people.

 

whitehouse_crockery_tilly
Name: Tilly
Role at Whitehouse: Digital Marketing.
Started: January 2019.
Favourite piece from the collection: Saffron.
Why?: Such an interesting colour, unique from anything else in the collection.
No. 1 chocolate in a Celebrations box: Bounty (sorry everyone, but there has to be someone that likes it!)
Biggest pet peeve: Unnecessary touching.
What drink do you order in a bar?: Gin and Tonic any day.
Best tip for people planning a wedding or event?: Figure out your venue before everything else, then go to the Whitehouse website.
Favourite part about working here?: This hilarious gang of misfits.

 

So there we are! What exactly have you learnt about us? Certainly that there is an uneven number of us who like Maltesers, which may make the Christmas party a tad awkward… Lots of our favourite pieces also overlap, showing you that, despite all starting at different times, we are all on a similar wavelength. And finally, we all love working with one another. Oh, how I love a happy ending.

We hope next time you book with Whitehouse, you picture all of us working diligently to bring everything together for you. Don’t forget to like all our social media pages to be updated on new stock, get inspiration and stay in the loop with our latest deals.

Gold or Silver? And other big questions…

If you had the ability to guess the year’s trends accurately, what would happen? Well firstly, you’d probably become a millionaire because you’d have Wall Street wrapped around your finger. You would also be able to host the best picnics, considering the fact that you could organise them on the sunniest days of the year. But, most importantly, you’d be able to tell us which crockery is going to be the most popular this year! We like to think we know which pieces are ‘in’, and which need to wait their turn, but sometimes it can take us totally by surprise. Before we can understand the future, however, we have to take a look at the past. We’ll take you through which plates and glasses have stolen the limelight and which, from our 10 year experience in the industry, are on the up.

Let’s start with the chargers.

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Daisy Charger Plates

Of course, before we talk about anything else, we have to talk about Daisy. This charger plate stormed into our warehouse in 2010 and demanded attention immediately. Available in gold, silver, rose-gold and clear, it has been used extensively by wedding planners, events organisers and professional stylists. So, what makes it so appealing? Perhaps it is just a fad, but we think that it is the subtlety of its design that really makes it a winner for all of you. The glints of colour that come from the beads stop it from simply fading into the background, whilst the clear centre allows it to mesh effortlessly with a multitude of styles. Daisy has certainly captured the hearts of many brides, however we finally feel like it’s light is slowly starting to burn out. Make way, Daisy, there are new plates in town.

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Sienna baby pink

Pastels of course! Now you might say that’s a bit of an obvious choice, such as white for a wedding, but just hang on for a minute. Gold, silver and bronze have been stealing the show for a long time now and, much to our surprise, pastels have had to sit on the sidelines. But already, just in the first few months of the year, we see chargers like our Sienna baby pink making a serious comeback. Light pink, which may have been too cliche in the past, has been cropping up in both styled shoots and weddings. One day it was only an acceptable colour for roses, the next, for plates, dresses, and linens – people can’t get enough of it! Our pastel range is looking to get expanded exponentially in the coming year, so don’t be disheartened if you don’t see the plate for you just yet…

Next up, glassware.

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Cara Gold Glassware

Drumroll please, may we introduce the infamous Cara glassware set. This exquisite range, available in either gold or silver, emulates much of what Daisy does. Perhaps its more grown-up sister, Cara is even more subtle in the detail that it can add to an event, yet no less spectacular. The golden rims make it popular, but its elegant design and chameleon-like ability to work in any scenario have kept it at the top. The delicacy of its colour has helped it to compliment many a wedding, however our prediction for glassware takes a very different direction.

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Harper red and Amber goblet (top) and the Harper range

It would be a bit hypocritical if we said that colour was the next big thing for plates, and completely disregarded that statement for glasses. Our goblets, tumblers and water glasses have recently seen a real spike in professional shoots, which hopefully means people are going to start taking them seriously as a stylish wedding option. Many brides often assume that colourful glasses will make the wrong statement on their special day, however, as we have seen, they can actually be used in expert ways to match or enhance an existing colour pallet.

And finally…

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Grace Gold

Last, but certainly not least, we have the cutlery. Before entering the wedding and events industry, I hadn’t considered cutlery to be an important feature of any tablescape. Fast-forward to the present day, and I would be beyond shocked to find a bride that doesn’t care about which cutlery she is going to use. Gold, of course, has been the obvious option in the past. Our Grace cutlery not only provides this beautifully addition, but also had its own subtle design that puts another notch on our high-quality belt. Gold has often worked in the past simply because the rest of the wedding has also been gold. We see how that makes sense. But 2019 is here, and along with it something new, mysterious and all together futuristic cutlery.

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Blair Cutlery

Shall we take a minute to appreciate how beautiful this cutlery is. Okay that’s enough. This is the ‘Blair’ set, cutting through all our expectations of what cutlery should be and saying ‘I don’t care’ to classic wedding themes. Matt black, with a sleek design, these pieces are the essence of chic and, though we know they aren’t going to fit into everyone’s vision, we know they are going to come in on a high. Mixed with the coloured glassware, we know this look will be both mysterious and enticing, like seeing someone with an umbrella on a sunny day.

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The real question, however, is what do you guys want to see? We put some polls up onto our Instagram to see if our guesses were correct, and, for the most part, we did pretty well. We asked three questions to gauge how trends were changing, and to see what our next project should be. Between vintage and plain porcelain, the clear winner was plain. Chic and minimalist, most of our ‘plain’ porcelain actually includes a great deal of design. Next was clear versus coloured glassware..which came as a draw! You guys can’t decide if you want to take the leap yet, but we promise, it’ll be worth it if you try. Lastly was the age-old question – gold or silver? And the answer…?

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We’ll leave you to guess the answer.

A New Era at Whitehouse

With a look back on the last couple of years…

March! How can it be March? Yesterday it was January 1st, we swear…? The last two months have flown past in the blink of an eye, as have the last few years! We’ve hardly been able to take a moment to be  nostalgic about our past, since everything seems to want to move at light speed, but we’re taking a minute now to have a look back. From humble beginnings Whitehouse now hires out to hundreds of private events every year and is lucky enough to be involved in an increasing number of stylish photoshoots (we’ll get on to that later.)  But where did we start? And how did Whitehouse become such an established brand in the weird and wonderful world of weddings? You’re just going to have to keep reading to find out…

whitehouse_crockery_hire_wedding_new_era_4Image 1: Jervaulx Abbey Styled Shoot, see credits at the end.

Though we like to pretend that we were always involved in beautiful shoots (like the one above), it took us a great deal of time to get recognised by event planners and stylists. When we began in 2009 there was just one of us! Running the business single-handedly wasn’t easy, so we slowly built up our hired staff to help deal with our steady in-flow of work. Around 2014 we started gaining real traction in wedding and events circles, when our name finally became synonymous with high quality products and smooth service. Now in 2019, 10 years after we started, we’re proud to say that we are always busy, though there are still only 10 of us running the whole operation!

whitehouse_crockery_hire_wedding_new_era_5Image 2: Regal Romance styled shoot.

From one or two a year, Whitehouse is now asked by industry professionals to be used in their work every single week! We are proud of them all, and know that an immense amount of effort goes into planning every single one. This photo is from one of our most recent, and most widely published, shoots. Photographed at Hedsor House by Stuart Wood, it shows off some of our gorgeous gold crockery, encompassed by pink roses, reflective glass and upmarket tableware. The soft-focus also adds to their fairytale aura, especially with the twinkling tea-lights placed all around the table.

whitehouse_crockery_hire_wedding_new_era_6Image 3: The Walled Garden at Beeston styled shoot.

It was shoots like these that pushed Whitehouse into the eyes of the wider public, as well as showing off our collection to other stylists. Regal, casual, minimalist, outlandish, our crockery catered to everyone’s need, which is why we have such a wide range of photos in our database. People finally knew that no matter what they were looking for, they would be able to find it at Whitehouse.

whitehouse_crockery_hire_wedding_new_era_3Image 4: Clevedon Hall wedding.

But don’t get us wrong, we also love a wedding! Our most passionate reviews come from happy brides who were able to see their vision of a perfect wedding come to life. Our objective has always been to make it easy as possible for someone to plan their special day, and to make sure we were never responsible for any ‘hiccups’ that occur. Delivery and pick up from the venue, flexibility when changing orders and friendly staff have made many people’s day as stress-free as possible, hence why we are used again and again by wedding planners.

whitehouse_crockery_hire_wedding_new_era_1Image 5: Papakata Open Weekend

Last, but definitely not least, we have events. One of our frequently asked questions is ‘do you have enough crockery to cover the entire event?’ And the answer is always yes! In the summer months, we have such a multitude of orders over the weekends that we have made it our mission to have enough of our popular stock to run every event. Of course, there is a limit to this rule, however , we really, really hate having to decline you lot, so chances are we’ll have enough to fit your needs. Beautiful events like the Papakata Open Weekend make our heart leap, since they are such a pleasure for everyone involved.

whitehouse_crockery_hire_wedding_new_era_2Image 6: Garthmyl Hall styled shoot.

So, what is next for us? Well, we have a huge 2019 ahead of us here at Whitehouse event crockery. You guys really know how to keep us busy! With lots of new stock on the way, as well as a myriad of styled shoots in the works, we’ll have a hell of a lot to catch you up on as the year progresses. We want to take you along with us on our 2019 journey to show you how Whitehouse is run behind the scenes, why stylists love us and what we think the biggest trends of the year are going to be. To get inspired, and to keep up to date on our daily activities, follow Whitehouse on all our social media channels.

Credits

Image 1: Jervaulx Abbey styled shoot.
Photography: Jo Greenfield ✜ Styling: Emily K Weddings ✜ Florist: All Bunched Up ✜ Stationery: A Little Pigment ✜ Macaroons: Where the Ribbon Ends ✜ Planning through the Alternatives Photography Workshop

Image 2: Regal Romance styled shoot.
Venue: Hedsor House ✜ Planning: Love Lydia Wedding & Events Planner ✜ Photography: Stuart Wood ✜ Lighting: Glo Design and Event Production ✜ Flowers: Paul Rooney Floral Designer ✜ Cakes: Maya Dahlia Cakes ✜ Furniture: Great Hire ✜ Linens: Ott Rentals ✜ Stationary: Leeming Brothers ✜ Macarons: Gourmandises ✜ Balloons: Balloonista

Image 3: The Walled Garden at Beeston styled shoot.
Photography: Emily Olivia Photography ✜ Flowers: Frances and Rose ✜ Silk runners: cfleursdesign ✜ Venue: The walled garden Beeston ✜ Light installation: Fabrictheatre ✜ Tables: Be Event Hire

Image 4: Clevedon Hall wedding.
Venue: Clevedon Hall ✜ Event Designer: Thomas Bui Lifestyle ✜ Flowers: Daisy Lane Floral ✜ Stationary: Design by Pye ✜ Video: Alex Haynes Film ✜ Photography: Sam Gibson ✜ Linens: Allens Hire ✜ Stemware: Keeping it Vintage Devon ✜ Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes ✜ Dress: Sachin and Babi ✜ Suiting: Taliare London ✜ Hair and Makeup: Beauty by Stacy MUA

Image 5: Papakata Open Weekend.
Photography: Natasha carman ✜ Tent and teepees: Papakata ✜ Venue: Escrick Park Estate ✜ Florist: Red Floral Architecture ✜ Event planning: Lucy wright Wedding and Events ✜ Linen: Just 4 Line ✜ Stationary: Wonderland Invites ✜ Cake: Where the Ribbon Ends ✜ Catering: Baba Ganoush Catering ✜ Bar: Yorkshire Bartender ✜ Lighting: lightech

Image 6: Garthmyl Hall styled shoot.
Photographer: Agnes Black ✜ Stylist & Props: Chiascuro Style ✜ Dresses: Grace Loves Lace ✜ Venue: Garthmyl Hall ✜ MUA: Hannah Carson MUA Hair: Annie Elizabeth Bespoke Bridal Hair ✜ Cake: Marie Antoinette Cakes ✜ Shoes: Charlotte Mills Shoes ✜ Flowers: Chloe Robinson Designs ✜ Veil: Sash and Veil ✜ Silk and ribbons: Silk and Purl ✜ Stationary: By Moon and Tide ✜ Model: Ella McNeil

Crockery of the Month – March 19

What on earth is this?

Welcome to this wonderful new section of the Whitehouse blog that we are calling ‘crockery of the month.’ (It’s not as dreary as it sounds,) We are beginning this as a way to highlight some beautiful pieces within our collection that we believe aren’t getting the attention they truly deserve. Some will seem outlandish, and others remarkably simple, but hopefully this monthly blog will help to guide you towards options that you may not have considered before. On top of that, we will be offering a discount on the charger plates being show if you put in an order within the month it is being promoted. We would definitely call that a win-win situation. Therefore, if you are planning a wedding, or simply looking to get inspired, then I suggest you keep scrolling…

This month’s choice is…   The Eliza Charger Plate!

Eliza_Charger_Plate_Range

So why did we choose our ‘Eliza’ range to highlight this month? Well, we love all of our crockery equally, but Eliza is a charger plate that is exquisitely designed whilst, unfortunately, being underappreciated by our client base. First being featured at Whitehouse in March 2018, its regal design is often overlooked as too ‘busy’ by many planners, perhaps thinking that it is going to clash against existing colour pallets. However, in person, Eliza adds a level of subtle design that coordinates expertly with a more down-to-earth wedding, whilst also retaining its own unique charm.

But what is a charger plate?

If you’re new to the exciting world of crockery, you might be asking ‘what on earth is a charger plate?’ We generally use charger plates as a form of placemat underneath the plate or bowl you would actually use to serve your food. Found in English and Scottish texts in the 13th century, its name derives from both the term ‘chargeour’ meaning large plate, and the Latin verb ‘carricane’ which means to load, It’s function changed to the one we know today in the 19th century, when it started being used at formal dinners, functions and events. But enough history, let’s have a look at how the Eliza crockery can be styled for different scenarios.

Crockery in-action
Gisburne Park

These striking photographs, taken at Gisburne Park, just north of Manchester, were part of a styled shoot organised by Emily K Weddings.  Inspired by the Ribble Valley, as well as the river that runs through Gisburne Park, this shoot incorporated the blues and greens of its surroundings, whilst nodding its head to Gisburne’s grand history with the use of our gold cutlery and gold rimmed glassware. Topped off with our clear Eliza charger plate, the final look had just the right amount of detail whilst also looking fresh and clean.

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Gisburne 3

Gisburne 2  emily-k-weddings-gisburne-park

Emily from Emily K Weddings said this about the clear plate:

‘I love the [Eliza clear], especially if you use a coloured table cloth or coloured charger underneath.

They’re subtle,elegant and detailed. I think they’re a great vintage look [that] don’t look as big and cluttered on the table because they’re clear.’

 If you feel especially taken with the colour pallet of this particular shoot, we have done a colour grab from Pantone© to helpyou get it exactly right.

Gisburne_Pantone_Colours

 

Irnham Hall

This second shoot also happens to come from an Emily K Weddings styled shoot! Clearly Emily saw the diamond in the rough with this range of crockery. As different from the first images as you could possibly get, these Eliza pink charger plates were paired with both vibrant and muted tones, enhancing the plates and the surrounding. Torn linens, clear glassware and bare tables creates the feeling of being at an ancient royal feast, whilst the rose-gold cutlery and miniature succulents remind us that this can be a brilliantly modern look.

Shelley, who works at Whitehouse, said this about the Eliza charger plate range:
‘I think these plates have a special charm about them.
Some people would say that they’re too garish for a wedding, and they might not be for everyone,
but for a bride that wants to turn heads, this is perfect.’

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eliza_charger_location

This colour range is obviously much brighter than the other design, but that by no means makes it ostentatious, The pinks and blues of the plate work in conjunction with a variety of other tones, but is pulled back by the muted nature of the wood.

Irnham_Hall_Pantone_Colours

If you think that Eliza might be perfect for your wedding or event,

then just email us a quote with ELIZA15 to get 15% off any Eliza charger plate.

But remember, there’s no time to hesitate,

since the discount only applies if you confirm and pay the deposit in the month of March! 

 

Credits for the events work contained within this post:

Gisburne House :
Photographer: @emilyoliviaphotography ✜ Planner & Stylist: @emilykweddings
✜ Venue:@gisburneparkweddings ✜ Flowers: @riverandroseuk ✜ Cake: @wheretheribbonends ✜  Stationery:@sallyjanecalligraphy
✜ Furniture: @blue_sky_events
Irnham Hall:
Photography: Jo Greenfield ✜ Styling: Emily K Weddings ✜ Florist: All Bunched Up ✜
Planning through the Alternatives Photography Workshop