Hi I’m Amber, and Amber & Bohème is my little bohemian baby – a macramé, bohemian décor and styling business!
I’m a one woman team and I spend a tonne of my time being super super crafty and creative.
I’m usually making something new every week with another 30 projects in progress,
and I’m always dreaming up new makes and ideas for excuses to be creative in pretty much every area of my life as so many things around me inspire me!
Primarily, I’m a fiber artist, so I create beautiful dreamy macramé pieces for many elements of your big day
or special event that you can hire out and enjoy.
I’m an absolute sucker for all things natural so all the fibers I use for my art are natural cottons, jutes and raffias.
I also have a keen eye for anything and everything bohemia! I’ve always loved the relaxed bohemian vagabond aesthetic and lifestyle, but after spending 4 years away backpacking across the world where I lived a more organic lifestyle and shared a deeper personal relationship with nature, my passion for all things natural really became a way of life for me! (Cliché I know) That’s why, within my lovingly curated collection of bits and bobs, you’ll find plenty of natural materials and elements from sea grasses, banana leaf and raffia, to rattan, cane, shells and cottons. It’s all there; if Mother Nature made it, it’s special and is celebrated within my collection. I love love love textures and little special details too - you’ll quickly notice that all my macramé work is FULL of layers, textures, fringing and tassels, all mixed around intricate details and patterns – to me, more is more! I just adore it all, and Amber & Bohème is the literal embodiment of this unwavered love that I’ll always have for a bohemian life!
Also I have over 200+ house plants, and possibly have an unhealthy obsession with cats and coffee. I guess you can say I’m a bit of a hippy – who’s with me?
How did you get into weddings and events?
I have previously worked as a pattern cutter and dress maker at a bridal label where I had my first experience working in the bridal industry. After being there for some time I left and set up my own fashion label and had a good few years working in the very fast paced fashion industry. During this time I worked with a lot of other creatives and I did a lot of editorial events, where I developed a good eye for location and set styling, as well as fashion styling. I learnt a lot during these years which set me up for developing my 2nd business; Amber & Bohème.
I decided to start A&B when I came back to England after being away and felt my interests had shifted away from fashion and towards the more organic craft of macramé. I made a few pieces, and after a bit of encouragement from friends and family, took the plunge to introduce my works into the wedding industry in Aug 2019
How would you describe your style in 3 words?
Bohemian, natural, detailed.
Where do you gain your inspiration from when making your beautiful fiber art?
The main structure for my fiber art is bohemian, that’s a style that I love and is of course what Amber & Bohème is all about. I don’t want to create pieces that are simple, clean and neat that have a very contemporary feel, as it wouldn’t fit with the vibe of my business and it’s really not a reflection of who I am or where my passions lie.
I naturally design my work with bohemia foundations, lots of detail and lots of texture, so when I create a new piece, it will always fall into that style. I don’t really ever really have a design or plan when I begin something new; I just tend to work section by section and just go with the flow. I’ll have an idea of a little detail or element that I want to do, and then I’ll have an idea for another section that I’ll do, and then I’ll look at the whole piece and add or remove parts to make it flow and give it more balance. For my fiber art, I get inspiration from lots of things, most of the time it’s my own past works. They’ll have a little feature I like about them, and so I move on to create a new piece where that element has been developed with a different style, which is a fun way to work as all my pieces are subliminally linked together!
Before sourcing decor for styling weddings, do you have a concept or idea beforehand?
Amber & Bohème is solely and predominantly a bohemian style company. I don’t do any other concepts such as farmhouse rustic or country cottage as it’s not my vibe and there are plenty of other incredible companies that cater to those concepts. We are bohemia only, so everything I source fits within that style. I’ve always loved bohemia, it has so many avenues to explore and so many different styles, and it’s something I’ve always been drawn to all my life. My eye for bohemian details has really been refined, especially after travelling. I get tonnes of inspiration from nature and I love all natural fibers and materials, so loads of my items are natural woods like cane, bamboo and rattan. These are also recycled or up-cycled 2nd hand items, which fit into the very strong environmentally conscious ethics that both my company and the general bohemia vibe is built on. Everything is mix matched and different; there’s lots of age and character, lots of nature, and a really relaxed informal vibe. I just love it and my whole life is based around it!
How did you discover Macrame?
I’ve always known about macramé as I’ve seen it dotted about here and there, but I never really knew what it was - I thought it was some type of knitting or something! During the time I was away, I really missed doing crafty, creative stuff as I’ve done arty things all my life and use it as a major therapeutic outlet. At that time I was doing a lot of hand embroidery but I couldn’t logistically carry around my embroidery set and all those materials within my pack. I searched around for a new craft I could learn whilst I was on the road, which didn’t need a lot of materials or tools to do. I discovered macramé which you only need some string and your own hands to create something. I watched a tonne of videos on Youtube of how to learn knots and techniques, and I just gave it a go myself. When I was settled in Australia for a bit I made my first ever wall hangings which was super exciting to do, and I sold them when it was time to move on. When I came back to England I wasn’t ready to go back into fashion and felt like I didn’t connect with it in the same way. My priorities and ethics were different and I wanted to do something more organic. I picked macramé back up and made everyone I knew macramé gifts for Christmas. From there I got a bit of interest and A&B was eventually created.
How long does it usually take to create your fiber art pieces?
Most of my works do take quite a bit of time as I always put a lot of detail into them – that’s my signature! My big ceremonial piece took me just over 2.5 months to make, but smaller pieces tend to take between 2 days to 2 weeks to complete - it all depends of the depth of detail and features!
Other than being incredible backdrops for ceremonies and photo walls, what else do you enjoy seeing your fiber art showcased with on a wedding day?
I totally love seeing my pieces being used in a fully bohemian styled way, that’s so cool! I also absolutely love seeing my pieces matched up with works from other super talented suppliers. For example, I always feel really excited to see my cake ring proudly complementing a huge, beautiful cake, or when my bouquet wrap is paired up with a dreamy bushy bunch of blooms. It’s such an exciting part of it all and it’s just really really special to create a beautiful vision from everyone’s amazing talents!
What advice would you give couples who are looking at hiring or commissioning fiber art for their wedding?
Being commissioned to make a special fiber art piece for a wedding is honestly such an honour - it’s incredible that I am entrusted to create a really personal element for such a special event and it’s wonderful to be given an intimate insight into people’s lives in that way. I think if you’re a couple looking for that special piece, I would say to just go for it and not worry about if it’s worth it or if it’ll be a hard process. I love talking to anyone and I’m super approachable. I love to have a good chat with couples to learn a little about them and find out just who they are before I move on with designing their piece for them – that way I know how to get it prefect. If it’s something you really want, you’ve got to remember it’s not just for your wedding day, but it’ll also be in your home for the rest of your lives! You’ll see it every day and be reminded of the significance the piece holds. It’s really special, so I don’t want potential couples to be worried about going down that route as it’s honestly totally worth it! It’s a really fun and easy process to get there, just drop me an email to say hi and I’ll do all the leg work!
What is your favourite part of the process? Do you find yourself drawn to the making and designing most or does the styling get your creativity flowing?
For sure my favourite part is the making. I honestly love it! I’ve been so so creative all my life and I’ve always made lots of things from clothing, to furniture, to upholstery, to macramé! I’m a big maker! I love to just dive right in and get creative with my hands and at the end of it all, that image I had in my mind is now right there physically in front of me. I love it! Usually when I make a new piece, I’ve already thought of its vibe and the way I’d want it to be styled and presented. So when it comes to styling my pieces, it almost feels like coming full circle and I’m ticking off the last part of the process. In my mind it all links together so it’s such a fulfilling process to create and present something from start to finish!
What are your top 3 tips for having a beautiful wedding day?
1. Think of a vibe/concept/theme you want. Research suppliers and the average costs of each element of your wedding and then set a budget.
2. Plan ,plan, plan! You’ll be amazed at how quickly things book up - most venues and suppliers, especially if they’re particularly popular, usually work 2 years in advance. If you’re set on having a specific photographer or venue etc, take the plunge and secure them as soon as you can, even if you hold off on the rest of your planning for a bit longer. At least you’ve got the big stuff booked in!
3. Look at stuff and their meaning to you as a couple when it comes to deciding what to spend your budget on. If having a really lovely family celebration is what you’re envisioning, maybe you’d be more inclined on spending more of your budget on a lovely meal for everyone to enjoy and some great activities and entertainment for your guests. Maybe you’d rather spend more of your budget on something more personal to you both as a couple, such as bespoke rings to treasure, a more expensive photographer to capture those beautiful once in a lifetime moments, or having a special macramé ceremonial piece made that will be an eternal hanging homage in your home. Think about what is important to YOU as a couple and don’t feel pressured to please everyone or tick all the boxes, it’s YOUR wedding day!