A woman on a mission to make edible wishes come true

The Wisborough-Green based Pudding Fairy is on a one-woman mission to make edible wishes come true.

Run by Laure Moyle, the aptly named catering company has also made her own dreams a reality.

“I used to commute for two hours and now I play with chocolate. There is no going back which is why I know, whatever it takes, I need to make it work,” she enthuses.

“It starts with the people and their story. You can find out a lot about people and then it is about bringing it all together into something that makes sense,

“As much as you develop your own style it is good to be pushed to do things outside of the box, I think it is good to try new things, I think the more different things you do the more creative you remain,” explains Laure. “I get a lot of the boho style of things but I get supermodern things too. That is the inspiration behind my business name, making cake wishes come true – whatever that might be.”

Despite having been a buzzword for a while ‘boho’ is seeing both a resurgence and a makeover. “There is so much under that umbrella,” Laure agrees.

“Even when people say ‘I want boho style’ it ranges from white buttercream with fresh flowers all the way to dark chocolate with gold and metallic flowers and birds on a proper tree stump cake stand.

“Around here there are so many brilliant and quirky venues and people go and get married in the woods, so it works really well to have something nature inspired,” she adds. “It needs to feel a bit quirky, colourful – I am a big fan of colour clashes – and not too symmetrical, so it looks like it has been arranged by fairies rather than following the more classic rules of design, which is good as I am not good at following rules anyway.”

That isn’t to say she didn’t try. In fact it was a fondant cake too many which helped Laure know she needed to give her creations a chic French Patisserie twist.

“I think I always knew it was what I wanted to do but defining my style took a little while and taking that step, saying ‘I am going to pitch this’, did too. It is hard as it is quite different and you have to be sure of yourself,” she smiles. While Laure thinks it might have been a case of ‘right time, right place’, there’s no doubt events are embracing the sophisticated and laid back style her work radiates.

“More and more brides are going that way, wanting something less formal and more like a big party,” Laure admits. “I am seeing more autumn weddings as a result which I think is because of the weather. Summer has been hit or miss for the last couple of years but we have had autumns which have been baking, plus the colours are vibrant and beautiful.

“I think there is a change in lifestyle. More couples are living together for a while before getting married and people want to have a party. People want to have fun and make it about them. If you have something that is more relaxed it is easier to do that,” she says simply. “I do think I got a bit of luck there.”

The new form of fairs cropping up is just one reason the change looks like it is a shift, rather than a fad. June boasts two fine examples with the new Wed Fest coming to Pulborough and The Floral Fringe Fair returning to West Grinstead.

But, as Laure’s order book shows, the conventional and quirky sit well side by side.

“When I do fairs I see a real mixture of couples. A lot are there because they want to look at the venue whereas many will have a venue already and it totally won’t be there but the event had a good reputation,” she reveals. “However if you want a boho wedding and there is an event that does that like the Wed Fest it is brilliant as it will naturally work with what you are thinking.”

To find out more about Pudding Fairy, including plans for workshops and events, visit www.puddingfairy.com

What: Wed Fest

When: June 4, noon to 5pm

Where: Two Wood Estate in Pulborough

In a nutshell: Sussex Wed Fest will be Sussex’s First Wedding Festival and aims to offer couples a unique and alternative way to plan their day.

It is organised by Sara, from To Have & To Hire Events, and Emma, from Wild & Green Floristry who were inspired by their own experience at fairs and the belief ‘couples were looking for something different’. More than 70 exhibitors are expected, with acts planned on the main stage throughout the event. Tickets available from www.sussexwedfest.co.uk