Supplier Spotlight – The Little Top

This month, Susie from The Little Top takes on our quickfire questions!

Please introduce yourself:

Hello! I’m Susie, the founder of The Little Top, a bespoke children’s event and party company specialising in wedding childcare. After 15 years as a fashion designer, 2 small boys, travelling the world and the desire for change, The Little Top was launched and it is my passion to see lots of small smiling faces at beautiful events!

Your business…

1. Where do you call home?
My husband, 2 boys and I live in Teddington, next to Bushy Park. There is talk of a puppy joining us…

2. What made you want to set up your business?
After attending several weddings with my own children I realised that neither they, nor I, were able to have the best or most relaxing day. I decided to offer a really beautiful and fun way to have children at a wedding, and thought it was a great idea for the children, the parents and also the happy couple, as it meant every single guest would have the time of their lives!

3. Why the wedding industry?
I love the beauty and passion of everyone involved in the wedding industry – a bride starts with an idea, and a team of talent creates their perfect day. I’m also a huge romantic, and cry at pretty much every wedding I attend!

4. What’s the best part of your job?
Children’s faces when we bring out the giant bubbles, or parent’s faces when they realise they can hand over their children and drink champagne!

5. What’s the worst part of your job?
Taking down our tents in the rain at 1am… there is a lot of manual labour and cleaning behind the scenes!

6. What’s the weirdest request you’ve ever had from a client?
We recently got asked for a doorman at a children’s party to be dressed as a headless butler…. ooh and we have had a pony dressed up as a unicorn at a wonderland event…. We’ve had a few good ones actually!

7. You’re surrounded by beauty in your job, what do you find beautiful?
I have travelled a lot, and think it’s pretty tough to beat a sunset on a beach.

8. Best piece of advice to offer to those getting married?
Make sure you both have time with others too – after 10 years of marriage, I know a lot of my friends and family have also helped to keep us happy!

9. Who or what is your biggest influence?
I am lucky enough to have lots of very inspiring, interesting and wonderful friends… Also without glitter, I doubt I would be where I am today.

10. Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Fail to prepare, Prepare to fail… you need to be ready for anything!
(Also my mum warned me off men in polo necks.)

11. What was your career plan B?
I always fancied being a west end dancer.

You…

12. Tell us something surprising about yourself!
I have four false teeth.

13. Pints and pies or coffee and cake?
Pie. But can I have red wine? I’ll have a pint of it.

14. What’s your favourite shop?
Anthropologie. It’s a very expensive habit.

15. If you could buy any building, which would it be?
The Taj Mahal. I would keep painting it different patterns and have the most lavish and ridiculous parties.

16. Favourite film?
Con Air. Best cast ever.

17. Your biggest pet peeve?
People that don’t thank you when you let them out at junctions.

18. What’s your guilty pleasure?
Bergerac, port and Maltesers in the daytime. A trick I learnt on maternity leave.

19. Favourite thing to do on a rainy day?
Board games – we are a family obsessed!

20. Cosy night in or big night out?
Cosy night in for me, but with lots of people here!

21. What’s the most romantic thing someone’s ever done for you?
My husband surprised me at the arrivals gate with a handmade sign and flowers after a very long work trip to China, and then I came home to a house full of candles.

22. Most perfect place for a sunrise?
Being on a boat, you feel like the only people in the world.

And finally…

23. Invisibility or flight?
Flight – I’d get really nosy if I was invisible.

24. Do you believe in fate?
I believe you have the power to change what you do, but I love the idea that fate brings certain people together.

25. If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
I’d ban guns in America. No, everywhere.

Thank you so much to Susie from The Little Top for taking part! What an insight… And sound advice throughout! (Especially about polo-necked gents!)

I’ll take a pint of wine with you any day, Susie! You sound like my kind of fun!