Wednesday 29 April 2015

A 'Blooming' New Forest Autumn Wedding with DIY Details - Part 2

Take one wedding florist, add a graphic designer husband-to-be, and a group of insanely talented guests, and you have a wedding-made-in-heaven. Jen and Lee celebrated their big day in the autumn, and completely mixed up their wedding schedule, to make sure they didn't lose the light for their pictures. This inspired decision meant the party started straight away, and the lovely Ben Goode got to take these stunning portrait pictures in a gorgeous golden light. It's definitely an idea to steal if you're planning an autumn or winter wedding. As long as you don't mind seeing each other before the ceremony, then it's a winner! There's so many other brilliant details, you'll want to save every shot - from their giant, fairground-style, illuminated initials, to the CD favours made to look like mini-vinyls, and the chocolate brownie pyramid wedding cake. And did I mention Jen is a florist? Wedding flowers to die for! If you missed Part 1, don't!


Tuesday 28 April 2015

A 'Blooming' New Forest Autumn Wedding with DIY Details

I absolutely L-O-V-E it when a Before the Big Day bride gets in touch with me and asks if I'd like to feature her wedding. It's like being included on the guest list! Lovely Jennifer read this blog in the build up to her wedding day, and sent over the beautiful pictures by Ben Goode. I'm in love with every one, and completely obsessed with all the perfectly DIY'd details. Jen is a florist, so obviously the flowers were sorted, her husband Lee is a graphic designer and hand-made all of the fabulous stationery, a friend made the wedding cake, another friend DJ'd, and Jen's mum is a writer, and crafted a very funny reading for the ceremony out of all their guests' tips. Put together this saved them some pennies, but also made the day so much more personal. There's so much stealworthy wedding inspiration, I'm finding it hard to know where to start.....maybe with Jen's stunning high-street wedding dress, but don't miss the fun vintage VW camper-van, the locally-bought bridesmaid gowns, the flowery cocktails, and most of all the incredible wedding flowers - all designed by Jen herself. Such a dreamy wedding - more to come in Part 2 later today!



Monday 27 April 2015

Colourful Accessories & Ideas for a Picnic Wedding

There's nothing I like more than spotting something that gets my creative mind grinding! Today it was all about wooden spoons......yes really! Take a look at these fantastic, colourful little spoons from Sucre Shop. Doesn't it make you want to throw a wedding and serve ice-cream in little paper pots? Or strawberries and cream? I can imagine them at a picnic wedding, where everyone sits on blankets and feasts from a central basket, before playing lawn games and roasting marshmallows on open fires. All of that from a simple spoon!! More picnic wedding ideas on the blog & on my Pinterest page.


{I want this!} Variety Pack 20 Wooden Spoons from Sucre Shop, approx £7

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Friday 24 April 2015

A Magical Forest Wedding with a Secret Nightclub - Part 2

Welcome to the wedding reception of the year! I've never seen anything as gorgeous as the marquee decorations at Nels and Antony's wedding - giant blossom branches, stunning green drapery and sparkly fairy lights create a magical forest-feel. It's all thanks to the creative energies of wedding planner Kelly Chandler from The Bespoke Wedding Company and event stylists, Crescent Moon. I love how they included the pond from the grounds inside the marquee, and added floating hydrangea blooms for an incredibly romantic effect. Other stealworthy details include the hilarious pork pie wedding cake, and Nels' slate wedding favours cum place markers. Also their secret budget buy - an M&S three-tier traditional cake, decorated with flowers, for a luxe effect! Thank you to both Bibi Basch and Crescent Moon for capturing every detail of this gorgeous wedding.



Thursday 23 April 2015

A Magical Forest Wedding with a Secret Nightclub

Can you imagine only having four months to plan your wedding? That's how long Nels and Antony gave themselves, but thanks to the help of wedding planner extraordinaire, Kelly Chandler from The Bespoke Wedding Company, they created a truly extraordinary day. Their wedding reception marquee is like something from a fairy-tale - huge branches of cherry blossom, and a sparkling pond. But the pièce de resistance came later in the evening, when a curtain was drawn back to reveal an entirely differently themed black and white dance area, and then another reveal moment introduced a hidden 'man snug' filled with Chesterfield sofas and whisky. Amazing! Don't miss the pictures in Part 2, published later today. Other details to steal include Nels' beautiful David Tutera wedding gown, complete with extra sparkles, her pretty pink and teal colour scheme, and Antony's seriously dapper vintage morning suit. Huge thanks to both Bibi Basch and Crescent Moon for permission to publish these stunning photographs, and for capturing every detail!




Tuesday 21 April 2015

How to DIY Your Wedding Altar & Aisle

The perfect wedding venue is really difficult to find, and it's partly down to the restrictions on civil ceremonies. Marriage is a serious business, but in my view the government is waaaay too prescriptive about where we're allowed to celebrate a wedding ceremony. I'm always getting emails from brides who don't want to get married in a church, but are depressed with the civil ceremony venues in their local area. My solution isn't for everyone, but it worked perfectly for us. We had two weddings; a quickie ceremony in our local Hackney Registry Office, followed by our big 'official' wedding in Aix-en-Provence in France. This gave us the freedom to create our own ceremony {click to read}, write our own vows, and most importantly choose any venue on the planet. If this type of wedding takes your fancy, then you're going to need some serious wedding inspiration for altar and aisle decorations, and that's where the Before the Big Day Pinterest board will step into the breach! Just take a look at these fabulous, colourful wedding ideas - many more here.



{Photo Credit} Kristilee Parish Photography, see more from this wedding on Wedding Chicks blog

Monday 20 April 2015

The Cutest Wedding Toppers In The World

We didn't have a wedding cake topper. I forgot to find one, and needless to say, it wasn't exactly top of my husband's list. It didn't matter on the day, because the caterers provided a truly dreadful, and therefore hilarious cake topper to finish off our croquembouche wedding cake. However it has led to a slight obsession on my part. I'm now always on the look-out for the wedding cake topper I would have chosen. My current favourites are these DIY'd kokeshi dolls from Wood and Grain. They're just the right combination of cute and cool, with a lovely dash of vintage and rustic. Plus they're custom-made, so you can ask designer Christine to hand-paint them to match your wedding attire and hair-style {and pet!}. They're a lovely idea for a wedding anniversary present as well.

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Friday 17 April 2015

Shabby-Chic Jane Austen Themed Wedding Shoot - Part 2

Time for Part 2 of this incredible Jane Austen-themed wedding shoot. You've got to love English literature as the perfect wedding inspiration, particularly if you're planning a marquee or country-house wedding. With endless wedding ideas, you're going to want to copy every one of these pictures to your wedding Pinterest board. My favourite spots? I'm loving the blackberries in the bridal bouquet, the indoor as outdoor chandelier in the garden, the decadent picnic set-up, and all the vintage details, including the cake stand, apple crates and quilt. Dress your bridesmaids and pageboys in antique clothing, and add a traditional feel to your wedding day. Huge thanks to Dominic Whiten Photography for these beautiful pictures. Don't miss the list of all the other talented vendors who made this Wedding Shoot possible - after the pics. If you didn't catch Part 1, don't miss it - click here.



Thursday 16 April 2015

Shabby-Chic Jane Austen Themed Wedding Shoot

Romantic brides who love their literature are going to adore this beautiful Jane Austin wedding shoot organised by Melissa Love Design and Orchestrated, and photographed by Dominic Whiten Photography. Theming your wedding around your favourite book is such a brilliant idea, although you've got to hope your husband isn't a fan of Lord of the Rings, or you could find your ushers dressed as orcs! My wedding was loosely styled around The Secret Garden, which meant lots of vintage keys and a wedding reception in a walled garden. This Jane Austin theme sees tonnes of pretty nods to literature and books, with a traditional English tea and picnic, plus croquet on the lawn. Stealworthy wedding ideas include the adorable striped wedding stationery, the antique silver napkin rings {start collecting now at car boot sales and off eBay}, using fruit as table decorations, and traditional English blooms like roses and lavender. I also love the flower crown worn by the 'bride'. Buckets more wedding inspiration on its way in Part 2, published first thing tomorrow!



Wednesday 15 April 2015

Wedding Trends of 2015 - Classy Chevrons

Polka-dots, stripes, and tartan, they've all had their day. This wedding season is all about chevrons. The humble zig-zag is finally making its mark. Whether you chose a sequinned table cloth, a patterned paper straw, or a sexy envelope liner, add the classy chevron to your big day. Here's a selection of my favourite looks - find more on my Pinterest Board.



Friday 3 April 2015

A Pretty Pastel Blue Winter Wedding with a Tea-Party Theme

After years of not receiving many winter weddings, my inbox is suddenly full of lovely photographs! The latest bride to choose January for her big day is Natalie, and I've fallen for her stunning ice blue and gold colour palette. Natalie's Cotton and Crumbs cake was the first thing she ordered, and the inspiration for the rest of her wedding. I love its tea-cup topper, and ornate lace icing, but there's plenty of other wedding details for you - from the gorgeous Coast bridesmaid maxi-dresses, Natalie's stunning Charlie Brear gown and Glenn's specially tailored suit. Enjoy! Many thanks to the lovely Kayleigh Pope for sending over these lovely wedding pictures.



Thursday 2 April 2015

Wedding Trends of 2015 - Pretty Meringue Kisses

First spotted on the streets of Shoreditch, the Meringue Girls have made meringues trendy again. They're the new macaroons - pretty, perfect mouthfuls that melt on the tongue. They call them 'kisses', and they're mallow in the middle with a delicious crisp exterior. I'd be tempted to go the whole hog and theme my entire wedding around their pastel shades, with meringue favours and a giant meringue cake {made by Fondant Fox and decorated with meringue kisses}. You could even learn how to make meringues on your hen do, thanks to their popular Master Classes!


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