Introducing Girls of Elegance for Affordable Wedding Accessories

When I was planning for my wedding, I often wished there was just one street in London for wedding shops, so I could sort everything out in one go. Instead I rushed backwards and forwards across town, squeezing in wedding tasks in-between work and wedding blogging. If only I'd heard about Girls of Elegance. This fantastic one stop shop for wedding shoes, bridesmaid dresses and bridesmaid shoes, stocks all the best bridal suppliers, including Charlotte Balbier.

Established over eight years ago, Girls of Elegance also offers hard-to-find services like wedding shoe and handbag dyeing, so you can be sure your bridesmaids' accessories match your wedding colour scheme. Just take a look at their affordable bridesmaid dresses in a rainbow of colours. I'd be tempted to dress each of my girls in a different shade!

They also stock Charlotte Balbier hair accessories and wedding gowns, along with over 125 styles of wedding shoes, including Rainbow Club, Paradox of London, Filippa Scott and Belle in their new showroom in Poole, in Dorset. I love these Rosebud shoes, only £65 with 40% off right now.

But my favourite find of all has to be the limited edition Just Married Ugg boots. They look soooo comfortable, and under a full-length wedding gown, no one needs to know what you're wearing on your feet! Check out the Girls of Elegance website before they sell out!

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Brilliant Bubble Wand Bridesmaid Present

One of the reasons why I like weddings so much is because they're a magical moment out of the ordinary. Done right, they can create an almost childlike excitement in your guests - the fairy-tale feel of Happy Ever After. A moment when we can all suspend our disbelief. Continue the feeling of fun with these fantastic bubble wand necklaces for your bridesmaids. Created by Parliament of Two, they're designed as a tribute to our supersize childish memories. Just add bubble mixture.

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Vintage Recycled Bridesmaid Dresses

Love, love, love these incredible upcycled bridesmaid dresses from Armour sans Anguish. Each gown is handmade entirely from recycled and reclaimed materials, which just adds to their vintage personality. I'm loving the pink colour palette, but you can choose your shade according to your wedding theme. One warning, if you like them, order sooner rather than later, there's a 5 month waiting list!

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Brilliant Cheap & Chic Bridesmaid Presents & A Competition!

Ever since one of my coolest friends chose Alphabet Bags for presents for her bridesmaids {pics here}, I've had a mega-crush on their fab designs. So when I discovered they'd launched a special range for weddings, I got very excited, and sent them a quick email promising a feature here on Before the Big Day. Imagine my excitement when they wrote back offering a fabulous Giveaway AND a Discount Code {sooo deserving of capital letters}. Win 5 bags from the Alphabet Bag Wedding Collection for you and your bridesmaids! All you need to do is Like Before the Big Day on Facebook, and leave a comment below saying which is your favourite bag. I'll announce the winner a week today {29th March}. Don't worry if you don't win, you can still get 15% off this week on bags, with the code BIGDAY.

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Made Your Wedding Day Sparkle

There's nothing like adding a puff of fairy-dust to your wedding day, and as my fashion icon Patsy once said, "You can never have enough hats, gloves or shoes" {Absolutely Fabulous}. So give your girlfriends and bridesmaids a treat with these gorgeous sparkly shoes and matching clutch from BHLDN. Or snaffle them for yourself, and add a touch of twinkle under your wedding gown.

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Loving Maids to Measure Bridesmaid Dresses

Let's be honest, bridesmaids can be tricky. Why is it that they nearly always end up looking dreadful? Is it because most brides have an evil side, and can't help but make them wear ghastly dresses? Or is it because there just aren't enough decent bridesmaids dresses out there? I completely flunked the whole exercise and asked my bridesmaids to wear dresses of their choice in soft grey. Huge mistake - they all ended up in different shades {who knew that was even possible??}, that clashed {ditto!!}. So my recommendation is to bite the bullet and dress your ladies in the same material and colour, but different styles. Luckily a friend of a friend has started a fabulous boutique that will rescue you from trailing round the shops with a flock of bridesmaids biting at your heels. Maids to Measure offers a bespoke dressmaking service, online or by appointment, and their gowns are gorgeous, and only £195 with all fittings and alterations. And their website is super-cool. I just wish I'd found them this time last year!

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Vintage Wedding Hats, Headpieces & Corsages

Planning a vintage wedding? Or maybe a wedding with a forties theme? I've fallen in love with these super-stylish hats and hairpieces from Strumpet Bride. Handmade by Kitty and Wanda, you can either choose one of their beautiful read-to-wear pieces, or work with Strumpet on a bespoke design to match your wedding dress. Mothers-of-the-bride are going to love them, and why not give all your bridesmaids corsages to match? Gorgeous!

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Ethereal & Reasonable Wedding Gowns & Bridesmaid Dresses

There's a fabulous freshness to these gowns by Saja. Their simplicity would suit a free-spirited bride, or a beachside big day. Designer Soo Lee aims to create ethereal, whimsical dresses which won't break the bank, and all her pieces come in at under $1000. The only problem for British brides is that she's based in New York, so you might have to add an air-fare to that sum. But if you're making the trip to the Big Apple, then pick up your bridesmaid dresses from her NoLita store as well - her whole bridal collection is gorgeous!

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Colourful Flower Garlands For Your Flower Girls

Flower girls are a must. They add a delicious dollop of cuteness to your wedding day, and if you send them up the aisle first, everyone will be smiling by the time you take your turn. If you're feeling nervous, they're a great way to take a bit of the focus off the bride, and if you team them with page-boys then you'll be lucky if anyone takes a picture of you and your groom! When it comes to dressing your flower girls, it's all about whimsical romance, and these fabric flower garlands from Pretty Swell totally work that look. They come in every colour you can imagine, and they're full adjustable for big and little people.

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DIY Wedding Shoe Glamorisers

Wedding shoes can be a minefield. Traditionally brides wear white, but when will you ever wear a pair of white stilettos again? There's just too many connotations! Instead brides are opting for brights and metallics, often with red sole, which hikes the cost up a good £200 {thank you Mr Louboutin}. If you're not looking to break the bank with your wedding shoe budget {no judgement!}, then try a quick DIY shoe glamoriser with these fabulous shoe clips. They'll fasten on in a jiffy, and turn your simple slides into Carrie-standard beauties. Buy several pairs and coordinate your bridesmaids for a fraction of what you'd shell out for new shoes. Hot foot it over to Chloe and Maddie for all their styles.

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Simple but Sweet Bridesmaid Gift

Your bridesmaids will deserve a little something as a present on your wedding day. They'll have supported you through the most emotional hours of your life, armed with tissues, paracetamol, plasters and, hopefully, champagne. My girls were the best, and I couldn't have done without them! Why not thank them with these simple sterling silver heart earrings from UK Etsy seller Solo Jewellery. So cute and only £16!

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Bespoke Bow Bridemaid Clutches

Give your bridesmaid a treat with these pretty bow bridesmaid clutches from Eclu. Customise them to according to your wedding theme, by choosing the interior and exterior fabrics, and then add an accessory. Eclu creates bows, ruffles or peonies, and colour coordinates sashes for your bridesmaids or flower girls. You can even include a personal inscription sewn inside. Handmade in Boston, they're about £35 each, and Eclu offers 10% off for orders of 5 or more. They even package them in their own individual muslin dust cover {love it!}.

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A Fun Alternative to Bridesmaids' Posies

Fashion forward brides are moving away from choosing the simple bridesmaid posy, and picking creative alternatives instead. From ribbon rings to pomanders, parasols and pinwheels, you can really let your imagination run wild. I still haven't chosen what my {five!} adult bridesmaids should carry, but here are a few of my ideas so far....I've been searching the web for wedding inspiration.

{Above from left} Segerius Bruce Photography via Before the Big Day, DIY Your Own Flower Parasol via Martha Stewart Weddings

{Above, clockwise from top left} 1. via Chez Wed, 2. via Steel City Bride 3, Bridal Buds 4, Lauren Grabelle Photography, 5. via Utah Bride Blog
{Below} All pinwheels available to buy from Rule 42

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Cute Clutches for Your Bridesmaids

If you're looking to coordinate your bridesmaids, then don't forget their accessories! They'll be needing a cute clutch to hold all the bridal essentials; lip gloss, plaster, Bach's Rescue Remedy, needle and thread, mini-fan, etc, etc! These cute clutches from Oatmeal Lace Design can be completely customized with coordinating interior lining and exterior fabrics, and come with one detachable bloom at your request.
 

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HighStreet Bridesmaids

Choosing bridesmaids dresses is a complete minefield. I've got two maids of honour and four bridesmaids, and we're all over 30, so it's not like I'm going to be able to dress them in cutesy Bo Peep outfits. {Although I could....evil laugh!}. They're all completely different heights and shapes, so I'm toying with either a colour scheme, or just letting them wear what they want. However, if you're looking to choose dresses, you can't go wrong with the good old British high-street. Here are just a few of my favourite finds....

Top Tip Week ♥5

With two maids of honour and four bridesmaids to my name, I'm seriously considering whether they all need to be in the same outfit. Six dresses, six pairs of shoes, six sets of jewellery, you get my drift, everything is six times more expensive. So I'm completely in tune with Before the Big Day's 5th Top Tip.

Top Tip ♥5
Traditionally the bride buys her bridesmaids' dresses, but that can seriously add up, even if you pick them up in the sales. So instead ask them all to choose their own outfit from a particular colour palette and then add identical accessories. Try parasols from Brollies Galore or Asian Ideas or fascinators from Rock n' Rose, for a striking on-trend look.

Product Credits: Parasols - Asian Ideas, Hair Accessories: Rock n' Rose

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Flower Power

Don't you wish you were five again? Those were the days when you could wear ruffles, polka dots and flowers all at the same time, and no one would point and stare. The great thing about weddings is that you can channel that inner child, and dress up your little bridesmaids in gorgeous girly-girl dresses. Sweet Plume is one of those boutiques guaranteed to make you go aah. Brittany and Brianne handmake each outfit and are happy to take custom orders. Don't miss their Etsy shop and check our their blog for some super "sweet" discounts. My favourites have to be the feather dresses, do you think they come in adult sizes? And I know the cupcake dress isn't exactly your standard wedding fare, but it is the best outfit I've ever seen!

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Bridesmaid Heaven

Huge excitement! I've found the perfect dreamy dresses for your bridesmaids, at prices that will make you smile! Designed by LA-based designer, Rachel Pally, these gorgeous jersey gowns fuse simplicity and glamour, and would suit almost every shape. Much-loved by Hollywood starlets, they're available from multiple boutiques in the States, and online here, and the best news is they come in at under £200 each, amazing! Check out Rachel's website for more information.

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