So here we go ladies, Part 2 of my vintage tea-party themed wedding. After our quicky wedding ceremony in Hackney Town Hall {our local}, we headed to Victoria Park for our pictures, where {joy of joys} we found the best photo-prop ever. An ice-cream van! I'd really recommend trying to organise a few photo props - it makes for much more natural portraits, particularly if you're feeling a bit stressed on your wedding day. After our pictures we headed home for our vintage tea party reception. We decorated our Shoreditch flat with handmade white pompoms, white bunting bought from eBay, and a dozens of roses bought from Columbia Road Flower Market on the cheap! Stunning photographs published with thanks to Caught the Light, and I've filled in my own Before the Big Day Bridal Questionnaire, so check out my answers below for all my suppliers and wedding DIY projects.
Showing posts with label Caught the Light. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Caught the Light. Show all posts
Wednesday, 6 May 2015
Tuesday, 5 May 2015
My Secret London Wedding - Our 4th Anniversary
Four years ago today, we celebrated our secret wedding in London. Why secret? Well our 'real' wedding was in Provence, but legally we had to get married in the UK first. At first we thought we'd just sneak off on a Tuesday afternoon and get married privately with just two witnesses. But then our parents wanted in. And then we realised that the grandparents weren't going to make it out to France, so they snaffled invitations. And then, being a wedding blogger, I got all excited about a vintage tea-party wedding theme, and Chloe from Caught the Light offered to do our pictures. So before we knew it, we were planning two weddings. That's two ceremonies, two themes, two dresses {lucky me!}, and double the details! Take a look, and see what you think!
Labels:
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Civil Ceremony
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Green
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Tuesday, 24 February 2015
A Detail-Filled Londonl Little Venice Wedding: Part 3
It's time lovely ladies, it's time for the wedding details! I meant to post this last night be jetlag got the better of me. However it means I've been particularly {if accidentally} good at suspense-building. There are so many wedding details pictured in these fabulous Caught the Light wedding pictures, you're going to be slightly blown away. It's a DIY bride's fantasy wedding! Take a look at all the paper decorations, from the handmade origami swan chandeliers, to the striped straw flags and boat place markers. I'm loving the colourful bright theme, the wonderful array of different flower blooms in little vases and the wire table numbers. With blue-striped napkins, a Catch of the Day basket for wedding wishes, a net capturing Lynda and Blair's friends' pictures, and little messages in bottles as favours, every wedding detail is in keeping with the nautical theme. I think I'm in love! Huge thanks to Chloé Browne from Caught the Light for her fabulous pictures. Don't miss the fabulousness that was Part 2, and Part 1!
Monday, 23 February 2015
A Detail-Filled London Little Venice Wedding: Part 2
When it comes to wedding transport, it doesn't get much more original than a traditional London barge! But when gorgeous couple Lynda and Blair celebrated their wedding in Maida Vale, it made perfect sense to use the canals around Little Venice to transport their guests from the ceremony venue to the wedding reception at the waterside restaurant, The Summerhouse. I'm loving how Lynda decorated the barge with pompoms {tutorial here}, bunting and paper-hearts. All these wedding decorations are super-easy to DIY - why not get a group of your girlfriends together for a big crafting night before your big day? With personalised button badges and fans as favours, and nautical red and white ribbon decorating the vases, Lynda and Blair's wedding planner, Rebecca at Harlequin & Romance thought of every wedding detail! Huge thanks to Chloé Browne from Caught the Light for her fabulous pictures. Click back later today for the wedding detail-fest that is Part 3, and click here for Part 1!
A Detail-Filled London Little Venice Wedding: Part 1
London brides are going to love this inspirational Little Venice wedding. There are so many wedding details, I've had to split it into three posts - it's a Before the Big Day record! Gorgeous couple Lynda and Blair chose to get married in a local registry office, before taking a barge down the canal {how cool is that!}, to The Summerhouse in Maida Vale for their wedding reception. It's the first time I've seen a barge used as wedding transport, and I love the idea! Lynda carried the watery theme throughout her wedding day, with tonnes of cute nautical wedding details - pictures coming soon in Part 2 and 3 later today. In these shots I'm mostly loving Lynda's elegant Jenny Packham wedding dress, her gorgeous chignon with glittery jewel hair-piece, and her yellow arum lilies bouquet. Blair looks equally dapper in his red tie and matching auburn arum lily buttonhole. Don't miss Lynda's bridesmaids' pretty dresses - the subtle button details are another nod to the nautical theme. Huge thanks to Chloé Browne from Caught the Light for her fabulous pictures - Chloé was my wedding photographer as well, so she's my favourite! Click back later today for more!
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
My Vintage Tea-Party Wedding - Part 2
So here we go ladies, Part 2 of my vintage tea-party themed wedding. After our quicky wedding ceremony in Hackney Town Hall {our local}, we headed to Victoria Park for our pictures, where {joy of joys} we found the best photo-prop ever. An ice-cream van! I'm not sure what the little girl in front of us in the queue thought, but our 99 Flakes were delicious! Although that might have been because I'd been on a diet for a few months. Stunning photographs published with thanks to Caught the Light, and I've filled in my own Before the Big Day Bridal Questionnaire, so check out my answers below for all my suppliers and DIY projects.
The Before the Big Day Bridal Q&A
Where and when did you get married?
We got married at Hackney Town Hall on 5th May in front of 20 family and close friends.
What was your thinking behind choosing the venue and the decoration of the reception?
This was our secret wedding before the big official day in France, so we kept it simple with a tea-party back at our flat in Shoreditch. It was lovely for closest family to see us in our home - many of the grandparents hadn't seen it before. For our decorations, we used white bunting and handmade white tissue pompoms, that looked like peonies.
Did you have a theme, colour or motif in mind?
As we got married at 3pm, we settled on a tea party. I considered an Alice in Wonderland theme, but settled instead on a vintage tea-party, complete with cucumber sandwiches and my mother-in-law's vintage china.
Who made your wedding outfit, and how did you come to that decision?
My dress was from an Australian designer called Rose & Ruby. They've actually stopped trading, but I managed to find this one on Australian Ebay, and I took the plunge and bought it without trying it on. Luckily it fitted perfectly, and if you want to buy it, I'm open to offers! (It's a size 8). My shoes were gold strappy stilettos from Halston Heritage with blue sequinned I Do stickers on the soles. I wore my mother's vintage sapphire engagement ring, and diamond studs my mother gave me for Christmas.
What type of cake did you go for, and how did you come to that decision?
My mother actually chose and organised my cake, and my grandmother paid for it. I'm not actually sure who made it, but it's a lady in Dorset. I'll find out and update! We bought all the rest of the tea-party food from Marks & Spencers. The champagne and the hired glasses were from Majestic.
Did you have any favours? What were they? Was there any particular reason why you picked them?
We chose to give little pots of Dorset honey as favours, because that's where I grew up. Guests also took a cupcake with them as they left.
Who was your florist, what flowers did you choose, and how did you come to that decision?
We DIY'd our flowers, with blooms bought from Colombia Road Flower Market the Sunday before. We kept them in a darkened room, but they still opened a bit too much - so in some ways I wish I'd spent a bit more money and bought them from a florist on the day. My mother bought up flowers from her garden for my bouquet and the boys' buttonholes. She made me a lily-of-the-valley bouquet, and the buttonholes were roses from a bush that my grandfather had given her as a present.
Who was your photographer and how did you choose them?
I can't remember how I found Chloe from Caught the Light, but I've long been a fan of her work here on Before the Big Day, and I booked her over a year in advance for my French wedding. When we decided we wanted our London wedding to be photographed as well, she very kindly agreed to help out. Chloe's work is stunning, and I can't recommend her enough. Serious praise from a wedding blogger.
Did you enjoy planning your wedding?
YES! I started Before the Big Day because I love weddings and thinking creatively about how to make them stand out from the crowd. However, it was A LOT more stressful than I thought it would be. With hindsight, I probably should have taken on a few less DIY projects, but it saved us lots of money, and it made our wedding personal to us.
Did you have any DIY projects?
Lots! With the help of my mother, we made the tissue pom-poms and the stationery, and arranged the flowers, my bouquet and the buttonholes.
Who designed your stationery? What did it look like and how did you come to that decision?
I designed our stationery, and I organised for it to be printed at our local KopyKat. It was a serious labour of love, but worked out a lot cheaper than the Follow Studio wedding stationery that I'd fallen in love with but couldn't afford.
What advice do you have for brides planning their big day?
Read Before the Big Day! Come up with a theme idea, and start your DIY projects early. Eat properly on the day of your wedding - I got grumpy just before the ceremony - not a good idea! And leave yourself lots of time to get ready. You'll want to have time to compliment your bridesmaids and your mother on what they're wearing, and if it's all a bit of rush you won't have time to savour every special moment.
Also - get your eye-lashes done, but Chanel foundation and have your hair done professionally. My recommendations are Lash Lab and One Drayson Mews Hairdressers in Kensington {ask for Tracy}.
The Before the Big Day Bridal Q&A
Where and when did you get married?
We got married at Hackney Town Hall on 5th May in front of 20 family and close friends.
What was your thinking behind choosing the venue and the decoration of the reception?
This was our secret wedding before the big official day in France, so we kept it simple with a tea-party back at our flat in Shoreditch. It was lovely for closest family to see us in our home - many of the grandparents hadn't seen it before. For our decorations, we used white bunting and handmade white tissue pompoms, that looked like peonies.
Did you have a theme, colour or motif in mind?
As we got married at 3pm, we settled on a tea party. I considered an Alice in Wonderland theme, but settled instead on a vintage tea-party, complete with cucumber sandwiches and my mother-in-law's vintage china.
Who made your wedding outfit, and how did you come to that decision?
My dress was from an Australian designer called Rose & Ruby. They've actually stopped trading, but I managed to find this one on Australian Ebay, and I took the plunge and bought it without trying it on. Luckily it fitted perfectly, and if you want to buy it, I'm open to offers! (It's a size 8). My shoes were gold strappy stilettos from Halston Heritage with blue sequinned I Do stickers on the soles. I wore my mother's vintage sapphire engagement ring, and diamond studs my mother gave me for Christmas.
What type of cake did you go for, and how did you come to that decision?
My mother actually chose and organised my cake, and my grandmother paid for it. I'm not actually sure who made it, but it's a lady in Dorset. I'll find out and update! We bought all the rest of the tea-party food from Marks & Spencers. The champagne and the hired glasses were from Majestic.
Did you have any favours? What were they? Was there any particular reason why you picked them?
We chose to give little pots of Dorset honey as favours, because that's where I grew up. Guests also took a cupcake with them as they left.
Who was your florist, what flowers did you choose, and how did you come to that decision?
We DIY'd our flowers, with blooms bought from Colombia Road Flower Market the Sunday before. We kept them in a darkened room, but they still opened a bit too much - so in some ways I wish I'd spent a bit more money and bought them from a florist on the day. My mother bought up flowers from her garden for my bouquet and the boys' buttonholes. She made me a lily-of-the-valley bouquet, and the buttonholes were roses from a bush that my grandfather had given her as a present.
Who was your photographer and how did you choose them?
I can't remember how I found Chloe from Caught the Light, but I've long been a fan of her work here on Before the Big Day, and I booked her over a year in advance for my French wedding. When we decided we wanted our London wedding to be photographed as well, she very kindly agreed to help out. Chloe's work is stunning, and I can't recommend her enough. Serious praise from a wedding blogger.
Did you enjoy planning your wedding?
YES! I started Before the Big Day because I love weddings and thinking creatively about how to make them stand out from the crowd. However, it was A LOT more stressful than I thought it would be. With hindsight, I probably should have taken on a few less DIY projects, but it saved us lots of money, and it made our wedding personal to us.
Did you have any DIY projects?
Lots! With the help of my mother, we made the tissue pom-poms and the stationery, and arranged the flowers, my bouquet and the buttonholes.
Who designed your stationery? What did it look like and how did you come to that decision?
I designed our stationery, and I organised for it to be printed at our local KopyKat. It was a serious labour of love, but worked out a lot cheaper than the Follow Studio wedding stationery that I'd fallen in love with but couldn't afford.
What advice do you have for brides planning their big day?
Read Before the Big Day! Come up with a theme idea, and start your DIY projects early. Eat properly on the day of your wedding - I got grumpy just before the ceremony - not a good idea! And leave yourself lots of time to get ready. You'll want to have time to compliment your bridesmaids and your mother on what they're wearing, and if it's all a bit of rush you won't have time to savour every special moment.
Also - get your eye-lashes done, but Chanel foundation and have your hair done professionally. My recommendations are Lash Lab and One Drayson Mews Hairdressers in Kensington {ask for Tracy}.
If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter and click for more more on my wedding. Before the Big Day - the best UK wedding blog.
Labels:
Caught the Light
,
London
,
My Wedding
,
Summer
,
Vintage
Monday, 11 July 2011
My Vintage Tea-Party Themed London Wedding - Part 1
Deep breath! Here we go - my secret London pictures. Why secret? Well our 'real' wedding was in Provence, but legally we had to get married in London first. At first we thought we'd just sneak off on a Tuesday afternoon and get married privately with just two witnesses. But then our parents wanted in. And then we realised that the grandparents weren't going to make it out to France, so they snaffled invitations. And then, being a wedding blogger, I got all excited about a vintage tea-party wedding theme, and Chloe from Caught the Light offered to do our pictures. So before we knew it, we were planning two weddings. There were moments when I thought I'd bitten off more than I could chew, and there are a couple of things I would change, but when we said our vows, it felt pretty real, so I'm thrilled we had our family there watching. So how did I come to choose all my details? Well I've answered my own Before the Big Day Bridal Questionnaire, which I'll be publishing with Part 2 tomorrow...so check out the blog tomorrow, or sign up to get it delivered {for free} to your inbox.
If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter and click for more more on my wedding. Before the Big Day - the best UK wedding blog.
Labels:
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London
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My Wedding
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Summer
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Vintage
Sunday, 10 July 2011
My London Wedding
Crazily, it's just over two months since my London wedding and I still haven't blogged my gorgeous pictures taken by Chloe from Caught the Light. I think we wanted the dust to settle a bit, before we revealed our wedding to the world {or just Before the Big Day readers!}. Also I'm finding it impossible to edit. When you're looking through another couple's wedding pictures, it's easy-peasy to select which pics you like the most. When it comes to your own it's a nightmare! So here's a sneak-peak...with a promise that tomorrow, I will publish our London wedding. There - now I've got to!!
If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter and click for more more on my wedding. Before the Big Day - the best UK wedding blog.
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Real Wedding: Lois & Steve
Fairytale, feminine and frothy, three words that almost enscapulate this fabulous English wedding. Lois and Steve could not have been luckier with the weather, for their April big day, they even said their vows outside in the sunshine. The gorgeous couple chose Little Hermitage in Kent for their venue, and doesn't it look stunning, with a big green garden, and lots of Georgian features. Lois picked pink as her signature colour, and used it to fabulous effect with super-feminine bridesmaid dresses, armfuls of roses and a cute stick of rock at each table place. Even the boys got in on the look, with pink ties and buttonholes. I'm loving Lois' full-skirted dress and her simple pearl accessories, plus her taste in pink champagne - yum! Gorgeous photos from the ever-talented Caught the Light.
If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS and click here for more pink themed weddings.
If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS and click here for more pink themed weddings.
Labels:
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Countryside
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Real Weddings
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Spring
Thursday, 6 May 2010
Real Wedding: Lia & Gerald
There's something iconic about London weddings. Maybe it's because it's such a stand-out city, or maybe it's because all the couples are chic, urban sophisticates, but they're always such stylish affairs. Lia and Gerald's big day was no differnt. They celebrated their wedding at the glam Haymarket Hotel, in a gorgoues private room, decorated with pink roses and chandeliers. Lia looked super-elegant in a modern strapless dress and added vintage jewelery plus a black-bowed rose bouquet. Meanwhile Gerald looked fab in his bespoke suit. Huge thanks to Chloe Brown from Caught the Light for her lovely pictures!
If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.
If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.
Sunday, 25 April 2010
Real Wedding: Ella & Sam
It's difficult to define romance, but for me, this gorgeous Greenwich wedding gets right to the heart of the matter. Ella and Sam celebrated their big day at Rangers House in the park, followed by a lovely dinner at Davy's Wine Vaults. Both of them looked totally fabulous, but I've falled head over heels for Sam's floral shirt and bow-tie. Super-original and lovely to see a groom looking fashionable - boys, be inspired! Violets and Velvet were responsible for the florals, and I'm loving the pink roses and eucalyptus in Ella's bouquet. Other stealworthy ideas have to be the bridesmaids' amazing sequinned jackets and patterned tights, plus the double-decker bus. Note sure why, but I've always had a soft spot for the Routemaster. Stunning pictures thanks to the lovely Chloe Browne from Caught the Light.
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Labels:
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London
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Real Weddings
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