Real Pretty Australian Beach Wedding with Monochrome Detailing

When the lovely Jen Huang got in touch with me to ask me if I'd like to feature a gorgeous Australian wedding shoot, I nearly bit her hand off! I'm completely in love with her beautiful pictures, and all the wonderful stealworthy wedding ideas. There are so many, I'm dividing this wedding into two - the next set will appear later this afternoon, so you'll have plenty of time to drink in every wedding detail. First for the pre-wedding shoot {such a fabulous idea!}, and the wedding tablescape, later the wedding dress and stunning portrait pictures. I'm loving the pretty pink and monochrome wedding scheme, the stunning rustic wedding stationery, complete with crossed oars to reflect Ross' rowing background, and the personalised pillows. Throw in the relaxed waterside venue, and the incredible cheese table and rustic bunting, and I'm a very happy wedding blogger. Don't miss the details of all the vendors below, including the lovely Polka Dot Bride.

A Garden Wedding with a Bird Theme & Jenny Packham Dress - The Reception

It's time for the reception pictures from this gorgeous Midsummer's Eve wedding. Sonya and Terry chose 20th June for their big day, and basked in stunning sunshine - lucky things! With a romantic garden theme and a vintage bird motif, there's plenty of stealworthy ideas for you to enjoy. Sonya DIY'd many of her wedding details, including the bird-stamped luggage tags for her wedding wish tree and the rustic hessian napkin wraps {very effective!}. My favourite spots include the bird-named reception tables, birdcage centre pieces, pink striped balloons, rustic pastel iced cakes, and the fabulous giant pink and peach balloons. Huge thanks to Tanya from Eden Photography for capturing every detail!

We celebrated our wedding at Kilternan Church of Ireland in Co. Dublin, and afterwards with a reception in The Village at Lyons in Celbridge, on 20th June 2013. 

We always wanted to have an intimate wedding for family and friends to share with us. We knew that as our wedding day was on Midsummer's Eve, that we wanted a summer garden, romantic theme, and the venue suited this perfectly.

Summer Garden Wedding with a Bird Theme & Jenny Packham Dress

1. A Jenny Packham wedding dress. 2. A romantic garden wedding theme. 3. A bird motif. Three of my favourite things, all featured in one gorgeous wedding! Sonya and Terry celebrated their wedding in Ireland on a beautiful summer's day, at a stunning venue called The Village at Lyons. Sonya really wanted a garden wedding, and drew inspiration from the romantic grounds of The Village at Lyons, including its cascading stream, delicate bridge, and secret stone doorways. Her wedding stationery, decorations and just-picked flower arrangements all mirrored the feel of her wedding venue, with pastel colours of pinks and peach as a palette. There's plenty more details in the reception pictures, coming later this afternoon, but first, drink in Sonya's elegant Jenny Packham wedding gown, and her bargainous eBay wedding shoes, that luckily turned out to exactly match the beading on her dress. Even Sonya's hair-style reflected her romantic wedding theme, with her headpiece specially designed to look ethereal and Elvish, like in Lord of the Rings. Huge thanks to Tanya from Eden Photography for permission to publish Sonya and Terry's fab wedding pictures!

A Mint Themed Country Pub Wedding with Rustic DIY Details - The Reception

Barn wedding venues are pretty much the most popular in the UK. They're such versatile spaces with all the benefits of a marquee, without the potential for cold ankles! Laura and Ben chose the gorgeous Olde Bell for their wedding venue. It's a hotel with a barn attached, and it's actually where my husband and I spent our mini-honeymoon after our official London wedding ceremony. The gardens are stunning, as you can see from Laura and Ben's stunning wedding photographs by Kate Gray Photography. I absolutely love all of Laura's clever wedding details. Make sure you read her answers to the Before the Big Day Questionnaire - she saved lots of money by using great local vendors, and DIY-ing much of her reception stationery, using hessian, an old London map, and vintage-style luggage labels. My favourite details? The personalised rustic signs, Laura's simple Grecian-style hair band, the wedding favours reflecting their heritage, and the incredible wedding cake, complete with totally original flavours! Don't miss Part 1 here.

We got married at The Olde Bell, Hurley on Saturday 21st September 2013. We looked at seven local venues on Christmas Eve 2012, and this one just felt right.


The Olde Bell had a country feeling that Ben & I grew up with, and we instantly knew we could easily achieve the soft, romantic wedding atmosphere we were hoping for. The grand hotels we looked at just seemed a bit formal for us, and we didn't like the thought of knowing that people other than our guests would be in the venue on the day.

A Mint Themed Country Pub Wedding with Rustic DIY Details

It's been way too long since I featured a gorgeous real wedding, and it's definitely time to introduce all you newly engaged brides-to-be to the wonders of stealworthy ideas. These are the snippets, goodies and wedding details that you can only get from the fabulous pooled creativity of real brides. Stunning couple Laura and Ben are a great example. With their rustic barn wedding, pretty mint and vintage theme, and eye for a bargain, their wedding is chock-full of wedding inspiration. Laura loves a good DIY project, and packed loads into her wedding to give it that personal touch so key to making your wedding stand out from all the others you'll go to this summer! You'll love her handmade table names, printed 'Wed-Libs', and rustic wedding signs. For favours, Laura chose to reflect her and Ben's heritage, with palm leaf fans sent over from the Philippines {Laura's mother is Filipina}, and miniature bottles of Ouzo for the boys {Ben's mother is Greek Cypriot}. I love Laura's elegant wedding style; the lace overlay of her fitted wedding gown, and her simple up-do and cathedral-length veil, decorated by her mum with diamante. Enjoy these brilliant pictures by Kate Gray Photography of the wedding ceremony, and stay tuned for all the reception shots, later this afternoon.

We got married at The Olde Bell, Hurley on Saturday 21st September 2013. We looked at seven local venues on Christmas Eve 2012, and this one just felt right.



I was spoilt as my hair and make-up was done by the ridiculously talented Lauren Appleby who again happens to be one of my best friends and one of my bridesmaids. Lauren is trained in everything from stage hair and make-up, to wigs and special effects make-up for TV and film, and even body paint! Having someone I know so well to help me get ready was what dreams are made of. Thank you so much for making me look so beautiful ☺!

An Enchanted Forest Wedding Themed Around Music & Love - The Reception

This dreamy destination wedding has got me wanting to get married all over again! Nuria and Jordi chose a love and music theme for their big day, and designed many of their wedding details around this central idea. Their wedding stationery was made out of origami paper, and came with directions on how to fold it into a piano - such an original idea! The other wedding theme centred around their wedding venue - their boutique hotel, La Garriga de Castelladral, near Barcelona in Spain. I've fallen for all their wedding details, from the stunning balloon release, to the bubble confetti and the exciting children's sweetie table - it's like a scene from Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. So many stunning details - huge thanks to Abreras & Ruso for capturing every detail!

We got married on the 7th of July 2012 at La Garriga de Castelladr, a magical boutique hotel in the middle of nature, one hour from Barcelona in Spain.

Our wedding photographers were Abreras & Ruso. They are a team of two, and they're very professional and skilled. We chose them because their work is very natural and spontaneous.

A Enchanted Forest Wedding Themed Around Music & Love

I couldn't be more excited about sharing this wedding with you! It's an incredible enchanted forest wedding, and it's like something from a fairytale. Gorgeous bride, Nuria got in touch to submit the photographs from her big day, and as soon as I saw them, I jumped at the chance. Nuria and Jordi run their own stunning boutique hotel, called La Garriga de Castelladral so it made perfect sense to host their big day at home. La Garriga is the most amazing wedding venue - and Nuria and Jordi used every space, from the luxurious bedrooms, to the large stone terrace, bright banqueting room, and of course, the incredible forest for their wedding ceremony. I've fallen for Nuria's relaxed luxe wedding style - her elegant Manuel Mota gown, cloak-style veil {such an original way to wear a veil}, and family heirloom jewellery. Other stealworthy ideas include their pretty ribbon and rosemary ring pillow, the indoor-rugs-used-outside, and the simple vintage furniture. Plus the wild horses.....every wedding should have wild horses! For more information on weddings at La Garriga, take a look at Nuria's blog.

We got married on the 7th of July 2012 at La Garriga de Castelladr, a magical boutique hotel in the middle of nature, one hour from Barcelona in Spain.

A Secret Garden Wedding with a Woodland & Travel Theme - The Reception

This is one of those amazing weddings where the bride thought of every single detail, and DIY'd a fair few {like most} of them. A regular reader of Before the Big Day, Kelly came up with several fabulous themes, and combined them all with panache! Travel plus secret woodland and a colourful palette equals wedding heaven. And the ideas to steal - there's too many. Just take a look at the amazing handmade hot air balloon table names, the stunning paper cut-style seating plan, and the pinecone place markers. Kelly was up till late the night before her wedding, decorating her tepee venues with six friends - so if you're considering to DIY your decor, remember to arrange a helping hand {or 10}. I love how she placed a sprig of rosemary at each seat, and the hand-stamped balloons on the stationery are the cutest. Instead of a cake, Kelly and Pete chose a massive array of sweetie treats....my type of wedding! Enjoy Kelly's hints and tips in her answers to the Before the Big Day Brides' Questionnaire - there's tonnes of advice for budding brides. Huge thanks to Richard Galloway for his stunning wedding photographs.

We got married in the beautiful Secret Garden at Wasing Park in Berkshire. It was a bright and sunny May Day. I liked the idea of a secret garden full of surprise and intrigue, and Wasing Park was the perfect venue. We kept areas hidden so as to surprise our guests with each stage of the wedding.

Our photographer was Richard Galloway. He is an old friend and a professional wedding photographer. We felt we couldn't have made a better decision, as he knew us, and knew that we were planning something fun and curious. 

A Secret Garden Wedding with a Woodland & Travel Theme

Regular readers of this wedding blog will knew there's nothing I like more than a Real Bride Submission. The lovely Kelly read Before the Big Day while planning her wedding, and I'm thrilled to feature all her incredible wedding ideas. Like me, she hosted her wedding in a secret garden, and chose a mixture of themes for her decorations and props, and a colourful palette. There's so many exciting stealworthy ideas in the reception pictures {hot air balloons, pinecone place markers and Tizer bottles!!}, but first feast your eyes on Kelly and Pete's stunning wedding ceremony. I love the hay-bales and natural wedding arch, Kelly's colourful bridesmaids and the festival-style silk banners - plus giant balloons {yippee!}. Kelly has the most incredible wedding dress story - be sure to read her answers to the Before the Big Day Brides' Questionnaire, and enjoy Richard Galloway's stunning wedding photographs.

We got married in the beautiful Secret Garden at Wasing Park in Berkshire. It was a bright and sunny May Day. I liked the idea of a secret garden full of surprise and intrigue, and Wasing Park was the perfect venue. We kept areas hidden so as to surprise our guests with each stage of the wedding.

We had a combination of decorations and themes - a travel theme, a secret woodland theme, and a night theme of fire. We also wanted plenty of colour to give the feel of a fiesta, but a country garden version.

The story of my wedding dress is amazing but true. My first love and now very dear and fabulous friend is now head of menswear design at fashion house Bottega Veneta based out of Milan. He knew as my mummy was no longer with us, that I would want some support with this very important task. I was so grateful for his expertise, time and guidance - he turned a situation that could have been quite sad and difficult, into a very special experience, and for this I will forever be in his debt.

Decadent Festival Wedding Shoot

Regular readers of this blog will know there's nothing I like more than a good wedding theme! Particularly when it's teamed with tonnes of wedding ideas, and some truly fabulous photography. Take a look at this genius wedding shoot inspired by the mighty Glastonbury Festival {my favourite weekend away!}. The brainchild of Lesley from The Vintage Hire Company, and Jo from The Gloucestershire Wedding Company, the shoot was the perfect opportunity for local wedding vendors to showcase their talents. A mix of rustic and edgy, the atmosphere is 'anything goes', and I love the mix of colours. Ideas to steal include the bell tents for lounging, the giant balloon wedding decorations, the 'Access all Areas' wedding stationery, and camper van photo prop. And for sheer originality - arranging the wedding flowers in old boots!!  Huge thanks to Christy of Christy Blanch Photography for sending this shoot through to me - all the details of the other vendors below!

A Natural Homemade Sunshine Yellow Wedding - The Reception

With wedding details galore, I've fallen hook, line, and sinker for this beautiful farm wedding. There's nothing more stunning than the British countryside on a summer's day, and Abi and Simon got seriously lucky with their wedding weather. With a barn wedding venue and a rustic theme based around DIY details, I love the coherence of their blue and yellow colour scheme. More stealworthy ideas include the naked wedding cake, the raffia ties around the napkins, the mum-made bunting and the home-grown table flowers and wedding favours. Stunning pictures published with thanks to Jo Richards Photography - just take a look at that view!

Our wedding photographer was Jo Richards Photography. We originally had a friend doing our photography, but she pulled out with four months to go, and I did some research to find someone local. 

I had three interviews with wedding photographers in one morning, but Jo won hands down. She totally 'got' my family and our ideas, and also her photos were amazing. Our formal wedding photographs were a breeze, and I am loving looking through them all now.

A Natural Homemade Sunshine Yellow Wedding

There's nothing I like more than a lovely sunshiny yellow-themed wedding to brighten up my Friday - particularly when it's teamed with a Grand Designs-style barn venue, and royal blue bridesmaids. Abi and Simon chose the traditional route of getting married in Abi's home town...or in this case, village. A family friend offered them a barn for their wedding reception, and they completely transformed it from a fertiliser store into the perfect, pretty venue. Talk about inspirational stuff! Simon proposed to Abi with a yellow diamond, to represent her bright personality, so it was a natural theme colour for their wedding. Teamed with all their DIY wedding details, including miles of mum-made bunting and handmade wedding cakes, it's up there with one of my favourite DIY weddings. Huge thanks to Jo Richards Photography for her stunning pictures - more to come from their reception tomorrow!

We celebrated our wedding on 10th August 2013 in Aldbourne in Wiltshire.

I grew up in the area, so I wanted everything in the same village. We both wanted somewhere that we could make 'us' and our family friend said I could have any barn on his property for our reception, so we picked one as our wedding venue.

A Pretty, Rustic, HandmadeTipi-on-a-Farm Wedding - Reception Details

There's nothing I like more than a marquee wedding, except from when the marquee's a tipi!! They've been a huge trend this summer, and I reckon it's one to watch for 2014 as well. What I love about Glen and Teri's tipi wedding is their pretty rustic details. Burlap and lace decorations work perfectly together, and are super-easy to DIY. Teri and her family created many of my favourite details, including the lace-wrapped jam-jars and white painted baked bean vases, plus the hand-stencilled scrap-wood table names. When it came to cakes, Glen and Teri couldn't choose between a cheese cake and a normal wedding cake, so they had both - again DIY'd by relatives. Even the favours were handmade by Glen's mum! Enjoy the gorgeous pictures by James Grist Photography, and be sure to read Teri's answers to the Before the Big Day Bride's Questionnaire - there's tonnes more top tips for future brides between the lines!

Our special day was Saturday 3rd August. We hosted our ceremony at Ratsbury Barn in Tenterden, Kent, and our reception was held in tipis on a friend's farm. 

We always knew we wanted our wedding reception to be held on our friend's farm and the tipis fitted perfectly with the setting - we absolutely loved them. Our love of the outdoors was the theme for our wedding and so we chose to have very rustic, natural decor.

A Pretty Rustic Handmade Tipi-on-a-Farm Wedding

One way to keep your wedding costs down, is to organise a backyard wedding. Of course, not all of us have a garden big enough for a massive marquee, but Glen and Teri got lucky, and borrowed a friend's farm! They then hired a fabulous tipi for their reception, and booked nearby Ratsbury Barn in Kent for their wedding ceremony. I love their rustic wedding theme - Glen and Teri both love the outdoors, so they chose natural decor details of burlap and wood. Other stealworthy ideas include Teri's strapless Enzoani gown and the outfits she chose for her flower-girls and pageboys. The overall effect is effortless and boho-chic, and perfectly pictured by James Grist Photography. More shots from their incredible reception, coming later today!

Our special day was Saturday 3rd August. We hosted our ceremony at Ratsbury Barn in Tenterden, Kent, and our reception was held in tipis on a friend's farm.

Our love of the outdoors was the theme for our wedding and so we chose to have very rustic, natural decor.

British Etsy Wedding Seller of the Week #1

Big news! We're starting a new series of features here on Before the Big Day. We're all about original wedding ideas, and we're all about supporting British boutique businesses and individual creativity, and where better to find that than Etsy? If you haven't stumbled upon this amazing website, be warned, once you start clicking, you may never stop. It's addictive - there are so many incredible wedding ideas and products, your brain may well implode from wedding inspiration. To keep things under control, I'm going to drip-feed you the best of British Etsy wedding suppliers, one a week, every Wednesday. First up is La Pomme et La Pipe. Contrary to its French name, it's run by Amanda who lives in Oxford, and it's a fabulous hodgepodge of rustic handmade wedding supplies, paper goods, textiles and unique french-inspired supplies. Here are just a few of my favourites, but be sure to check it out yourself.

{I want this!} 50 Gold Glitter Mini Pegs, £9.81

{I want this!} 50 Burlap Heart Wedding place setting/name tags, £65.41

{I want this!} 50 Rustic Wedding Seed Packet Envelopes, £65.41

{I want this!} Lace Sampler Set, £6.54

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Whimsical Print-Your-Own Vintage Wedding Invitations

Wedding stationery still gets me ridiculously excited, and I love discovering brand new designers. Everything about these invitation suites by Splash of Silver is perfect. It's the combination of two of my favourite wedding motifs {bunting and old-fashioned Mason jars}, added to rustic Kraft paper, with a mix of fun fonts. The best things is they're digital designs, so you can personalise them, buy them, and DIY print them as many times as you want, saving you serious ££. They even include Thank You cards! There are three ways to get them printed - at home, at your local printer, or at an online printer like VistaPrint. There's tonnes of printable wedding invitations on Etsy, and check out my wedding stationery board on Pinterest for more inspiration.

{Where can I buy this?} Bunting Wedding Invitation Suite, £66

{Where can I buy this?} Flowers & Mason Jars Wedding Invitation Suite, £66

{Where can I buy this?} Bunting & Mason Jars Suite, £56

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Real Eco-Friendly Rustic Wedding - Minyoung & Joe

When the bride plays the violin at her own wedding, you're know you're not just dealing with any old big day. I've totally falled for the gorgeous Minyoung and her elegant style. From the subtle succulents in her hair, to her gorgeous ruffle-backed dress, she's class personified. The green theme carried on throughout the wedding with a garden ceremony, pistachio macaroons and cake pops displayed on vintage green cake stands. I'm also loving the place setting plant pots, and Minyoung and Joe's sweetheart table for two - always a good idea if you're planning to circulate during the dinner, and don't want to leave a gap for your other guests to talk over. Truly stunning pictures published with thanks to Jack from Sarah Yates Photography.

♥ Want to see eco weddings? ♥ Or how about more summer wedding ideas? ♥

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