Showing posts with label Sparkle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sparkle. Show all posts

Monday 8 June 2020

An Achingly Cool London Wedding on a Budget

This incredible London wedding needs to come with something of a disclaimer, as it's my best friend's big day. Tamarisk has never been a cookie-cutter kind of girl, so it's no surprise her wedding to Ryan was uniquely awesome. From her glittery gold Badgley Mishka gown, to her practical attitude towards budget and theme, Tamarisk created a wedding which focused on feasting, family and celebrating love. If you're planning your big day abroad, or returning home as an expat, you'll find her attitude super-inspiring. It turns out there's no need to obsess on the details, or the stationery or the favours, when you've got an atmospheric venue, and great DJ, lots of champagne and a truly brilliant photographer in Joanna Brown.


We got married in London at The Roost on 29th Sept 2018
. We live in Canada now, but we met in London and we miss it a lot. It felt like the right place for us to get married was where we met and fell in love. We aren't formal people, and besides, the exchange rate was not in our favour! We were looking for a venue that already had a ton of personality that we wouldn't need to do a lot too. We were both clear eyed about our appetite and aptitude for a "big project" that would span time zones ie: not at all! When we found The Roost, we knew it was perfect…all we needed to do was add a few touches, we didn’t need to go overboard. 


My husband got a beautiful, completely custom suit from his suit makers Suit Supply. Our wedding date is embroidered on the inside pocket and my nickname for him is under the collar – it says Meatball.  


I went to a big fancy wedding dress shop once and found the whole thing completely awful. It was all I could do not to break down sobbing in the changing room. The grubby, dirty dresses that are all too small…so depressing. I hated it. After trying to figure out why I hated it so much, I realised I had bought into the idea that you HAVE to wear a white dress and I remembered I don’t HAVE to do anything. That’s when I started looking for something really me. 



I landed on a Badgley Mishka gold sequin dress that I got for $800 off the retail price by finding it on eBay. I splurged on a pair Christian Louboutin rainbow striped heels though! 


I didn't enjoy planning my wedding at all. I am not a planner. Then on the actual day when you're trying to enjoy it and take it all in, people still keep asking you admin questions. This style of wedding is what worked for us – we decided what the big pieces were that really mattered to us and spent our money there. We decided not to care about almost everything else. We wanted the right venue, the right photographer and delicious food and drink. Planning a wedding from overseas, when we knew we’d be flying out for out mini-moon the very next day helped us to say no to anything that would add a complication or a big expense.  


When it came to my bridesmaids' dresses, I let them decide. One of my sisters got a dress she already owned copied in the fabric of their choosing in Dubai.



I found our photographer on Instagram when I was researching venues. One of Joanna Brown's shots turned up under a tag, and that was that, she was the photographer I had to have. I am not a fan of the romantic, dreamy style of typical wedding photography. Joanna has this amazing knack of catching the quotidian moments that are filled with love and joy but are grounded and real. She "interviewed" us to see if she felt like we were a fit and I have never wanted to impress someone so such! I wish I could just put her on a retainer to come and shoot all my big life events!   


For favours, we went with Caramel chocolate bars because I have always loved the red and gold wrapping them come in

. We got Disco Shed to DJ the party and they were outstanding, great tunes! I walked down the "aisle" to the Theme Song from Top Gun. We didn't have a recessional. Our first dance was Number 1 by Goldfrapp. 




Did you have a theme in mind? Is "cheap" a theme?! For our wedding flowers, we got a recommendation for a whole-seller from our caterer and ordered a load of baby's breath super-last minute to decorate the tables. 


I bought a plain chocolate tiered cake from a supermarket as a last minute decision because our amazing and bossy caterer told me I should. I asked her to throw a couple of punnets of raspberries on top to tumble down the layers and dust it with icing sugar, I didn't eat a crumb of it though!




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Thursday 17 December 2015

An Ibiza Seaside Wedding with Blush & Lace Accents

A gleaming white Rolls Royce, a sparkly wedding theme, and a seaside venue on the island of Ibiza - you can tell this wedding is going to be a cracker already! I've fallen for the gorgeous bride, Claire and her stunning 'Amelie' gown by Gemy Maalouf, and you'll love her pretty-in-pink bridesmaids dresses. If you're planning a destination wedding, you'll find every single picture is going to be seriously Pin-worthy. Huge thanks to Ily Grantham for her stunning photographs, and to Claire and Jonny for filling in my questionnaire with so many helpful tips.


Sunday 29 November 2015

A Beachside Wedding in Ibiza with Jimmy Choos & Bouganvillia

This amazing Ibiza wedding will have you dreaming of summer! It's a stunning example of a destination big day. Simple, chic, and perfect. The great thing about getting married abroad is that the venue usually speaks for itself - you don't need stacks of extra wedding decorations. Plus all your friends feel like they're on holiday, so they come ready to party! Enjoy Ily Grantham's beautiful pictures - she really did capture every perfect detail, and don't miss Claire and Jonny's answers to the Before the Big Day Questionnaire for all their top suppliers!



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!





Monday 10 March 2014

An Elegant London Wedding with Sparkly Vintage Details - The Reception

Possibly the hardest job for any wedding photographer is to get the perfect portrait shots of the bride and groom. Only a truly talented tog can tread the narrow line between romantic and cutesy, loving and lovey-dovey. These gorgeous shots by Cotton Candy Wedding Photography are a lesson in how to do it well! It helps that the fabulous Lennie and Geraint are comfortable in front of the camera, and clearly super loved up! But aren't they fabulous? I'm also seriously obsessed with Lennie's fantastic wedding reception details. From the hand-painted wedding stationery {by one of her bridesmaids}, to the champagne cork place markers and mercury glass vases, every detail is elegant and perfectly placed. Huge kudos to Lennie for using {handmade!} tumbling white macaroons as decorations for the naked wedding cake - it's the first time I've seen them used as decorations, and it's SO effective. Enjoy the pictures, and don't miss Lennie's answers to the Before the Big Day Bride's Questionnaire, including her clever idea for a wedding guest book!


We got married on the 2nd November 2013 in our little church, St Mary Magdalen's in Mortlake, followed by our reception in the wonderful Pembroke Lodge in Richmond Park, London.


St Mary Magdalen's was a no-brainer it is a beautiful church in our parish. Also we live locally to Richmond Park, and spend a lot of time either wandering through on a wintery Sunday afternoon, or picnicking in the summer, so Pembroke Lodge was ideal. 

An Elegant London Wedding with Sparkly Vintage Details

I've long been a massive fan of winter weddings. They're a brilliant first step to making your wedding stand out from the crowd - after all most couples chose to celebrate their big day in the summer. With a winter wedding, you're more likely to get your guests to accept {no summer holidays}, and you can have so much fun with cosy wedding details - I'm thinking spiced cider and hot chocolate for your drinks reception, gloves and blankets for wedding favours, and a roaring fire in the middle of your reception venue. Lennie and Geraint chose Fireworks Night for their wedding day, and Pembroke Lodge as an inspired wedding venue. The Lodge looks over the the Thames Valley, so they had an amazing view of all the local firework displays - for free! Lennie and Geraint chose a London and Paris theme for their big day, to reflect the cities where they met, and romanced. They added jewel colours for their palette, including bright purple and teal blue - perfect shades to pop on a dull November day. I love Lennie's dramatic United Nude shoe-boots, her berry-filled bouquet, and snug fur coat - the whole wedding party look so glamorous! More gorgeous wedding details to come in the reception photographs - huge thanks to Gem and Phil from Cotton Candy Wedding Photography for these lovely shots!


We got married on the 2nd November 2013 in our little church, St Mary Magdalen's in Mortlake, followed by our reception in the wonderful Pembroke Lodge in Richmond Park, London.


After trying on a lot of dresses in a lot of styles the Marylise Sofia dress felt right. It was understated, and made me feel elegant and beautiful, without any lace or sparkles - which is what I thought I would end up with! It also made a bridesmaid cry and my mum speechless which meant it was the one!



Thursday 21 November 2013

Super-Glam Sophisticated Bridal Jewellery

Brides who like a bit of glitz {I'm thinking Jenny Packham-style glamour}, are going to L-O-V-E my latest wedding discovery. Just take a look at these amazing headdresses from Willow Moone. Aren't they just the bomb?? They pick up on the big jewellery trend that we're seeing right now {lots of v large necklaces spotted in Anthropologie & J Crew}, and add a massive luxury twist. Every piece is hand-created by boutique owner Debbie Bailie-Collins out of perfect crystals, scattered artfully on to the finest ivory illusion bridal tulle. There's something very vintage, flapperish and 20's about them, and I have a serious obsession with the whole collection.


{I want this} 1. Lujon - Crystal Art Deco 1920's Tulle Headpiece, £330 | 2. Ishtar - Crystal Silk Organza Headpiece, £398.89

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Thursday 29 August 2013

A Dreamy Affordable Blush Wedding Gown

We don't feature enough wedding dresses on Before the Big Day - something I definitely need to change! After all, lusting after the perfect Jenny Packham wedding gown is virtually a rite of passage for every bride. If only we could all afford them! So when I spot a semi-affordable wedding gown {just over £1000}, that completely blows my mind, I consider it my responsibility to spread the word. This incredible blush, backless wedding dress by Truvelle makes me want to get married all over again. It's the combo of the swishy, pink-champagne, chiffon skirt and the rose gold sequinned bodice that's getting me excited - it's elegant and sexy at the same time! Don't miss Truvelle's Etsy shop for more incredible gowns. P.S. Want to save money on your wedding dress? Check out all my Wedding Dress Sample Sale news.





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Monday 11 March 2013

Glitter Ball Wedding Decoration Idea

One glitter ball is reminiscent of bad school discos, but take dozens of disco balls, and you have my favourite wedding decoration idea. Just imagine buying as many glitter balls that you can afford, and crowding them all together. They'd need to be different sizes, and you could cluster them above the spot where you say your vows, or just pile them up in the corner of your reception venue. If your budget doesn't stretch to multi-balls, then just buy one giant, oversized ball, and give your guests an Alice in Wonderland perspective twist. Get your glitter on here.


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Thursday 31 May 2012

Real Pink & Sparkle Wedding: Lialah & Daniel - Part 2

So with all my excitement yesterday {new Jubilee Offer for Advertisers}, I completely forgot to put up Part 2 of this gorgeous peony pink, giant balloon, Simply Bloom Photography wedding. With tonnes of vintage wedding details, and more pretty petals than you can shake a stick at, you're going to want to save every picture on your Pinterest wedding inspiration board. Just take a look at the super-cool alter area, created with vintage pastel-painted doors, and the vintage lantern, dresser and candlesticks. I'm also slightly obsessed with the pine cones {so good to see them at a summer wedding}, and the blue mason jars, which are so expensive here in the UK and incredibly cheap in the US {v unfair}. Don't miss the picture of the wedding cake by Lady Bugg Bakery, with its gorgeous silhouette cake topper, created by DIY bride Lialah - stunning! Beautiful pictures published with thanks the team at Simply Bloom Photography. You can read more about this wedding on the wedding blog Green Wedding Shoes.














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Wednesday 30 May 2012

Real Pink & Sparkle Wedding: Lialah & Daniel

Sparkly shoes, pink peonies, bridesmaids in jewel-coloured dresses and giant balloons - do weddings get better than this? This shabby-chic wedding has got me completely loved up with couple Lialah and Daniel's style. Just check out Lialeh's lace tights and sparkle brogues - I love a bride who chooses comfort over sky-high heels. Other stealworthy wedding details include the succulents in the bridesmaids' bouquets by Garden District Weddings, Lialeh's hennaed hands {a nod to her heritage}, her Colette Dinnigan wedding gown and her wavy ponytail wedding hairstyle. Daniel looks great in his smart three-piece suit and more masculine berry buttonhole. Beautiful pictures published with thanks the team at Simply Bloom Photography - there's more vintage wedding fabulousness coming in Part 2 of this wedding, including balloons!













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