A Swedish Boat Club Wedding with a Simple White Theme - The Reception

This simply stunning wedding goes to show that you don't need tonnes of wedding details for the perfect wedding, just lots of love, good cheer, and fantastic friends, Johan and Maria celebrated their big day by the water, in a boat club decorated by their family and friends. I love the elegance of the single green-white carnations, white candles and pastel green table stationery. The views of the water are just spectacular, and it goes to show that you don't need tonnes of decoration if your venue stands out. Lucky Maria went to school with wedding photographer Annevi Petersson, who shot these beautiful wedding pictures. Don't you wish your going away transport was a boat!

We celebrated our wedding on 24 August 2013, in Åhus in Sweden. We got engaged in 2002, but it took another ten years, and two beautiful children later and a lot of encouragement from the bride until Johan proposed a second time!

He chose the very same spot that we got engaged 10 years earlier, in a park by the water. He went down on his knee and popped the question and I cried, because I'd almost given up on my dream wedding. But in fact, Johan had planned for the proposal over the last year.

A Swedish Boat Club Wedding with a Simple White Theme

There's something incredibly romantic about a wedding by the water, and this beautiful wedding is a lesson in simple Swedish style. After ten years together and two beautiful children, Johan and Maria celebrated their big day with a church ceremony, wedding rings designed by the bride, and a fabulous wedding reception in a rustic boat club. I love Maria's stunning tiered wedding dress and her cute birdcage veil, teamed with an elegant pearl necklace. A super-chic look, and I love her carnation bouquet - regular readers will remember I flagged up carnations as a big wedding trend for 2014! Big love to Annevi Petersson of Annevi Weddings for her beautiful pictures - more coming soon in Part 2.

We celebrated our wedding on 24 August 2013, in Åhus in Sweden. We got engaged in 2002, but it took another ten years, and two beautiful children later and a lot of encouragement from the bride until Johan proposed a second time!

He chose the very same spot that we got engaged 10 years earlier, in a park by the water. He went down on his knee and popped the question and I cried, because I'd almost given up on my dream wedding. But in fact, Johan had planned for the proposal over the last year.

Real White Elegant Wedding: Lauren and Joe

This is one of those divine weddings that make you want to jump right into it, and party with the bride and groom! Lauren and Joe chose to have their elegant white wedding in Napa, and the sun shone brightly over the palm trees all day. From Laura's gorgeous wedding gown, to the bridesmaids' dusky pink dresses, the flower girl's adorable crown and the page boy's bow-tie, the entire wedding party looked fabulous. I'm also loving the mixture of white table flowers in mismatched vases. I chose exactly the same style for my own wedding - by using cheaper blooms, you get a great effect for half the budget. I'm also enchanted by the romantic maharajah-style marquee with scalloped edges - hire one for your wedding from the Raj Tent Club. The wedding was planned by  Rosemary Events - gorgeous pictures published with thanks to the hugely talented Jose Villa.

Real Elegant White French Wedding with Vintage Details

Every now and then I come across a wedding where I wish I'd been a guest! Loan and Andrew's French wedding near Biarritz definitely falls into that category. I'm completely in love with Loan's gorgeous elegant wedding style - her ruffled dress, wavy strapped Jimmy Choos and super-cook fish-tail French plait wedding hairstyle. Throw in the fabulousness of her bridesmaids mismatching but matching dark blue dresses, and Andrew's chic suit, and you've got the best dressed wedding party I've seen in a while. I'm also loving the white peony and berry bouquets, the lace detailed vases {buy them from Ikea}, the vintage getaway car and the ornate gold-frame table plan. Guests were encouraged to write messages on cute tea-stained tags and hang them in a wishing tree, before enjoying a delicious French meal, with multiple wedding cakes. Heavenly pictures published with thanks to Jonny & Morgane from M&J Photography.

A Pretty Vintage-Inspired Garden Wedding - The Reception

After a little bit of a delay {building up the anticipation}, I'm thrilled to bring you the amazing detail-filled reception photographs of Lucy and Jim's fantastic wedding. With tonnes of DIY extras, including a veritable fairground of activities for their guests, it looks a complete treat. There's so many stealworthy ideas, but my favourite picks have to be the watercolour-style wedding cake {created by Lucy's sister!}, the lovely teepee venues, Jim's enormous rose buttonhole, and Lucy's pretty-as-a-picture Ellis Bridals short wedding dress. I love how Jim and Lucy wrote their own wedding ceremony, personalising it with sing-alongs and their own special vows. The reception decorations are gorgeous as well, with prettified jam-jars and tin cans, plus fantastic tea-bag and shortcake DIY'd wedding favours. You can't fail to love it! Big love to Lily Sawyer for capturing every perfect detail, and to Lucy for filling in the Before the Big Day Bride's Questionnaire.

We got married twice, the first time on Thursday 25th July 2013 at The Old Marylebone Town Hall in London. This was our legal registry office ceremony, and only our immediate family members were present. Our second wedding was on Saturday 27th July 2013 at North Hill Farm, Chorleywood. 


Our second wedding was a celebration for all our other guests, although we did have an informal ceremony led by our friend. This involved sitting on straw bales, sing-a-longs ('Eight Days a Week' by the Beatles and 'You Give A Little Love' from Bugsy Malone), readings and 'vows' from Jim and I.

A Pretty Vintage-Inspired Garden Wedding with a Short Wedding Dress

Straw bales, a short wedding dress and tonnes of handmade bunting - this wedding is my type of big day! I'm completely in love with the venue, the details, and the gorgeous couple! It's all so English and eccentric and brilliant, with a massive dollop of pretty thrown in for luck! Lucy and Jim celebrated their big day twice {like me!}. Once for the legal ceremony at The Old Marylebone Town Hall in London, and then the second time in serious countryside style, in a field overlooking the Chiltern Hills at North Hill Farm in Chorleywood. I love how they made their wedding day their own - with plenty of activities for their guests, including a balloon race, DIY coconut shy, badminton, giant 'Pass the Pigs', space hoppers and a photo booth. Food came in the very trendy form of two vintage food trucks - one 'selling' vintage ice cream, the other fish and chips. Lucy and Jim wanted their wedding to be a big, informal party, exactly the type of wedding everyone wants to attend! Huge thanks to Lily Sawyer for her heavenly pictures - I've got tonnes more detail shots to come in Part 2 - The Reception.

We got married twice, the first time on Thursday 25th July 2013 at The Old Marylebone Town Hall in London. This was our legal registry office ceremony, and only our immediate family members were present. Our second wedding was on Saturday 27th July 2013 at North Hill Farm, Chorleywood. 

Our second wedding was a celebration for all our other guests, although we did have an informal ceremony led by our friend. This involved sitting on straw bales, sing-a-longs ('Eight Days a Week' by the Beatles and 'You Give A Little Love' from Bugsy Malone), readings and 'vows' from Jim and I.

Real Bohemian Tepee English Garden Wedding: Sarah & Andy

Tepee marquees are official the new trend of this summer season. With their vintage rustic charm, they add bohemian charm to an English countryside wedding, and they have much more personality than your bog-standard marquee. Hire them from Stunning Tents or World Inspired Tents. Gorgeous couple Sarah and Andy chose to host their wedding reception in a tepee marquee in a wildflower meadow next to Sarah's parents home in Suffolk. I'm loving all their personlised wedding details, from the peach giant balloons to the DIY wedding flowers {arranged by Sarah's friend Ruth}, Mexican style bunting and the sheep-skin covered benches. I've always been a fan of family-style dining - it adds a warmth to the wedding meal. Sarah and Andy wanted their wedding to feel like a relaxed summer garden party, and with Pimms on offer, and outdoor games for the children, it was the perfect English wedding. Stunning pictures, as ever, from the hugely talented Justine Ferrari Photography.

A Quirky Vintage London Wedding with a 'Super-Hero' Bride - The Reception

This eclectic vintage wedding is proof you can do pretty in London. With pastel lanterns, lace tissue bunting, and freshly picked flowers, you'd expect a marquee wedding venue, but Tasha and Niall decided to celebrate their wedding at their local - The Londesborough Pub. I've fallen for their relaxed wedding style and quirky details, from their Art Deco postcard guest book to their simple Victoria Sponge wedding cakes. Most of all, I love how happy they both look! Huge thanks to Michael from My Beautiful Bride, for his stunning pictures - hopefully more of his work coming soon on Before the Big Day. Don't miss Part 1 of this wedding.

A Quirky Vintage London Wedding with a 'Super-Hero' Bride

You can't fail to fall in love with this beautiful quirky wedding, with its gorgeous bride and groom. Tasha and Niall decided to celebrate their wedding close to home - hosting their reception in their local - a great gastropub called The Londesborough Pub, and their ceremony at the nearby Stoke Newington Town Hall. I'm slightly obsessed with Tasha's amazing wedding gown - it's a 1970s original, and would you believe, she found it on Etsy for only £80! The dress needed only the tiniest of alterations, and even came with a little lace cape - super hero bride-style! So many other stunning details to steal - starting with the pretty 'just-picked' bouquets, the forget-me-knots in Tasha's hair, and the elegant, Art Nouveau-style wedding invitations by Ellie Weehuizen. Big love to Michael from My Beautiful Bride, for his stunning pictures. I'm in love with all the portrait shots, and there's more to come in Part 2.

Real Detail-Filled Pastel-Themed Wedding with Bunting & Rosettes

There's nothing I love more than a wedding with tonnes of stealworthy ideas. This gorgeous affair was planned by Michelle of Blissd Events, and you can tell it's a professional job, because every detail is brilliantly put together. Certain things, like the pastel colours and the repetition off a flag motif and little cartoons of the happy couple are repeated through the wedding, and that's what creates to 'together' feel. I'm loving the vintage details, from the old window frame and the car, plus the stationery details - including the Just Married flags, rosette buttonholes and bunting. Incredible flowers by Nancy Lui Chin, and the pictures are by the wedding blogger's favourite, Jose Villa.

Real Peaches & Cream English Wedding with a South African Theme

Some of us blushing brides really get into the whole wedding 'thang'. For some, it's just the special day when they married their gorgeous man, but for others, it becomes something of an obsession, and then a hobby, and then even a career. That's exactly what my wedding became for me, as I started this wedding blog a couple of months before I got engaged {it's a long story involving a very long-suffering boyfriend who eventually got the hint!}. Gorgeous bride, Clare, had a very similar experience. She enjoyed planning her wedding so much, that she started her own company, The Beautiful Wedding Company, which ingeniously combines planning with bridal beauty. You can see her work in the fabulous details in her own peaches and cream wedding. From her exquisite wedding gown, to her gorgeous colour-popping bridesmaids' dresses, every detail is perfectly matched, right down to the ushers' ties. I'm also loving the countryside chic of the barn venue - one of my closest friends celebrated her wedding at Loseley Park, and it's a gorgeous venue. Huge thanks to PR Photography for these beautiful pictures.

We celebrated our wedding at Loseley Park, Guildford on June 18th. The venue is breathtaking, a stunning old manor, surrounded by rolling English countryside, a rose garden, tithe barn and even a Tudor hall. We wanted a venue that was magnificent, English and yet intimate. Loseley Park is also in-between our parents' homes, making it ideal for both bride and groom’s parties!

My dress was aptly called 'Summer' by Maggie Sottero. I tried on tonnes of dresses as I had no idea what I wanted to wear or what would suit me. The wonderful sales assistants at Miss Bush Bridalwear, in Ripley, made sure I tried on everything from the big 'Grace Kelly' style dresses, Grecian styles, full laced dresses…..every style going! 

A Summer Barn Wedding with a Music Theme - The Reception

With a music theme, several naked wedding cakes and a stunning barn wedding venue, this has got to be one of my favourite big days from last summer. Katy and Mark chose the stunning countryside of West Sussex for their wedding, and added tonnes of inspirational details to their reception. My faves have to be the personalised, CD wedding favours {entitled 'Do Me A Favour', the simple but sweet menu cards and the picture-perfect bunting. Even the wedding portraits are gorgeous - I love Katy's pretty parasol {buy similar here} - a great photo prop that could come in handy in a shower! Big love to Kelly from Lola Rose Photography for her beautiful wedding photographs.

We celebrated our wedding on 17th August with a ceremony at St Andrews Church in Steyning, followed by our reception at Bartholomew Barn, Kirdford, West Sussex.

A Summer Barn Wedding with a Music Theme

This beautiful church wedding has got me dreaming about summer! Lovely bride and groom, Katy and Mark celebrated their big day in August, with a music themed, barn reception. I love the put-together look of their wedding - Katy chose a stunning blue for her colour palette, and her bridesmaids look gorgeous in their House of Brides gowns, teamed with frothy lilac hydrangea bouquets. Hydrangeas may well be my favourite bouquet blooms of all time! They're so pretty, and they take up so much space, that they may well save your budget. The ushers all looked fab in their matching River Island suits, plus blue cravats to match the bridesmaids. Other stealworthy ideas include Katy's glam Bridget Bardot-style half-up do, her fabulous Alfred Sung wedding gown, and their brilliant vintage-style wedding invitations {designed by a very talented friend!}. Huge thanks to the lovely Kelly from Lola Rose Photography for capturing every detail - I've got more from their Bartholomew Barn coming soon!

We celebrated our wedding on 17th August with a ceremony at St Andrews Church in Steyning, followed by our reception at Bartholomew Barn, Kirdford, West Sussex.

My sister's friend Becky designed our brilliant wedding invitations, which were in the style of a vintage theatre poster.

A Rustic Garden Wedding with a Festival Feel & Tonnes of DIY Details

Everything about this wedding is enchanting - it's like something from a traditional Welsh faery story! Loveday and Nathan celebrated their big day with a church service, followed by their wedding reception in Loveday's parent's garden. From the handmade yurts {created by the bride's brother!}, to the traditional wedding cake, pretty floral favours and jam jar vases, everything was DIY'd by Loveday and Nathan's friends and family. It just goes to show what an amazing effect you can create yourself! The wedding had a festival vibe, with a warming fire-pit, boho decorations {by Verdigris Venue Dressing}, deckchairs, and floral arches. I'm also super-impressed that Loveday bought her wedding dress from a charity shop, and had it re-modelled with the help of a local dressmaker. No detail was too small - she even changed the buttons to pastel pretties, to fit in with their colour scheme. Enjoy these lovely pictures by Adam Cove, and Loveday's inspirational answers to the Before the Big Day Bride's Questionnaire!

We celebrated our wedding on Saturday 31st August 2013 in the chapel of St David at the University of Wales in Lampeter, where Nathan and I first met as students.Our reception was lovingly created at my parent's home, on a hill above the town. My brother, Morgan, made us two beautiful yurts, and all our friends and family worked hard helping to get the place ready, from mowing the lawns and tending the flower garden. We even spent our wedding night in another little yurt, tucked away amongst some willows near the stream. 

I wanted a simple quite classic wedding dress, but with a personal touch. After a lot of looking I finally bought my dress second hand from a charity shop in Cardiff. It was then re-modelled by a local dress maker called Rhiannon J Limited. We worked together on the design and I was able to add unique buttons and decorations. It was a simple silk gown with a modest puddle train, individual colourful buttons down the back, ruching across the waste and a small flower decoration on the left hip. Rhiannon also made my veil for me.

Real Pretty Pastel Wedding with a Lovely Lace & Peony Theme

This dreamy pastel-themed wedding will leave you longing for lazy summer days. It's an exquisite combination of pink, peonies and mercury glass vintage vases, and I love it! With a wedding dress by Marisa Bridals, bridesmaids' dresses by Priscilla of Boston and a gorgeous vineyard venue, you'll want to copy every wedding detail. Don't miss the brocaded wedding invitations and the beaded plates - every area of this wedding was perfectly planned by Yong Suk Willendrup, and pictured by Jen Huang Photography.

An Elegant Wedding with Giant Pink Balloons & Jimmy Choos - The Reception

It's pom pom time! Regular readers will know I've been a fan of DIY tissue pom poms ever since I made them for my own wedding. They were such a success, and so easy to make, that I've been recommending them as the cheap and chic wedding decoration. Fab couple Joe and Mimi chose pastels as their wedding colour palette, and I love their cheerful peach, pink and cerise poms. Throw in a Kate Moss-inspired wedding cake, a brilliant photo booth and hundreds of vases of avalanche roses, and I'm a very happy wedding blogger indeed. Enjoy Chris Giles Photography's brilliant wedding pictures, and Mimi's answers to the Before the Big Day Bride's Questionnaire. There's tonnes of great tips and vendors there for you to steal!

Joe and I got married on July 27th 2013. The service was held at St. Margaret's Church, Fernhurst in West Sussex, and then the reception was at The Duke Of Cumberland Arms, a beautiful 15th Century pub. 

I didn't have any bridesmaids - instead my daughter Evie and my niece, Holly were my flower girls. They wore beautiful silk chiffon dresses from I Love Gorgeous, which had a dusky pink satin ribbon tie and hand embroidered roses. 

An Elegant Wedding with Giant Pink Balloons & Jimmy Choos

It's rare for a wedding to include three of my favourite decorations in the world - giant fluffy pompoms, a carnival-style sign, and enormous round balloons! But Joe and Mimi have managed to tick all my wedding boxes, with their beautifully styled, quintessentially English big day. Like all sensible couples, Joe and Mimi drew on the talents of many of their friends and family to save their pennies and create a truly personal wedding. Mimi's mother made her wedding dress, drawing inspiration from Phillippa Lepley's designs, Joe's good friend hosted their wedding at his pub, The Duke Of Cumberland Arms, and Joe {yes THE GROOM} made the wedding cake! He is a professional chef, who specialises in cakes and cake decorating, but still - that's some pretty impressive skills. I've fallen for Mimi's pretty 'just-picked' bouquet, her apricot and pastel pink colour scheme, and her beautifully dressed flower girls and page boys. Stunning pictures published with thanks to Chris Giles Photography.

Joe and I got married on July 27th 2013. The service was held at St. Margaret's Church, Fernhurst in West Sussex, and then the reception was at The Duke Of Cumberland Arms, a beautiful 15th Century pub.

I am extremely lucky to have a mummy who was once a professional seamstress - she had made my two other sisters wedding dresses, and so I challenged her to do mine - a combination of a few Phillippa Lepley designs. 

Real Pretty Australian Beach Wedding with Monochrome Detailing - Part 2

As promised, here is Part 2 of this incredible seaside Australian wedding, pictured by Jen Huang. Organised and conceived by Polka Dot Bride, I'm in love with all the pretty, neutral details, and the beautiful beach setting. Don't miss Sian's feminine feather hair accessory, her divine nude strappy shoes, and Ross' seedpod buttonhole. Also loving the variation of the portrait shots - tonnes of fun ideas for your own wedding photographs - leafy hearts all round! All the vendor details listed below, if you missed Part 1, click here!