Your Wedding Detox

If you're getting married this spring or summer, you've probably started thinking about getting slim and fit for your wedding. My routine consisted of two Bootcamp Pilates classes a week, plus tonnes of sushi, and Twinings Green Tea by the bushel-load. Green tea is a fantastic anti-oxidant, it helps your body get rid of toxins, and it's got just enough caffeine in it to help you off your coffee addiction! If you can't find green tea in your local shop, you can buy tea online pretty easily. It certainly worked, I felt super-lean by my wedding day, which made all the difference to my confidence as I walked up the aisle. For more information on herbal teas - check out the Twinings Facebook page.

{Photo Credit}
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Real Rustic Autumn Wedding: Lindsey & Hayley

Succulents, lace and pink helium balloons are the recipe for a perfect wedding. Throw in an incredible South African venue and the autumnal turning of the leaves, and I'm in wedding heaven! Lindsey and Hayley celebrated their wedding in the South African countryside, saying their vows surrounded on all four sides by nature. I'm loving Hayley's exquisite feathered dress, fun Vivienne Westwood heart shoes {cheap but oh-so chic}, and the little fur stole to keep her cosy during her vows. Other fabulous wedding details include the pink table stationery {Eat, Drink and Be Married!} and mirrored table displays. I love how they covered succulents with bell vases, and put proteas in birdcages. Each table feels like a feminine dressing table - such a romantic theme for a wedding. If you'd like a similar ceramic ring-bearing bowl, you can buy them from Paloma's Nest, a US designer who's cornered the market on heirlooms of the future. Gorgeous pictures published with thanks to the team at We Love Pictures.

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Sparkly Wedding Dresses by Jenny Packham

Brides wanting to make a bit of an impact choose Jenny Packham wedding dresses. I'm deeply in love with her designs, and very nearly picked one for my own wedding gown, but she was slightly {okay, hugely} outside my budget. That didn't stop me going to a Jenny Packham evening dress sample sale, and looking longingly at a green sparkly number reduced to £999, and wondering if I had the guts to be a bride in green {I didn't!}. Feast your eyes on my favourites from her wedding collection, they're the perfect wedding dress inspiration, even if you can't afford the real thing. Remember Jenny Packham dresses have fabulous resale value, and you can find second-hand gowns on eBay and specialist bridal websites. Read my blog posting on Your Wedding Dress for Less for more helpful hints on buying a wedding dress on a budget.

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Real Red-Themed Countryside Wedding: Fiona & Will

If you're planning your wedding, and feeling slightly swamped by all the ideas you've got from wedding blogs like this one, focus on one thing first, namely your venue. Once you've chosen where you want to get married, and where you want to host your wedding reception, you can start to get a sense of the atmosphere of your wedding. For example, if you pick a castle, it'll probably feel more formal and elegant, while a teepee on your parents' farm would be boho and casual. Colour themes can also grow from your venue choice, like it did for this wedding at the gorgeous Compton Acres in Dorset. Just check out the gorgeous red flowers in the final picture, and you can see at least one reason why Fiona and Will chose red as their theme colour. I'm loving all the dresses in this wedding, including Fiona's divine lacy wedding gown, the bridesmaids' elegant red dresses, and even the little flower girls net skirts. Other details-to-steal include Fiona's 'I Do' stickers on the back of her wedding shoes {I had these too!}, and the ushers' matching suits and ties. Huge thanks to Tom Redman for his gorgeous wedding pictures {and extreme patience!}.

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Wedding Inspiration Boards on Pinterest

For me, this weekend has been all about Pinterest. After discovering it about a year ago, I've become mildly obsessed with creating wedding inspiration boards, and I'm thinking it might just be the new Twitter, Facebook and Wedding Blog bliss all rolled up into one! Check out my Before the Big Day Pinterest Boards for an instant overload of fabulous wedding inspiration. Plus sign up to Pinterest and start your own wedding boards. I'll be picking the best for the Before the Big Day each week.

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Wonderful Weekend Wedding Blog Links

Do you like skiing? I've never been much of a fan, but The Boy loves it, so I'm being a very dutiful wife, and blogging this week's Wonderful Weekend Wedding Blog Links from Switzerland! It's lovely and snowy outside, and wooden Swiss houses are so cute and romantic, I'm beginning to get into the groove. Tomorrow on the slopes, when I'm flat on my face in the snow, my mood may be a little different... This week has been an exciting one for Before the Big Day, as I've welcomed the first of my wedding gurus - the lovely personal trainer, Alice Cowen. I'll have more introductions to make over the next few weeks, as Before the Big Day celebrates turning two and a half years, with a big growth spurt! My ultimate aim is to blog four features a day, so you can have more, free, wonderful wedding inspiration. So let's get started with my pick of the best wedding blog links in the world!

♥ {Photo Credit} Carly Mitchell Photography

♥ It's my birthday today {yes really!}, and I'd like a cake like this....

♥ I love bold black & white stripes at a wedding {via wedding blog 100 Layer Cake}

♥ After my freezing trip to Venice for {non-blog related} work, this wedding shoot makes me love the city again {via wedding blog Green Wedding Shoes}

♥ My new flower crush is ranunculus {via A Little Sparkle on the Side}

♥ I love these star cocktail stirrers for a wedding {via Follow studio from Kiss My Tulle}

♥ This house in Croatia is where I want to go on my wedding anniversary holiday {do we get those?} via shabby-chic interiors blog Little Miss Homes

♥ And if I don't go there, I want to go here, and get fit for summer with our new wedding-fitness guru Alice Cowen.

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Real Vintage Tea-Party Summer Wedding: Beki & Pete

If only English weddings were always like this one. Beautiful sunshine, a field of poppies, and a fairytale bride. In this freezing weather it's hard to remember June, but if you're planning a summer wedding, you'll love how these pictures to jog your memory. Britain can be sunny! The lovely Beki and Pete celebrated their big day in rustic Wilton Manor, a venue with fabulous memories for them, as they'd played there together as children! After their civil ceremony, they toasted their future with a fabulous vintage tea party, with tonnes of stealworthy ideas and more cake than you can shake a stick at! I'm loving the soft pink colour palette, reflected in the bridesmaids' dresses, bouquets, buttonholes and bunting. Tea-parties are a fantastic way to feed your guests without breaking the budget - you can even encourage your bridesmaids to help out with making the sandwiches and baking the cakes! Loving these pictures by Gitte from Kama Catch Me Photography, and really loving Pete's uniform.

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