Real Wedding: Carrie & Adrian

Seaside weddings are always amongst the most memorable. Beaches that make people feel like they're on holiday, and that carnival spirit will make your guests want to party! Carrie and Adrian's Kent wedding was a day of two halves, with their marriage ceremony at Mount Ephraim Gardens, and the reception hosted at the East Quay Restaurant in Whitstable. Traditional seaside fare was the order of the day, and the rustic restaurant adds real character to their big day. I'm loving Carrie's choice of pink detailing, starting with her stunning pink shoes, and carried on through the hot pink gerbera and stationery. The classic convertable Beetle is a great touch, and while I'm hoping the Camper Van wasn't for their honeymoon, it certainly makes a fantastic wedding prop. Do you think they handed out rock as favours? Huge thanks to David Fenwick for his gorgeous photographs, and don't miss the message from the bride below the pics!

Message from the Bride: Adi and I have always loved the sea, and having grown up in Whitstable myself we hoped to incorporate some kind of beach theme into our wedding. I stumbled across the East Quay Restaurant whilst looking online for wedding venues and although I hadn't thought of a restaurant for a wedding venue, it just seemed right for us. We didn't want a formal wedding, we wanted a fun day where friends and family could relax and enjoy the beach and we felt the East Quay was the perfect venue for this. For our ceremony we felt certain we wanted to get married outside. We wanted the outdoors to be a real feature of our wedding and Mount Ephraim Gardens was a beautiful, tranquil and very romantic setting.

As pink is my favourite colour I had to have it featured in my wedding somehow. I was so lucky to find a florist (Jane at Graham Greener) who seemed to know exactly what would suit me, and our wedding. I love Gerbera's and find them such a sunny and happy flower - they also fitted so well with the beach theme. Jane had Gerbera's in a vivid fuschia, and with the men's chocolate suits and the bridesmaids chocolate dresses, they looked amazing.

Our wedding day, although cloudy in the morning, turned out to be a lovely sunny day. After the ceremony Adi and I travelled back to the restaurant in a convertible vintage VW Beetle with the top down - it was great fun! Guests enjoyed oysters back at the restaurant followed by traditional Fish and Chips, finished off with a chocolate fudge cake. We hired a ceilidh band for the early evening to liven everyone up after their meal and then enjoyed a disco for the later part of the evening. We finished our perfect day by releasing sky lanterns off the beach which our guests had written messages on earlier in the day. It was a lovely end to an amazing day by the sea. Carrie x

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

Big Love for Big Cartel

Shopping at Etsy is one of the things that I do best, it's just such a fabulous resource for cool, handmade items from around the world. But I've found a new source in inspiration in Big Cartel, which acts as a simple shopping cart for artists wanting to sell their work to a wider audience. It's like a permanent online arts fair, and it's awesome! Just try these fabulous stationers on for size....

Product Credits - {top two collages}Two Trick Pony (middle collage} Hello Tenfold
{last two collages}Up Up Creative

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

BBD Theme: On Yer Bike

Have you noticed that one of the major motifs for weddings this spring/summer season is tandem bicycles? They're everywhere! There's definitely a romantic side to cycling off into the sunset with the man of your dreams, although getting your gown caught in the chain would definitely be a worry. So whether you're a cycling fan, or just love the whimsy of a tandem bike, this is the feature for you. Check out the suggestions below, and if you're still short of ideas, take a look at Bicycle Paper Designs. And by the way...heart-shaped bike lights and personalised water bottles ARE a step too far.

Product Credits - {from top left} Save the Date: Felice Design, Ties: Projector, Customised Stickers: More and More Originals, Bicyle Cards: Kindred Knits {from middle left} Mug: Vicki Hartman Clay, T-Shirt: Dark Cycle Clothing, Biycle Stamp: Doodlebug Design {from bottom left} Ceramic Heart Pot: Acero Studio, Bicylce Stationery: Paper Wheel


Product Credits - {from top left} Invitation: One Reverie, Bicycle Stamp: Doodlebug Design, Handbag Mirror: Pressed Orange, {from middle left}Green Invitation: Kiss and Tell Cards {from bottom left} Save the Date: Cheerup Cherup, Just Married Card: Paper Michelle, Biycle Cake Topper: U R A Star House

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

Real Wedding: Alex & Brian

Need an inspiration hit? Try this super sophisticated wedding on for size. Alex and Brian celebrated their wedding this winter, and got massively into the detailing. Just check out the stunning reception room; the candlebras, the red roses, the chandeliers - it's like the set of an Audrey Hepburn film. Other inspirational details include Alex's gorgeous gown and bolero, plus Brian's cute lily-of-the-valley buttonhole, and I love the bright red of the youngest bridesmaid's dress. Have you spotted Alex's beautiful jewellery? All designed by her mother, specially for her daughter's wedding day. Gorgeous pictures thanks to the team at Our Labour of Love.

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

True Love

You know when you've fallen deeply in love. You can't stop thinking about them. You wonder what they're doing now. You constantly bring them up in conversation. Well that's how I've been feeling about Californian stationer Chewing the Cud. The collection is inspired from a multitude of sources: real weddings, travel, flea markets, and much more. Designer Viola explains that each invitation is designed not as a cookie cutter template, but rather to reflect a certain wedding mood or theme, which you can customise to make more 'you'. What can I say? I ♥ Chewing the Cud, and when you look at their work, I'm certain you will too. {Go ahead, scroll on down...}

Wedding Dress Jewellery

Cufflinks are a fantastic present for the special men on your wedding day. Choosing a pair that they'll all treasure for years is much harder. These silver cufflinks by Welsh designer, Kate Selene are handmade from samples of your wedding dress, which are sealed with resin to give a hard, durable finish. She even handstamps your wedding date on the back, making them an ideal momento of your big day. Buy them for your groom, his ushers, and the father-of-the-bride so they all match perfectly, and pick up necklaces and earrings for your bridesmaids. Alternatively, you could always buy them lucky wishbone necklaces, because you can never have too much luck!

Real Wedding: Lauren & Jackson

A simple, elegant wedding can still speak volumes about a couple. You don't have to go crazy with details to achieve a truly memorable event, as illustrated here by Lauren and Jackson's beautiful big day. The happy couple picked a church ceremony, and the grounds offered great backgrounds for photos, while the overcast December sky lent for a particularly glowy light that day. Stunning pictures as ever from the team at Simply Bloom, and plenty of stealworthy ideas, including the cute heather buttonholes and the lace detailing on the cake. I'm also loving Lauren's bridesmaids' dresses. The pop of Christmassy red against a grey day is fabulous, and her girls all look like they're having a brilliant day, despite the cold!

Gorgeous Printables

Have you seen how much stationery can cost? Is it wrong to baulk at spending over £500 on inviting 100 people to come to your wedding? That's money that could be spent on entertainment, champagne or fireworks! And yet isn't it...well...naff to invite your guests via email? Not to mention the fact that your grandmother hasn't learnt how to log on. Luckily there is a third way - welcome to the wonderful world of printables. For a mini-sum of £5-10, you can buy a professional designed, custom template, and print your own at home, saving £££'s and gaining huge crafting brownie points. Woohoo!

Product Credits - {top collage} Arippke, {middle collage} Camille Chung {bottom collage} Swoon Creative