All The Latest Wedding Sample Sales

Wedding dresses can be a huge part of your budget if you pay full price. Luckily there are lots of sample sales each year. in London and around the UK. Do a good search on google, and keep an eye out on the wedding blogs. If you sign up for my free newsletter, you won't miss a single one - hint hint!

♥ One of my favourite high-street shops of all time, French Connection, hosts their massive summer sample sale this weekend, starting today!! It's the perfect place to pick up your bridesmaids' dresses, plus pieces for your honeymoon. With prices from £5, you can't go wrong. Hot foot it down to Centro One, 39 Camden Street from 9.30am this morning, and 10am on Saturday and Sunday.

♥ Don't forget about your groom! This weekend is your last chance to catch the huge Hugo Boss sample sale at Hugo Boss HQ in Camden. Mensware and womensware available at amazing prices! From 9am today {Friday} and 10am on Saturday and Sunday at 19 Mandela Street.

♥ Fashion-favourite Erdem is holding his first ever sample sale today. Renowned for his gorgeous printed silks, his dresses would make perfect wedding gowns for brides eschewing classic for bright and bold. With 75% off ready-to-wear and shoes, you're bound to be tempted. From 10am at The Future Gallery, 5 Newport Street, until a work-friendly 7pm.

♥ Have you checked out the Before the Big Day Wedding Themes for more wedding inspiration?

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Real Bright Summer Wedding: Kaelie & Drew

There's no doubt an all-white wedding is supremely elegant, but the bolder bride and groom should use colour to stamp their personality on their big day. Gorgeous couple Kaelie and Drew did just this at their fabulous wedding in September. Huge thanks to Simply Bloom Photography for these truly inspirational photographs. Loving the orange waistcoats!

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Cool New Wedding Stationery Design

If I look back at my own wedding planning, choosing the wedding stationery was where it all started. It's surprising how quickly you need to get the Save the Dates out to your guests, and then before you know it, you're three months before your wedding day, and spending a hundred pounds on stamps! For me, our wedding stationery was very representative of the atmosphere I wanted to create on our big day. So it's a good idea to create a few mood boards, and get a real sense of your wedding style, before plumping for a particular stationery or invitation design. I think I agonised more over our wedding stationery than anything else! Anyway, if I was to have my time again, I'd definitely take a look at Brownpaper Designs. They're a brand new, bespoke wedding stationery designer, and I'm loving their work. Just check out the cute vintage picnic set below.

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Real Summer Garden Wedding: Jennifer & Ramsey

While I'm sunning myself in the south of France on my honeymoon, I thought it only suitable to post his gorgeous Provence-inspired wedding. Jennifer and Ramsey celebrated their big day under the olive trees with the scent of lavender in the air - what's not to like? I'm particularly loving their simple stationery and home-made jam adorned with olive motifs. Personalised caps are a brilliant idea for hot day favours, and check out the oyster bar and berry cocktails - yum! I'm also a huge fan of how Jennifer toned the tomato dishes with her bouquet and flower arrangements, all those beautiful oranges and yellows are the essence of summer. Huge thanks to Jessamyn Harris for her stunning pictures, and praise has to go to Molli and Denise of Green Girl Events, for their stylish ideas.

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My Wedding - Three Days to Go!!

You might have noticed that the blog postings have been slightly erratic over the last two weeks. That's because my French wedding is now in three days - eeeeeeeeek! We're already in France, and the weather is beautiful - I'm just praying it holds out for Saturday and Sunday. I'm carrying around my Delphine Manivet dress in its protective bag, plus the veil in another bag, and I'm worrying about creases, almost as much as I'm worrying about rain. Then there's the ash cloud....which right now is due to hit London on Friday, just as most of my guests are hoping to leave for France. This bridal business is just one long anxiety attack! The good news is that we visited the venue again yesterday, and it looks gorgeous. Plus my fabulous French hairdresser made me look super-chic in our practice run. All I can hope is that my stress is making me burn up more calories - a week in France is not conducive to dieting before your wedding! I'm reposting my wedding mood boards here, partly as a fond memory of how it all started.....

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Gorgeous Original Wedding Stationery

The invitation to your big day can be everything or nothing. Send a simple Save The Date if you're not sure about your theme, or make your first missive a delicious hint to your wedding style. Here are just a few of our favourite, fabulous stationers, who are bursting with ideas to make your correspondence stand out from the crowd.

Product Credits: Top Left: Truly Noted Top Right: April Ink, Bottom Left: R Studio Bottom Right: BaumBirdy.

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Real Destination Wedding: Umida & Mohamed

Destination weddings are all about the location, and when you're looking a location as gorgeous as Tunis, you can guarantee a spectacular big day. Umida and Mohammed chose the Residence, one of Tunisia’s finest hotels, as their wedding venue, and headed off to the ancient ruins of Carthage just as the sun was setting for the wedding photographs. It was perfect timing, and made for some incredible pictures. I'm loving the feather details on Umida's dress and shoes, and the pretty little studs in her hair - simple but stunning. Aren't destination weddings the best?! Fantastic pictures published with thanks to Anna Rosell.

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Loving Wedding Typography

Typography is a huge trend in weddings this season. Brides are spelling out all sorts of messages to their guests, and these cardboard letters from RE are a cheap and cheerful way to create a fantastic effect. I was planning to spell out 'All you need is love' at my wedding, but they ran out of L's! New stock is expected in any day now though, so you can write as many words including L as you like. Also loving the cardboard candlesticks they stock. You can leave them looking rustic, or paint them any way you like. They're a great way to add a touch of DIY magic to your big day. Do check out RE, it's my favourite shop in the world, with an amazing range of ribbons, fabrics and vintage paraphernalia.

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