A Modern, Elegant Wedding with Quirky Vintage Details

Ice-cream van? Check! Quirky character cars? Check! Fabulous vintage bus? Check! As you can tell, this gorgeous wedding has tonnes of simply fabulous details - many of them with four wheels, and a vintage personality! Laura and Adam were keen to host a classic, elegant wedding, which reflected them as a couple, without having too obvious a theme. Pinks and greens are the dominant colours, and there's definitely a vintage hint to many of the details. I've fallen for Laura's Audrey Hepburn inspired wedding outfit, and her stunning David Austin rose bouquet. Throw in the pretty-as-a-picture church, and historic venue near York, and I'm sold! Enjoy all the gorgeous pictures by Lissa Alexandra Photography - she captured every detail perfectly, and make sure you unashamedly steal Laura's wedding ideas from her answers to Before the Big Day Bride's Questionnaire! More from the reception published later today.

We celebrated our wedding on Saturday 10th August, with a ceremony at St Mary’s Church in Nun Monkton near York, followed by a reception at The Old Deanery, Ripon.

I wanted a venue which was a blank canvas and suited me. Bold green patterned carpets and massive drapes like you get in a traditional castle or stately home venue, just wouldn’t cut it. I chose The Old Deanery for its dark wooden floor boards and cream panelled walls.

Possibly the Best Hen Venue in the World

A few months ago, I was lucky enough to get invited to the launch of a rather special London venture. The Cheeky Parlour is the latest brainchild of the boss behind the uber-trendy Soho House Group. Based in Shoreditch, it offers mini-manicures {£10} and blow-dries {£15} at crazy-low prices, in a super-cool setting. As it's local to my flat, you'll find me propping up the incredible breakfast bar every Friday morning, where I nosh happily on muesli and yoghurt before getting beautified for the weekend. I honestly believe a decent blow-dry is even better than cosmetic surgery, and I always leave feeling super-glam, and that little bit cooler! If you're planning a hen weekend in London, I couldn't recommend it more. They've even got a special package aimed at groups, including my new tipple of choice, Babycham!

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Wedding Trends of 2014 - Carnations

Unloved by many, 2014 is going to see the come-back of the carnation. Not just a supermarket cheapie, this {admittedly very reasonable} bloom looks FABULOUS en masse. In many ways a carnation is just a miniature version of a peony, but available all year round, and in a veritable rainbow of colours. Just like baby's breath, it's a flower saviour for brides on a budget. To make carnations work for your wedding, start with one shade per bouquet or display, and remember this trend is all about quantity over quality. Buy as many as you can, and bunch them together in extravagant displays. But remember it's all or nothing. Don't start adding other blooms, or things could start looking cheap not chic. For more ideas, take a look at my Carnation Wedding Ideas Pinterest board.

{Photo Credit} Unknown

{Photo Credit} Wedding Design by Jeffrey Caballero, picture by Taryn and Shelby of Joielala Photographie. More from this wedding on 100 Layer Cake.

{Photo Credit} 1. Unknown | 2. Flowers by A Hana Design, picture by Closer to Love Photography. More from this wedding on Style Me Pretty

{Photo Credit} 1. Flowers by Brown Paper Design, picture by Docuvitae. More from this wedding on Style Me Pretty | 2. Picture by Orange Turtle Photography, more from this wedding on One Lovely Day

{Photo Credit} Flowers by A Hana Design, picture by Closer to Love Photography. More from this wedding on Style Me Pretty

{Photo Credit} 1. Picture by Mr & Mrs Photography, more from this wedding on Whimsical Wonderland Weddings | 2. Flowers by Michelle Edgemont, picture by Stacey Simpson for Levi Stolove Photography. More from this wedding on Michelle's blog

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Real Misty Winter Wedding with a Gorgeous Short Dress

This incredible winter wedding is proof you can organise a fabulous big day in under a month! Keri and Bill originally planned to marrry in June, but they decided to bring all their family together for the holidays and celebrate both happy occasions. I've fallen for the gorgeous misty moodiness of these lovely pictures by Amy Carroll, and all the charming details. Scroll down for classic winter wedding inspiration, including DIY felt pom-poms and ring-pillow, the owl cake topper, the ruffled cake and the particularly cute 'smitten' mitton-shaped favours. Also loving the silvery and while flower arrangements by Gail VanderLaan and Keri's 50's style mid-length dress, and furry stole. Shorter wedding dresses are so this season!

DIY Bride - Spray-Painted Sheep Cake Topper

If you follow me on Twitter, you might have spotted a flurry of DIY pictures about a month ago. It was all in aid of my friend's last-minute plan-it-in-a-week wedding. Her big bash is actually this weekend {excited!}, but for family reasons, she had to bring the ceremony forward. After much chatting about themes, she decided on a rich gold detailing, and I took the opportunity it get my spray paint on! Not just for graffiti artists, spray paint really is the most versatile of tools. It can turn the most everyday items into a wonderful wedding details. My friend works as a shepherdess, and wanted a cute sheep-style cake topper. I'd spotted this project on Once Wed many years ago, and thought it a genius idea, so tried it out.

I bought toy sheep from Amazon {but I imagine you can find second-hand on eBay}, and lined them up in a shoe-box, took it outside, and got funky with my gold spray paint!

It took a couple of coats, but it was so effective, I did a little satisfaction dance! I reckon if you bought tonnes of them, you could use them as little place-markers, and obviously, you could spray them in any colour to match your wedding theme. I've also seen fruit sprayed gold, and take a look at my jam-jar DIY project. Click for more Before the Big Day DIY bride ideas.

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Real Purple & Lace Themed English Wedding

This wonderful English wedding ticks every one of my boxes. Childhood sweethearts; check. Gorgeous gown; check. Fabulous pink shoes; check. From the colour palette to the gorgeous laser-cut cupcake covers, I'm loving every single detail. Isn't it the quintessential English wedding? There's a reason why so many brides and grooms choose a church wedding followed by a marquee reception - it's a tried and tested template that allows you add your own personal touches. Fantastic pictures, as ever, by Yana Photography.

Introducing Fiona Kelly Wedding Photography

There's a handful of photographers in the UK who I consider up there with the best. They've got a fantastic eye for the easy-to-miss moment, but they're fantastic at formal and detail shots as well. Fiona Kelly is one of those wedding photographers, and that's why I'm delighted to introduce her as Before the Big Day's newest sponsor. Fiona's lovely reportage style means you and your guests will be captured at your most natural - looking your best, with your emotions mirrored in your face. You can see from her gorgeous shots below how good she is at being in the right place at the right time for the perfect shot. What's more, Fiona is super-friendly and a massively relaxing influence on your big day - in the tumult of relatives and friends, you can be sure she'll be calm in the eye of the storm. London-based, Fiona works across the UK and Europe - wherever the wedding calls her! Her packages start at a very reasonable £1795, and include full day coverage {preparations to your First Dance and a bit more}, and your pictures on a USB to print yourself. Of course, if you want beautiful albums, then Fiona can help you with those as well! Take a look at Fiona's wedding photography website to see more of her gorgeous work.

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Mexican Papel Picado Personalised Weddding Decorations

Yet more incredible paper wedding decorations to brighten up your wedding day space. Whether you hire a marquee or a village hall, these gorgeous personalised banners will create a festival atmosphere at your wedding. Created by Ay Mujer, they're called papel picado, and they're a traditional Mexican folk art made out of tissue paper of every shade. Why not continue the theme, and have a Mexican meal with a margaritas?

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