An Outdoor DIY Wedding with a Cream Tea Reception

Back in my teenage years, we used to go to these amazing parties at Kingston Maurward in Dorset. I have fond memories of the incredible stately rooms, and stunning grounds, including a tranquil lake and arboretum. So it was a wonderful blast from the past to receive Linus Moran's stunning photographs of Kelly and Gavin's wedding. The happy couple chose Kingston Maurward as their wedding venue, and despite getting married in March, managed to have an amazing outdoor ceremony, in the bright spring sunshine. Just goes to show you should always think positive about the weather! Kelly and Gavin love a bargain, and were keen to DIY as many of their wedding details as possible. You'll love their wedding flowers, sweet trees, table stationery, and all their pretty decoration details, including pompoms and bunting. What's more, Kelly's Benjamin Roberts wedding gown only cost £250. Find out more in her answers to the Before the Big Day Bride's Questionnaire, and enjoy Linus Moran's fantastic wedding photographs....more to come from their reception later today.

My husband got down on one knee in Venice to pop the question. Two years to the day, we tied the knot at Kingston Maurward stately home, in Dorset, on March the 16th 2014.

My wedding dress was from Preloved, a Benjamin Roberts wedding dress that should have been £1700, selling for £250. I fell in love with it, and it fitted like a glove. I love a bargain!

Including Your Pets in Your Big Day

I'm a BIG dog fan. Particularly pugs - I love their squishy faces. But if I had a pet, I'm not sure I'd have included them in my big day. Admittedly, there's nothing cuter than a dog running down the aisle with the rings, but what if they feel the call of nature at a key moment? You don't want the symbolism of dog poo to represent the start of your marriage. Never mind that fact that it would be the only thing that anyone remembered about your wedding day! I think the secret is to keep their appearance short and sharp, and to dress them in a bow-tie. Because dogs in bow-ties look hilarious. There's a huge range on Etsy - enjoy the pictures....particularly this one of an extremely angry cat model.

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Brilliant Bridesmaid {Dressing} Gowns

Did you know about the tradition to give your bridesmaids a present on your wedding day? I completely failed!! I had an idea to give them all a pair of espadrille slippers, but never actually got round to buying them. So I wish I'd discovered these heavenly robes by Girl with a Serious Dream before now. Their signature Samantha silk robe has an easy, draped fit, and comes in a range of divine colours. I love the kimono style of the sleeves, and the luxury feel. Choose a selection in your wedding colours, and they'll make your getting ready photographs look fab! P.S. Buy this one for yourself - it's a honeymoon must-have!!

{I want this!} Samantha silk robe, £102 by Girl with a Serious Dream

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A Tiny Irish Wedding in South Africa with a Bride in Boots

There's a photography team in South Africa who I've admired from afar for several years. They're called We Love Pictures, and they're husband and wife, Travis and Maike. Every wedding they photograph is stunning, and none more so than this tiny wedding of only six guests! Michael and Lynne chose a wonderful restaurant called Le Petit Dauphine in Franschhoek in South Africa for their big day. I've been there - and the food is amazing! So if you're struggling with your guest list, and worrying about your wedding budget, take inspiration from this wonderful, unpretentious wedding day.

Just the Cutest Flower Crown in the World

There must be something in the air post-Glastonbury, because I've seen more girls wearing flower crowns than ever before! I have to admit, I'm a massive fan - there's something delightfully boho about wearing flowers in your hair, and if I had my time again, I'd dress all my bridesmaids in them. My latest discovery is this pretty from Mari Style Couture, who's based in Belarus! Each flower is carefully hand sculpted from air dry clay, which is non-toxic, soft and flexible. You can request whatever design you want, so your crown can exactly match your wedding flowers. Personally I'm in love with the peonies, but if you wanted a more subtle look, you could always go with the rose hair clip.

{I want this!} Bridal Flower Crown, £96 | 2. Rose Hair Clip, £24 , both by Mari Style Couture

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A 1950's Vintage Themed Wedding with a Grace Kelly Inspired Bride - Part 2

With a vintage 1950's theme, and a rustic-glamorous venue, this wedding is something of a humdinger! the bride and groom, Tania and Tegid threw themselves into the planning process, adding tonnes of personalised ideas, and doing a fair few DIY projects along the way. There's lots of money-saving tips in Tania's answers to the Before the Big Day Bride's Questionnaire, including print-your-own wedding stationery from Zazzle, make your own favours with Jen's Sweet Shop vintage bonbons, and original 1970s figurines of Princess Leia and Han Solo as a cake topper. I'm also a big fan of their heart-shaped blackboards - such a useful photo prop! Loving all their wedding pictures, published with thanks to the talented team of Ben and Hannah of HBA Photography.

We got married in the Midlands on 31st August 2013. The ceremony was held at St John the Baptist's Church in Middleton, followed by our reception at Shustoke Farm Barns in Coleshill.

We saw a lot of lovely old hotels full of character, but for the number of guests we had {approx. 90}, with most of them we would have had to have held our wedding breakfast in a marquee away from the main venue. So when we found Shustoke Farm Barns, a red brick 18th century building which was still being renovated {we saw it pretty much as a building site, without a roof!}, we thought it was perfect. It had all the beautiful traditional rustic charm, but with the added bonus of lots of capacity!

A 1950's Vintage Themed Wedding with a Grace Kelly Inspired Bride

Bride's looking for an idea for a theme for their wedding will love today's Grace Kelly-inspired big day! Bride, Tania is a huge fan of the 50's star, and chose her Justin Alexander wedding dress based on her unique, elegant style. This in turn led to 50's inspired stationery, bridesmaid dresses {by Mori Lee}, traditional bonbon favours, and even the vintage suitcase as a wedding card postbox. I'm head-over-heels for their barn wedding venue, booked on a leap of faith, considering it wasn't even finished when they made the reservation! Add in a stunning bouquet of roses and eucalyptus, groom Tegid, in his morning suit, and two lovely late-1950s Daimlers for wedding transport, and I'm in wedding-heaven! Fabulous photographs published with thanks to Ben and Hannah of HBA Photography - don't miss the reception pictures coming later today!

We got married in the Midlands on 31st August 2013. The ceremony was held at St John the Baptist's Church in Middleton, followed by our reception at Shustoke Farm Barns in Coleshill.

I am a big fan of Grace Kelly! So my dress was very much inspired by her timeless look. We therefore had a hint of a 50s vintage theme throughout the wedding, from the 50s inspired design on the stationery, the style of the bridesmaid dresses, the traditional bonbons for favours, all the way through to our vintage suitcase, which we used as a wedding card postbox.

Original & Brilliant Pinata Wedding Decoration

The reason I started this blog - all those years ago {!} - was as a record of all the fantastic and original ideas I'd found. It took me a while to choose the theme of my wedding, and before Pinterest was invented, it was the only way I could save all my wedding inspiration. I'm still dazzled by all the fabulous, fun and creative wedding products on Etsy - regular readers will know it's my secret go-to source for ideas. My latest find? I am OBSESSED with the sheer coolness of these glittery love heart pinatas by Party Pony Pinata. And don't you wish you could get married on that beach......

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