Cherry Blossom

Blossom is a gorgeous motif for a wedding day. It symbolises the flowering of something new, the start of a hopeful future, and more to the point, it's really pretty!  Along those lines, I've recently fallen hard for Shaun Leane's new collection, inspired by one of Japan’s oldest tales. According to legend, cherry blossoms are believed to bloom from seeds sprinkled by a goddess from the clouds of Fuji Mountain - how romantic! Shaun's collection includes a combination of beautiful silver branches, soft enamel flowers and precious stones, and you can find it in stores throughout the UK. Click here for more information and his website.

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Real Wedding: Wendy & Greg

Celebrating your big day on a game reserve in South Africa has got to be up there with one of the best ways to get married. With a venue this glam, you won't need to worry about decorations or fancy-shmancy flowers, the natural setting speaks for itself. Lucky couple, Wendy and Greg, were determined to have sunshine for their wedding, and the weather gods answered their prayers, as the day dawned balmy with barely a cloud in the sky. Wendy picked pillar box red as her theme colour, and under the bright African light, her bridesmaids positively zinged in their gorgeous full-length dresses. I'm also loving Wendy and Greg's idea to combine white and red sand as part of their wedding ceremony - how romantic! These gorgeous photos are thanks to the team of Surrey-based photoraphers at Segerius Bruce, who flew all the way out to South Africa to work at this wedding. Lucky things!

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Bridesmaid Heaven

Huge excitement! I've found the perfect dreamy dresses for your bridesmaids, at prices that will make you smile! Designed by LA-based designer, Rachel Pally, these gorgeous jersey gowns fuse simplicity and glamour, and would suit almost every shape. Much-loved by Hollywood starlets, they're available from multiple boutiques in the States, and online here, and the best news is they come in at under £200 each, amazing! Check out Rachel's website for more information.

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Real Wedding: Esther & Daniel

Destination weddings rock. The sun shines, the sea glitters, and you can guarantee that everyone who makes the trip is a true friend. Plus, everyone goes a little bit wild on holiday, and there's nothing better than a wild white wedding. Esther and Daniel decided to celebrate their big day in Cabo, in Mexico. I've been to Cabo - it's a crazy place where tequilla, stunning beaches and azure seas, all come together in one tiny tourist town. You can't fail to have fun there, and from the looks of Christine Chang's colour-popping photos, Esther and Daniel had an amazing wedding. I love how the wedding party dresses in greys and whites, and my favourite details has to be Esther's amazing statement Chanel necklace.

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BBD Theme: Olive Oil

Olives are the ultimate symbol of Provence - everywhere we went on our venue-hunting trip, we passed fields of ancient, gnarled trees. Inspired by their beauty, I'm considering minature olive oil bottles as favours, encouraging the chef for my wedding reception to use local grown olives in the cooking, and even using olive green as the signature colour for my wedding. How would you use it? Don't miss the special offers from the vendors, listed below.

Product Credits - {from top left} 1. La Vieja Tun Tun, 2. Kimonos, 3. Chic Allure, 4. Twisted Crystals, (from top middle left} 1. Jenni Bick, 2. Pamela Grace Design, 3. Nomsa {from bottom middle left} 1. Milkpod Studio, 2. Sarah Shannon Designs, 3. Buttered Toast, 4. Maihar Design 5. The Peach Tree, {from bottom left}1. Milkpod Studio, 2. Vaivanat, 3. Timeless Vixen Vintage

Product Credits - {from top left} 1. By V Jewelry, 2. The Jewelry Bar, 3. K Bonikowsky, 4. Tutti Amici, 5. My Blue Tulip Design {from middle top left} 1. Divine Lioness, 2. Golden Silhouette, 3. Bi Design {from middle bottom left} 1. Golden Silhouette, 2. It's The Little Things Ut, 3. Starz Selection, 4. Karen Yee {from bottom left} 1. Lauren Alexab 2. Voleur de Bijoux

We ♥ Offers - just mention Before the Big Day to get your discount.
Kimonos are offering 20% off all items, including sale items
Voleur de Bijoux are offering 20% off all items
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That Friday Feeling ♥ 4

It's the perfect pick-me-up at the end of a long week. That Friday Feeling is back again with a lovely list of weblinks to keep you feeling inspired all weekend.

♥ The magpie in me loves this gilded vintage letter blocks from Cabin 7 via Oh So Beautiful Paper. What would you spell out
♥ This is easily the best bridal shoe feature I have ever seen thanks to OMG I'm Getting Married
♥ What a fantastic bridesmaid dress, and all for only £90, found by Beyond Beyond
♥ A simply gorgeous vintage-inspired wedding via Love My Dress
♥ Exquisite hand-stamped Parisian fabrics from Teacup Design, via Dog n Bird
♥ I loved the film Up, it made me cry! So romantic, and such a good idea to have an Up-inspired engagement shoot, first featured by 100 Layer Cake
♥ Want your wedding to go with a bang? Learn how to do your own firework display thanks to the guys over at I Am Staggered
♥ A wedding inspired by wool? Simply stunning pics on Rock My Wedding

Did you miss these fantastic Before the Big Day Features?
♥ The cutest cake toppers you've ever seen
♥ Amazing offers from my favourite people
♥ And the bride wore pink!

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Real Wedding: Cat & Matt

Fire engines and weddings don't normally go together, but when a fireman's marrying the girl of his dreams, it's a whole different story. The lovely Cat & Matt celebrated their big day in Guildford, and travelled to the church in a vintage engine. While the day started slightly drizzly, the sun came out for the reception, and the lovely Lily & Frank Photography made the most of it, with these gorgeous pictures full of golden light. The happy couple chose The Barn at Bury Court for their reception, and filled with pink-tinted favours and luxurious roses. I'm a huge fan of Cat's cute floral hair clip, and her light veil, which she wore over her face as she walked down the aisle {how romantic!}. The bridesmaids and ushers were colour-coded in fushia, making for a super-stylish wedding party, and fantastic pictures.

Hi-Fi Wedding

To band or not to band, that is the question.... or at least it's the question I'm asking right now. With over a year to go before my own big day, you'd think that I'd have more important things to think about, but I'm really worried we won't find a good band in the South of France. The alternative is a DJ, but how to choose the playlist?  Luckily, via the power of Twitter {follow me here}, I found out about Hi-Fi Weddings, a site specially designed to provide inspiration for your wedding mix. From the song for your walk down the aisle, to the very last dance, Hi-Fi Weddings encourages you to share your wedding playlist, or to gather ideas from other like-minded brides and grooms. Honestly, it's the best site ever!