Real Wedding: Punam & Chirag {2}

It's a wedding of two halves! As promised, here are the reception shots from Punam and Chirag's wedding. I'm completely blown away by the florals and the desert table, both are examples of luxurious excess done with extreme style. To recreate the table displays, use blooms of one colour, and arrange each variety on its own. Throw in vases of different shapes and sizes, and you'll be well on your way to a dramatic look. Don't miss the gorgeous green flock detailing on the stationery and the monogrammed cocktail sticks. Also loving how Punam and Chirag chose to sit at a table-for-two at their reception - so romantic! Gorgeous photographs with thanks to the team at Our Labour of Love.

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Real Wedding: Punam & Chirag

To avoid inspirational overload, I've had to split this fabulous Indian/American wedding into two different postings. Believe me, it's that good! Poonam and Chirag celebrated their big day in the neon sunshine of Los Angeles, but drew on their heritage for for inspiration. And man were they inspired! With a wedding party wearing traditional saris, an elegant white horse, a scattering of rose petals and a very fetching red and gold parasol, the photographs are a feast of colour. I'm loving Poonam's jewellery and the henna drawings on her hands and feet, plus her stunning wedding outfit. And I'm jealous of her long eyelashes - no fakes needed for this wedding day. Don't miss the next installment, where I'll featue the pictures of their reception. Huge thanks to Our Labour of Love for their fabulous pictures.

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That Friday Feeling ♥ 5

There's a British theme to this week's Friday Feeling. Wedding blogs first started in the US, but us Brits are fast catching up, and there's some gorgeous sites out there, that are overflowing with inspirational ideas. So here's a heads-up to some of the best features from this week.

♥ I'm so jealous that Rock My Wedding found fabulous Fraser and Parsley stationers first. Their work is amazing. I'm in love.
A simply stunning Scottish wedding with a black and purple theme - wow!
♥ Looking for an unusual way to say I Do? Try one of the Ten Most Haunted Wedding Venues, via the groom experts over at I Am Staggered.
♥ Is there anything more beautiful than a hand-painted wedding cake by SugarSugar, as seen on OMG I'm Getting Married?
♥ Possibly the coolest alternative bride, ever! Via Rock 'n Roll Bride.
♥ You'll want it to rain at your wedding after you've seen these Weddington Boots on Little White Book Wedding.
♥ Looking for an original idea, why not use vegetables in your bouquet, instead of flowers? Fab idea via The Budget Savvy Bride
♥ Win an exquisite Caroline Castigliano wedding dress via Love My Dress
♥ Affordable wedding shoes {don't all click at once} via the lovely Astrid at Brides magazine

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New Season Jenny Packham

Sequins, frills, taffeta and knotted sleeves. Just a few of my favourite things, and every one of them feature in Jenny Packhams' gorgeous new Spring/Summer collection. For those of you new to the wonderful world of weddings, Jenny Packham is the Queen of glamorous gowns, closely followed by my personal favourite Alice Temperley. But this feature is about the lovely Jenny, and pictured below are my favs, fresh from the catwalk. To truly wallow in Packham, you'll want to view the full collection via Brides magazine.

Real Wedding: Kim & Stephen

Planning a classic British affair for your wedding? Take inspiration from Kim and Stephen's fabulous big day, which took place in Stansted, near Sevenoaks. The happy couple chose a church wedding followed by a reception on their local village green, one of the prettiest in England. Kim and Stephen picked a stunning shade of rich purple as their signature colour, and dressed the bridesmaids in elegant silk dressses, while the ushers had luxurious cravats and hankerchiefs. Kim's structured dress and the aubergine arum lillies in her bouquet added a sculptural elegance to her wedding-day look, making for one super-stylish bride. Many thanks to David Fenwick for his lovely pictures - don't miss his website!

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Inspirational Invites

Finding it hard to choose your wedding stationery? Looking for something a bit different? Well I'm probably going to get told off for this, but I reckon UK graphic design has a long way to go to catch up with the States. There's so many inspirational boutique designers on Etsy, and uber-blogger Nole over at Oh So Beautiful Paper, has her eye on every new development. Meanwhile, over our side of the pond, I'm always on the look out for great British stationers. The good news is, this morning I found Lily Anna Rose. Run by Clarie Harding, this independent company, based in Hampshire, has several collections, and also takes on bespoke commissions. I've fallen hard for the designs below, and I love how Claire uses tags and decoupage to add texture to her work. Have a look online, and see what you think. Which is your favourite collection? Lovely Claire has just offered a 5% discount to any new brides quoting mentioning Before the Big Day - how cool is that!

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Not on the High Street

{Sponsored Posting} Isn't getting married just the best? You get a diamond ring, a wedding dress, gorgeous shoes, a fabulous party with all your favourite people, a luxurious honeymoon, and then, if you're really lucky, your guests give you presents. It's almost too good to be true! One wedding tradition that seems to be lasting the test of time is the list. Originally designed to make sure you don't get three toasters and two irons, it's morphed into something so much more sophisticated. Take Not on the High Street. They launched their wedding list service last year, and promise unusual and unique gifts, along with all the basics. Take a look at their website, and if you do decide to place your list with them, please quote code 000156, and if I'm lucky, they'll send me a present too!

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Real Wedding: Crystal & Ben

Oooo bubblegum pop! I'm not sure why, but that's the phrase that came to mind as I looked through these fabulous Our Labour of Love pictures. Ben and Crystal got married in Malibu, surrounded by mountains, palm trees and mindblowing colour. Just look at the colour of that sky {sigh!}. Details to copy include Crystal's fabulous sparkly shoes, cute balloon-and-bloom bouquet, and her bridesmaids' bright pink parasols. But I musn't leave out the groom! Ben's three-piece suit is super-dapper, and I love his cool pocket-watch on a pink ribbon. Just a stunning wedding, so inspirational - I'm off to dream of summer holidays.

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