BBD Theme: By the Sea-Side

I'm off on holiday on Monday and I'm excited! Don't worry, I'll keep up with the blog, if anything, I'll have more time on my hands to seek out inspirational ideas. In the meantime, my thoughts are winging their way to the sea-side and all the wonderful motifs you could use to theme your wedding by the waves.

Product Credits - {from top left} 1. Beach Grass Cottage, 2. Lollipop Workshop, 3. Buddy & Bean, 4. Iris Jewelry Design {from middle left} 1. Nauti & Co, 2. Rapunzels Gold, 3. Timeless Paper {from bottom left} 1. Night Sky Products, 2. Sewn Natural, 3. Sanskripts, 4. Buddy & Bean

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Real Wedding: Sara & Jared

Rustic charm has got to be one of the best looks for a wedding. And if you're considering it for your big day style, then feast your eyes on this humdinger of a marriage. Sara and Jared celebrated their big day in their home town of San Diego, in a fabulous venue built in 1895. Nothing like a bit of history to add a touch of gravitas to the occasion! Jared's a photographer, so the lovely Sara France who took these pics, was more than a little nervous about doing the honours. But didn't she do a good job! Sara the bride {to avoid confusion!} picked a muted colour palette, with rich golden browns, creams and a soft dove grey; an original choice, which really flattered her colouring. I love Sara's bridemaids' dresses, with their elegant brocade detailing, and the vintage clasps on her bouquet. With a bride this beautiful, there was no need for any veil and statement jewellery, just a simple diamond pendant and ear-rings. A lesson in understated elegance. P.S. Don't miss the ice-cake! I'm not sure why they went for it, but it's certainly an unusual idea!

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Hello and Welcome!

Exciting things are happening at Before the Big Day. We've had a huge influx of new readers and sponsors, and I want to welcome you newbies to our boutique wedding blog. As you know, Before the Big Day is here to inspire you with lots of fabulous real weddings and wedding theme ideas, to make your big day stand out from the crowd. But we're also really keen to start a bridal community, where you can talk to other brides about their latest obsession with pompoms, or giant balloons, or corsetry, or the agony of choosing your first dance. I've had so many brides come up to me and say things like, 'I can't stop thinking about the chair covers at my wedding, am I normal?'. The answer is YES, you are normal, even if your husband-to-be thinks you're mad, and your girlfriends glaze over with boredom. So my plan is to create a space where brides can stick together, and help each other out, and thanks to the wonderful world of Facebook, I now have a Before the Big Day Page. This is open to everyone - it's a place where you can post messages and pictures and advice, and share enthusiastic wedding obsessiveness. All you have to do is click here, and Like!

{Gorgeous cards from Sparrow Nest Script}

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An Amazing Offer

There's something hugely appealing about jewellery inspired by nature. Maybe its because flowers themselves are so ephemeral, as is the glint of sunlight on a bee's fast-flickering wing. Designer of the Year 2008, Alex Monroe, exquisitely captures the essence of the British country garden with his gorgeous pieces, and he's offering an amazing 10% off to all readers of Before the Big Day. All you need to do is type in Big Day at the online check out. Perfect for presents for your bridesmaids.

Real Wedding - Vicky & Tom

Christmas couldn't seem further away, but summer is key planning time for winter brides, so here's a gorgeous chilly wedding for their inspiration-delectation. Winter weddings have a special feeling to them. The twinkling fairy lights, the snug atmosphere, and if you are really lucky, a light covering of snowflakes! Vicky and Tom celebrated their wedding earlier this year, on a stunning snowy but sunny day, which made for the most fabulous pictures. Vicky looks like an ice-princess in her jewel-studded gown and cosy snug, and I love how the red roses of her bouquet stands out against the white. Meanwhile, Tom's berry buttonhole looks seriously dapper, and perfectly matches the lining of his suit. The happy couple chose Windsor Guildhall for their ceremony, followed by an intimate reception in the River House Restaurant. From start to finish it looks like the most romantic of days, beautifully pictured by Segerius Bruce.

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Pretty Romantic

Elegant, feminine, whimsical and very pretty, I've fallen truly, madly, deeply for Fleur Avenue. Designed by Brenda in her Singapore studio, these pieces capture the essence of romance, making them perfect for a wedding. My particular favourite is the key necklace, but I also love the feather comb as a chic look for your bridesmaids.

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Let Them Eat Cake

Cutting the wedding cake is such a huge landmark in any wedding, that it's essential the cake lives up to expectations. Apart from the bride and groom, the cake may well feature in more photographs than anyone or anything else, so you'll want a good-looking specimen. Two of my favourite boutique bakers are Restoration Cakes {pictures below} and The Little Cake Parlour {pictures further down}.
 

Charlotte at Restoration Cakes is known for her spectacular vegan, wheat-free and dairy free cakes, all of which look and taste just as good as normal cakes. Meanwhile The Little Cake Parlour has the cutest, quirky cakes, in every flavour you can imagine, including my favourite, the Red Velvet. {Mmmmm, moment of mouthwatering day-dream}. I simply love their designs, just check out the Popcorn Mini Cup-Cakes and Topsy-Turvy Alice in Wonderland cake below for starters {or pudding, if you get what I mean}.

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Loving Antz

I'm not a huge fan of insects - who is? But for some reason this ant jewellery has really caught my eye. It's designed by Jezebel, and available from my favourite online shop Cat & Bird. I love the intricacy of the little leggies and antenae.

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