Wow! Wedding Cakes

When it comes to wedding cakes, there's no excuse for being boring. You want to rock it with a unique cake, and with designers coming up with ever more clever ideas to make sponge beautiful, you can have the cake of your dreams. Funky new designer, Jessica Taylor, trained in London in Cake Decorating and Patissierie, and recently started her own company, called Cakelife, specialising in creations for every celebration. Based in Brighton, she's happy to make cakes for anyone and everyone, and I'm seriously loving her work. Just check out the cute Peter Rabbit vegetable garden, and the stunning sugar orchids. P.S. Jessica promises the cakes taste just as good as they look!

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Real Wedding: Hannah & Archie

If you're planning a vintage wedding, you're going to love the whimsical mood of this beautiful rural affair. Hannah and Archie have a real eye for rustic detail, and their big day is a huge source of inspiration. Just check out the burlap table clothes, traditional bunting and hand-drawn menus. I love how they used old sacks as chair covers, and mismatching napkins, and the informal long dining tables. The barn makes for an exciting and atmospheric venue - perfect for a family wedding. Hannah's darling vintage wedding dress and beaded headband make her a truly unique bride, and I'm adoring the Laura Ashley-style fabric used for her bridesmaids' dresses. The best thing? They all look like they had a fabulous time with barn-dancing late into the night. Fantastic photographs from the super-talented Peter Buncombe.

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HighStreet Bridesmaids

Choosing bridesmaids dresses is a complete minefield. I've got two maids of honour and four bridesmaids, and we're all over 30, so it's not like I'm going to be able to dress them in cutesy Bo Peep outfits. {Although I could....evil laugh!}. They're all completely different heights and shapes, so I'm toying with either a colour scheme, or just letting them wear what they want. However, if you're looking to choose dresses, you can't go wrong with the good old British high-street. Here are just a few of my favourite finds....

Real Wedding: Billi-Jo & Lee

Winter weddings are often the most romantic. All your guests are snuggled under one roof, and if you can find a venue with an open fire, you're in for a treat. Lovely couple Billi-Jo and Lee celebrated their wedding on a chilly day in February at Himley Hall, a traditional eighteenth century listed building. Billi-Jo picked the most gorgeous lacy dress from Brides By Appointment, and it suited her blonde colouring perfectly. I'm also loving the teal bridesmaids dresses, which set the tone for the colour palette of the day. Everything matched, including the ribbons on the wedding cake. Billi-Jo chose feathers to add an Ice-Queen feel to the bouquets, and as ever, I'm a huge fan of black-centred, white anenomes. Keep your eye out for anenomes - they're due to be a super-trend next spring, and they come in every colour. Gorgeous photographs published with thanks to the talented team at Chris Barber Media.

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Wonderful Wedding Ideas

Wedding ideas can come from anywhere, and one of my secret spots for finding inspiration is design websites. Along with all the bigger items, like furniture and lamps, they also have fantastic finds, like the selection below. They're fresh from the new season's collection at Love, Loans & Linen. I'm going to be using the blackboards to label the buffet; Dig in!, Enjoy!, Yum!, the wildflower sticks as favours, and the luggage tags as placemarkers. Check out Love, Loans & Linen for more wedding ideas.

Lush Paper

There's something gorgeous about these vintage wedding invitations. Maybe it's the baby pink, maybe it's because I love letterpress, or maybe it's the combination of the crisp card and slightly wonky letters. Either way these invites are my new favourite stationery. Paperlush by name, and I say paper lush by nature. What do you reckon?

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Giant Hairclip

Not really a wedding idea, but I simply had to feature this giant hair clip. I love it! It's hilariously large, and deliciously comic, and best of all, useful. Designed by Adia Kibur, and available online from Shopbop, they come in gold, silver and black. Sometimes bigger is better.

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♥ Wedding Fairs ♥

If you always get that back-to-school feeling in September, cheer yourself up with the new season of Wedding Fairs! Targeted at brides and grooms who are planning their spring and summer weddings, they're a great way to spot all the latest trends for 2011. I'll be at most of them, in particular, the National Wedding Shows, where I'll be tweeting my favourite finds. Prepare for the onslaught of ideas by following my Twitter feed here. Listed below are the details of the big events, although there will be local fairs unique to your area - just search online.

♥ On the search for a bit of advice on planning your wedding? Don't miss The National Wedding Shows. The first one is in London between 1st-3rd October at Earl's Court, and the second is at the NEC in Birmingham, between 8th-10th October. It's an absolute must for all those planning their perfect wedding - I've been several times, and it's a great day out. With over 300 wedding experts and inspirational features you're bound to feel inspired. Buy tickets early, and get a free goodie bag!

♥ If you've got a bigger budget, or just big idea, check out The Designer Wedding Show. It's held in Battersea Park in London, and offers more than 100 exhibitors of wedding gowns, accessories, cakes, stationery, entertainment, cosmetics, shoes, tiaras, hats......you get the picture! Save the 8th-10th October in your diary and book tickets here.

♥ If you love vintage weddings, then don't miss the London Vintage Wedding Fair on October 24 in Notting Hill. A huge hit last year, this year promises to be even better! Don't miss the amazing stands selling everything from antique lace and Thirties dresses to handmade shoes, jewellery and headgear. Browse over a glass of bubbly - and don't forget to pick up your goodie bag on the way out! Tickets are £7 in advance and £10 on the door.

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