The Wedding Dress Hunt - Alberta Ferretti

Oh my! I love these gowns, even though they're not really wedding dresses. But aren't they exquisite? I'm seriously thinking that my wedding dress hunt will end with me choosing something from a designer store rather than a traditional wedding dress shop. What do you think of these lovelies? {Discovered via Little Winter Bride, a yummy blog based in Milan.}

If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up to the Before the Big Day exclusive newsletter? And click here for more dress ideas.

Secret Garden

Wedding themes can be based on anything - a favourite necklace, a film, a book you've read, or every colour of the rainbow. I've chosen a Secret Garden for my theme, partly because our venue is a walled garden, and partly because of a vintage key I picked up in New York and my Alex Monroe bumble-bee necklace, which my mum gave to me as a 30th birthday present. Once you've chosen your theme, the best way to come up with ideas is to search Etsy - it's a collection of the world's most creative minds, and it's chock-a-block of gorgeous products. Here are just a few of my finds - what theme have you chosen?

Product Credits {clockwise from top left} - 1. Creations 4 Brides, 2. Which Goose, 3. Tulaloo, 4. Paper Platypus, 5. Chloe AND Maddie,  6. Which Goose

Product Credits {clockwise from top left} - 1. Silver Lining, 2. JL67, 3. Enormous Champion, 4. SMV Designs, 5. That Final Touch, 6. A Remark You Made

If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up to the Before the Big Day exclusive newsletter? And click here for more theme ideas.

Real Wedding: MJ & John

Wedding planning brings the best and worst of times. The moment you first try on the veil {best}, finding your perfect venue {best}, arguing with your Mum over cake stands {worst}. I've given myself 16 months to organise my wedding, but with 7 months to go, I'm already feeling the pressure. MJ and John completely put me to shame, because they organised their wedding in six weeks. That's right people, it's possible to organise a wedding this beautiful in just 42 days - OMG! Seriously impressive details include the gothic candlesticks and flowers - I'm loving the autumn shades of yellow and orange and the gorgeous bower, under which they were married. MJ's dress is exquisite, and her veil is the perfect combination of simplicity and detail. Stunning photographs from the lovely Amelia Lyon - we love her work!

If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up to the Before the Big Day exclusive newsletter? And click here for more autumn weddings.

Real Wedding: Lia & Rob

When you close your eyes and imagine your perfect wedding, I reckon it probably looks a bit like this one. It's a gorgeous destination wedding in Italy, set at the fabulous Vignamaggio Villa in Chianti, deep in the stunning Tuscan landscape. The views included cypress trees, perfect vineyards, ancient statues and, of course, a beautiful bride. In short, a photographers dream! The venue was surrounded by tailored hedges, like a secret garden, and embellished with thick wreaths of lemon leaves and fruits, providing a delicious scent. The reception took place under olive trees, garnished with chandeliers which softly swayed in the branches. I'm seriously loving Lia's gorgeous dress, and all the clever details, including hand-picked vintage plates, the DIY fabric menus and wedding vows (made out of hahnemuhle paper torn at the edges, rose ribbon, gold leaf, and vintage lace). She also kept the memory of her grandparents alive, thanks to a locket hung on her bouquet. It's just the best wedding ever! Gorgeous photographs published with thanks to the Simply Bloom.

If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up to the Before the Big Day exclusive newsletter? Plus, click here for more Destination Weddings.

Before the Big Day - in print!

As a wedding expert, every now and then I get invited to contribute to a magazine. They always take a while to come to print, but I'm always really excited when they come through! Staffordshire Life recently published an article of mine on how to have the perfect DIY Wedding. I love how it looks - what do you think? {Double click on the picture to enlarge, so you can read the text!}

The Wedding Dress Hunt - Liz Fields

The price of wedding dresses these days is getting ridiculous. I'm convinced that many designers deliberately prey on brides and make them pay through the nose for their dream dress. If there's corsetry involved, then fair enough, but if you're buying a slip dress, then anything over £500 is outrageous! Luckily there are a few designers out there who offer gowns at affordable prices, without sacrificing quality, fit or style. Liz Fields is one of the best - she makes heavenly wedding dresses for cold and hot climates, with prices starting at $300. Her bridesmaid frocks are to-die-for, with over 900 customisable color combinations, even the most difficult maid will be happy! The only catch? You'll have to fly to the US or buy online, as Liz's dresses aren't stocked in the UK. But even if you don't buy one of her dresses, the next time a sales assistant gives you a price of £5000 for a gown, you know to walk away. I'm off to the Designer Wedding Show on Friday to look for my own dress, so it'll be interesting to see what I find. Follow me on Twitter for all the latest news from the show.

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS & click here for more dress ideas.

Real Wedding - Jinhee & Mark

This is one of those gorgeous summer weddings where everything is just peachy! I'm loving Jinhee's detailed colour palette - she plumped for orange, blue, pink and yellow - perfect for a garden wedding. Also super-keen on how she used fruit to decorate the tables, giving the wedding a feeling of a harvest banquet. Other stealworthy ideas include the Spanish tile table markers, the handmade signposts and the fabulous drink station serving strawberry mint lemonade and mariposa plantation iced tea. Why not create your own signature cocktail for your wedding? Don't miss the stationery - menus were printed on the back of custom-made postcards welcoming their guests to Malibu. Just stunning! Beautiful photographs published with thanks to the lovely Sarah Yates.

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS or click here for more summer weddings.

Happy Birthday Before the Big Day

Woohoo! It's our birthday! We've now been up and running for a whole wonderful year of wedding fabulousness. Please raise a glass of champagne in celebration on our behalf, and keep coming back for more fantastic wedding ideas. Why not sign up to our free newsletter? Offering exclusive features, unique real weddings and special offers - it's a bargain at half the price! {Yummy cakes from The Hummingbird Bakery.}