Saturday 22 January 2011

Real Wedding: Catriona & Chris

The wedding venue is often the first thing you'll want to consider when you get engaged, and you're going to want to make sure it suits you as a couple. I spent months researching my venue in the South of France, but for you, it might be as simple as picking your back-garden. In the case of Catriona and Chris, they chose their home away from home, a venue called Lunga House in Scotland. The views are breathtaking, and I can't get over the beauty of Scotland in the winter. Now on to the details! I'm blown away by Chris' amazing uniforms, both look so striking, and I love the tradition of walking through the arch of swords. The red of Chris' dress jacket set the colour theme for the wedding, with berries and candles to add to the cosy feeling. Catriona's something blue was thistles for Scotland and her bridesmaids' dresses, and she found the best cake-topper in the world via Feats of Clay. Gorgeous photographs published with thanks to Elemental Weddings, this is their first wedding on Before the Big Day, and I hope for many more! Don't miss Catriona's answers to the Before the Big Day Bridal Questionnaire for all her suppliers.


The Before the Big Day Bridal Q&A - Catriona was kind enough to fill in our questionnaire, aimed at helping other brides with their planning process. Feast your eyes on her answers for helpful hints and tips from someone on the other side of her big day!

Where and when did you get married?
27th November 2010 at Kilbrandon Parish Church on the Isle of Seil, Argyll, and had our reception at Lunga House in Craobh Haven, Argyll.

What was your thinking behind choosing the venue and the decoration of the reception?
The venue has been a special place for our family and friends to enjoy over the past few decades, as a private house which can be hired for exclusive use. It is like a home away from home.

Did you have a theme, colour or motif in mind? (e.g. green ivy leaves)
Wintery/autumnal with lots of candles, hurricane lamps and flaming torches to create a warm atmosphere.

Who made your wedding outfit (dress, veil, shoes and accessories), and how did you come to that decision?
The dress is a Suzanne Neville design called 'Antoine'. The veil was from Eleganza Sposa in Glasgow, as were the shoes. The necklace was a present from my mum.

What about your husband’s outfit? Where was it from?
Chris was wearing his Royal Marines No.1 dress uniform for the ceremony and then changed into his Mess Kit for the reception.

And how about your bridesmaids’ outfits?
They were bought from Anne Priscilla in Glasgow, and they were Dessy Bridesmaids dresses in midnight blue.

What type of cake did you go for, and how did you come to that decision?
We chose fruit cake, because Chris’s mum makes the most delicious fruit cake in the world. We chose ivory icing and simple flowers to decorate, and had a cake topper made from Feats of Clay.

Did you have any favours? What were they? Was there any particular reason why you picked them?
Our favours were a little box of matches from Cox & Cox which have a little piece written on the side about marriage, ending in the statement 'the perfect match'. I then tied 2 little gold heart sparklers to the boxes with 'to have and to hold, from this day forward' ribbon.

Who was your florist, what flowers did you choose, and how did you come to that decision?
Our florist was Angela from The Flower House in Oban, Argyll. I chose ivory flowers with a splash of blue in the form of thistles.

Who was your photographer and how did you choose them?
We chose Elemental Weddings from Edinburgh. Jay and Christina, a husband and wife team, had photographed our friends wedding the year previously and we were so taken with the way the approached the day and the guests that they were a MUST! Their photographs capture such special moments which we love, rather than stiff portraits.

Did you enjoy planning your wedding?
We loved it. It was stressful at times, trying to feature everyones hopes and dreams into one final day, but in the end, the day was about Chris and I standing before the people we loved and making a promise to one another. The rest was a bonus.

What advice do you have for brides planning their big day?
Have an idea of what you would like for your day before everyone else tries to tell you what you want. Enjoy the preparations and if you are the artistic type, enjoy the creativity.

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Friday 21 January 2011

My Wedding - My Photographer

This is where I tell you all about planning my own wedding. After all, if I'm publishing all these Real Weddings, it's only fair I share my trials and tribulations. Read the rest of my wedding diary.

My Photographer - Chloé from Caught the Light
A few days ago, I suddenly realised that in all my rambles about my wedding, I'd failed to mention an incredibly important person - my wedding photographer. After we picked the venue {more on that in March}, I knew that I needed to choose a photographer asap, because the good ones get booked at least a year in advance. As a wedding blogger, it was also going to be incredibly difficult to pick between all the amazing wedding photographers I feature on this site, and believe me - they're all hugely talented. So the real clincher came in the form of a coincidence. I'd already featured Caught the Light's work on Before the Big Day, and one day one of my mother's friends spotted one of the bridesmaids, and we realised we knew the family. It then emerged that Chloé from Caught the Light had photographed the weddings of all three sisters, which is a serious stamp of approval. A quick email and a coffee later, and I'd officially booked Chloe for a trip to Provence!

That makes it sound easy, but I understand that picking a wedding photographer is a serious business. At first I was so shocked by how much they could cost, that I seriously considered not hiring an official one. One of my bridesmaids, Jemma Harding {mini-ad: Do check out her new website!}, is a huge talented photographer, and she had offered to give me my pictures as a wedding present. But having been to lots of weddings, and seen how hard the photographers have to work, I knew that she wouldn't really be able to enjoy the whole affair if she was constantly clicking. So once I realised I knew I needed one, my search began.

Wedding blogs are definitely the right way to go about choosing a photographer, but make sure you look at their whole portfolio before you book, because you want to make sure every picture is fabulous, not just the ones they pick for the blogs. Don't miss the Before the Big Day Black Book for my recommendations! Ask around for any recommendations from your friends, but remember that your taste might be different to theirs. I had no sense of my preferred style of wedding photography until I started this blog - you'll probably need to do a fair bit of research to find what you want. Do try to meet your photographer before your wedding. If you don't like them personally, then you're not going to be able to relax around them, and relaxed = good pictures. If you want them to hussle large groups of guests, then make sure they have a strong enough character to boss them around, but if you want subtle, reportage-stye wedding photographs, then you'll want them to be a bit more laid back.


If all this terminology of 'style' freaks you out a bit, then keep it simple and follow these rules;
1. Check out the Before the Big Day Black Book for my recommended photographers.
2. Do you like the look of their work? You don't need to know why.
3. Can you afford them?
4. Do you like them?
5. Are they available for your wedding?

Lastly, even if you're a credit crunch bride {who isn't!}, my advice is don't scrimp on the photographer. Your wedding is an important day, and it'll pass so fast, you'll want the pictures to bring back the memories. If you're really struggling with the cost, consider getting married on a week-day, and only hiring a photographer for a few hours - they often do reasonable rates, it's just all about avoiding Saturdays.
{All pictures published with thanks to Caught the Light}

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Thursday 20 January 2011

Great British Wedding Stationery

Love, love, love.....this wedding stationery! It's original, quirky and a great way to introduce your guests to your wedding style. If you're planning a wedding, you want it to reflect your personality, so choose something with character. I've recently discovered Artcadia, who design and produce bespoke wedding statinoery from their little home in rural Shropshire. They use recycled and biodegradeable materials and cover all wedding paper goods including wedding invitations, RSVP cards, save the date cards, menus, table plans and order of service books. That's pretty much everything you need then! Check out a few of their recent designs below.
 
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Wednesday 19 January 2011

Real Wedding: Tomi & Jules

A Spring wedding in a castle - who could ask for anything more? Tomi and Jules actually had two weddings - one bright and loud and Nigerian, and one English with a traditional church ceremony. As a contrast, Tomi chose green and black as her key colours, and a stunning princess-style white wedding dress, with a black sash. After the church ceremony the reception was held at the amazing Hazelwood Castle, which is my new favourite venue. My stealworthy details? I'm loving the little black dresses and green pashminas for the bridesmaids - such a cheap and chic way to create a 'together' look. Also the stunning but simple orchid button-holes and the pretty gauze bows on the menus. Best of all is the vintage car - I'm not usually a car person, but there's something about the pictures of Tomi and Jules drinking champagne with the top down that made me fall in love! Gorgeous photographs published with thanks to the hugely talented Anushe Low. Don't miss her website for more inspiration.

The Before the Big Day Bridal Q&A - Tomi was kind enough to fill in our questionnaire, aimed at helping other brides with their planning process. Feast your eyes on her answers for helpful hints and tips from someone on the other side of her big day!

Where and when did you get married?
On 16th May at Birkenshaw Methodist Church and then Bradford & Hazlewood Castle in Tadcaster.

What was your thinking behind choosing the venue?
Hazelwood Castle stole our hearts from the moment we saw it. Beautiful gardens, stunning architecture and fabulous décor. It was here or nowhere!

Did you have a theme in mind?
We decided on a black tie affair. The main colours were black, white and peppermint green.

Who made your wedding outfit and how did you come to that decision?
My dress was by Caroline Castigliano, and I bought it in her shop in Leeds. It was by appointment only and the shop was lush. The ladies in the store where lovely and all the dresses where beautiful. I had an idea in my head what my dress would look like and but when I got to the appointment that style did not really suit me. I wanted something simple and elegant. I tried on a few dresses which I thought I would like but unfortunately I didn’t. My mum suggested I try on a ‘Princess dress’ which I thought I would hate, and I fell in love with it immediately. The dress was called Beauty and it was a Beauty! I have never seen so much lace and silk.

My shoes where Kurt Geiger, white, leather, sling backs. I also had some gold LK Bennett pumps because I not great in heels. My veil, and lace bolero where also Caroline Castigliano. My jewellery was from my mum’s collection.

What about your husband’s outfit? Where was it from?
My husband wore a tailored suit from Michels Berg, which was the ultimate suit. He looked fantastic in it. The usher's suits were hired from Moss Bros.

And how about your bridesmaids’ outfits?
I asked my bridesmaids to wear their own black dress, and then I added peppermint green shawls. I felt it would be better if everyone could add their own style. My chief bridesmaid wore a peppermint green dress from the Dessy Collection.

Who was your florist, what flowers did you choose, and how did you come to that decision?
The flowers where by Bethan Tillotson. She did all the flowers for the church, the reception and the bouquet and button holes.

What type of cake did you go for, and how did you come to that decision?
Three tiered cake made by Cake Craft in 3 flavours, 6inc lemon, 9inc Chocolate, and 12inc vanilla with white chocolate ganache… we didn’t have any!

How about your stationery?
We did the stationery ourselves, and we named our tables after places we stayed in South Africa.

Did you have any favours? What were they?
Lavender plants in white pots, 2011 diaries (in 3 styles) and personalised pens with names and dates, plus a mix CD with special track choices of favourites songs.

Did you have any DIY projects?
Jules created the Mix CD himself. As a big fan of music we thought it was perfect reflection on both of us to create a list of tracks we both adore. He printed all the labels and the sleeve notes himself too. Working for a greeting card company, I had a friend help design the invites and Jules’ cousin printed them (as he owns a printing company). We then tied ribbon around them to finish. We source the lavender plants via our florist and potted them in Ikea pots.

Who was your photographer and how did you choose them?
Anushe Low, and she was fantastic!

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email, and click here for more castle weddings.

Friday 14 January 2011

Real Wedding: Suzanne & Mel

Dream-wedding time. You're going to want to copy every detail of this one, not least the venue, which is the gorgeous Babington House in Somerset. It's just the most heavenly location, with its own little chapel in the grounds. Suzanne is a stunning bride - I love her elegant, structured, satin dress, and her huge bouquet of white roses. And is that a pair of Louboutin heels I spy? Other details to copy are the individual roses at each table setting, the glass candelabra and the on-trend, four-tier, wedding cake. I'm loving the florals throughout, in particular the arch over the church door, which gives a real feeling of luxury, and must have perfumed the air as the guests arrived. Simply stunning photographs published with thanks to the hugely talented Ken Buist.


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Thursday 13 January 2011

Wedding Diamonds for Hire

If you've got expensive tastes, and you want to look a million dollars on your wedding day, then you might  be finding the cost of bridal jewellery a bit of a shock. I certainly couldn't afford what I wanted, so I started looking into other options, and discovered a well-kept secret. Hiring diamonds. It's like having a huge jewellery box of glittery gorgeousness, but with none of the responsibility or expense. I found amazing earrings at Diamond Thrills, but they also do necklaces, tennis bracelets and even tiaras! Plus, because I asked really nicely, they're offering 10% off, if you mention Before the Big Day.




If you enjoyed this post, get 
free updates by email, and click here for more jewellery ideas for your wedding.

Wednesday 12 January 2011

My Wedding - Five Months To Go

This is where I tell you all about planning my own wedding. After all, if I'm publishing all these Real Weddings, it's only fair I share my trials and tribulations. Read the rest of my wedding diary here.

If I had to pick a single word to describe how I'm feeling right now about our wedding, I'd use panicked. With less than five months to go, the decisions are coming thick and fast, and I feel like the days are flying past, without me actually achieving anything. If it wasn't for my fabulous wedding planner, Kerry, I'd be a complete stress-case. In part to calm myself down, here's a list of what I've actually got sorted out.

The Caterer
We have found a caterer who is just about within our budget, and we're booked in for the taste-testing in early March. Choosing caterers was really difficult. Trying to figure out who was the best value was pretty much impossible, because they all offered different options. Kerry very kindly put everything in a table for us, and I'd thoroughly recommend doing that if you're still struggling. We got three quotes in the end - the first two were a bit to fussy and fancy. Lesson learnt - don't be afraid to keep on asking for quotes until you get what you want. It is out there, even if it doesn't feel like it in the early days.

The DJ
Choosing a DJ was harder because we're in France. Have you ever been to a French nightclub? The music is always dreadful. So we knew our DJ would need to be English. This is when the lovely Kerry stepped in all over again, and suggested her friend Sophie Callis, who's a professional DJ in London, but lives in France. We met her last week and we love her. We totally clicked, which was a huge relief. I now feel like I'm going to have this lovely team of ladies behind me on the big day. However, our entertainment budget is completely blown. We've at least doubled it, by hiring both a string quartet, a DJ and a music system. Mobile DJ's normally bring their own kit, but all the French ones were just too cheesy, so we've had to go for our own system. That's something to remember if you're planning a wedding at home, or in a rented house. If you hire a full set-up wedding venue instead, they'll usually have all that sorted for you. We've argued away our double-budget, by rationalising that if everyone's going to fly out to France for our wedding, the least we can do is host a great party!

The London Wedding
We have to get legally get married in England before our ceremony in France, and I'm determined to keep it discrete, and 'not a big deal', so it doesn't take away from the main event. However, it does mean that our grandparents, who won't make it out to France, can come along. We wanted to have it in Shoreditch Town Hall which is round the corner from our flat, but on the day we went to register our wedding, we discovered it was going to cost a fortune! The Hall itself is cheap-as-chips, but to arrange for a registrar to come ten minutes down the road from Hackney Town Hall costs £400! So we're going to host it at Hackney instead, and taxi all the relatives down there. I had a minor bridezilla moment when I discovered we'd have to get married at 3pm instead of 12.30pm, but reasoned that a high tea after the ceremony would be just as good as a lunch. Just think of all the cake!

So there's a list of three things I've done, here's the list of what's left - stationery, flowers, wine, site visit, ceremony to be written, dress, veil, shoes, groom's outfit, honeymoon, drinks the day after the wedding, catering for the high tea, dress for the London wedding.....aaaaah!
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