Monday 10 January 2011

Real Wedding: Katy & Matt

Are you getting married in a church? It's still the choice of thousands of brides and grooms each year, although it's often teamed with a new-found religious interest! It's not surprising though, church weddings are wonderfully romantic, and they give a real sense of gravitas to the ceremony. Katy and Matt chose a church wedding, followed by their reception in the seriously grand and gorgeous Peckforton Castle. Katy got seriously creative with her details and colour palette, and you can really see the effect, with a stunning four-tier cake, birdcage table decorations and cute little favour buckets. I really love the addition of seed pearls and lace to her bouquet - just goes to show how you can add your own twist to everything. My favourite spot is the cones of sheet music filled with confetti - an easy and effective DIY project - even your groom could do it! Katy's been kind enough to fill in the Before the Big Day bridal questionnaire, so do check out all her advice below. Stunning photos published with thanks to Amy Turner from iMAG1NE, don't miss the last picture, it's like something from a play!


The Before the Big Day Bridal Q&A - Katy 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?
Friday 7th May 2010, at St Helen’s Church in Tarporley. The reception was held at Peckforton Castle.

What was your thinking behind choosing the venue and the decoration of the reception?
We wanted a church wedding, and we picked the Castle as our reception venue as it was so romantic and grand.

Did you have a theme, colour or motif in mind?
Our theme was romantic/vintage. Our colours were dusky rose, mocha and ivory.

Who made your wedding outfit and how did you come to that decision?
My mother and maid of honour came with me to multiple bridal shops in Cheshire and Sheffield until I found the perfect dress. I was always looking for a simple and elegant gown, and when I tried on the Suzanne Neville dress I knew it was the one! We bought it from Freya Bridal in Sheffield, and my veil came from Agape in Knutsford.

What about your husband’s outfit? Where was it from?
Hired from Debenhams to match colour scheme of mocha.

And how about your bridesmaids’ outfits
Mocha dresses to match the colour theme, made by Dessy and purchased from Avec Amour in Glossop.

What type of cake did you go for, and how did you come to that decision?
Four-layered tier sponge cake with flowers matching the wedding colours between each layer. Each layer of sponge was a different flavour. The cake was inspired by a cake I had seen in a bridal magazine.

Did you have any favours? What were they? Was there any particular reason why you picked them?
The mens’ favours were miniature bottles of spirit or whisky. The ladies favours were heart shaped chocolates and a tin of lip balm. All the favours were placed in miniature rose coloured buckets with either mocha or pink ribbons tied round. We wanted to pick favours which people could use and would actually appreciate!

Who was your florist, what flowers did you choose, and how did you come to that decision?
The florist I chose was Jacklyn Bagley from Precious Things Florist in Macclesfield. She was amazing! I described the colours and theme of the wedding and she worked her magic designing the bouquet and arrangements. We had lots of flowers to decorate the venue and they were a beautiful finishing touch to the venue.

Who was your photographer and how did you choose them?
Researching on the internet we noticed Amy from Imag1ne had photographed many weddings at Peckforton Castle. We looked at the example photo’s on the website and loved them!! We didn’t want staged or cheesy photo’s, we just wanted to capture the day with natural photo’s and thats exactly what Amy did!

Did you enjoy planning your wedding?
I loved planning the wedding. I spent many hours making save the dates, invitations, menus, order of services, etc but it was all worth it in the end. Also my husband and I spend many hours researching Dj's, string quartets, florists etc to find the best we could for our budget. All the effort that went into planning the wedding and all the personal touches made the day really special for both us and our families and friends.

What advice do you have for brides planning their big day?
Relax and enjoy every minute! Try to be organised but don’t worry if not everything goes to plan, the main thing is that your marrying the man of your dreams!


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Friday 7 January 2011

We ♥ Sample Sales

It's SALES time, so prepare yourself for some serious bargains!

Emma Hunt's hosting a fantastic sample sale starting on 8th January in Wimbledon. Emma's known for her stunning vintage designs, clean lines and elegant gowns. For further details, click here.


Phillipa Lepley's sale starts on 8th Jan and lasts until 22nd. Head down to the Fulham Road to try on her heavenly corseted gowns. The sale also includes accessories such as shrugs, veils and tiaras!

♥ Exciting news! Sassi Holford is holding a winter sale between 8th and 22nd January. Don't miss amazing reductions on selected samples of her classically elegant gowns. With stores in London and Somerset, you're bound to pick up a bargain. For further details click here.


♥ The Bridal Designer Sale are holding their next sample sale at the Thistle Hotel, Marble Arch on 15th-16th January. They're offering up to 70% off exquisite wedding gowns from leading international designers, including Amanda Wakeley, Caroline Castigliano, Christiana Couture, Galit Levi, Lyn Ashworth, Max Chaoul, Oleg Cassini Icon, Sharon Hoey, Toi Creazioni, and many, many more… Book your free tickets.

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Thursday 6 January 2011

Perfect Wedding Stole

We've still got three month of winter weddings ahead of us, so if you're a winter bride looking for a stylish solution to staying warm, then look no further! This gorgeous fake-fur stole is handmade to order by Katie Carter Bridal in London. Lined with heavy weight silk satin backed crepe and secured with a silk satin bow, it comes in a variety of colours, including the mink and oyster combo pictured below.

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Wednesday 5 January 2011

Real Wedding: Ellie & Mark

Planning your wedding on a budget? Worried that it won't be as good as an all-singing, all-dancing, mega-budget affair? Well stop your worrying, because this wedding is cheap and chic. Ellie and Mark didn't want to blow the budget on their wedding, so they chose a wedding package from a hotel. It's often the best way to go about planning your big day, because there are no hidden costs, and they throw in a few extras for free. Ellie also had help from her stepmother, who designed the stationery, and she kept the cost of flowers down by picking in-season gladioli for her blooms. She also flew to New York to buy her dress for half-price, and shop-bought the cakes for the desert buffet. For more tips on being a budget bride, check out her answers to the questionaire below - I've been taking notes for my own wedding. Many thanks to the lovely team at Modern Photographic for these gorgeous pictures, stunning as ever!

The Before the Big Day Bridal Q&A - Ellie 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?
At the Harte and Garter Hotel in Windsor on 4th September 2010.

What was your thinking behind choosing the venue and the decoration of the reception?
We wanted somewhere close to where we live in London and near to an airport for guests flying in from abroad, and so we settled on Windsor. The venue was the first one we visited and we knew straight away it would be perfect. We were also on a strict budget and the hotel did a great all-inclusive package. As the hotel was so striking it needed very little decoration, which suited us, as we wanted a simple decorations, nothing too over powering.

Did you have a theme, colour or motif in mind?
We went for white gladioli as the reception was in the ballroom that had very high ceilings and needed something tall on the tables. Anything short would have been lost. The table decorations (tea lights / menus / table numbers etc) were white with hints of light pink and green so as to not make it look too washed out. My stepmother is a graphic designer and she created a series of heart motifs that were featured on the stationary.

Who made your wedding outfit (dress, veil, shoes and accessories), and how did you come to that decision?
My wedding dress was bought from a shop in New York called RK Bridal. As I am a personal trainer I found that all the traditional dresses in the UK were very restrictive compared to what I wear day to day for work and I really wanted something to feel comfortable. Plus I wasn't enjoying the process of booking appointments and having an asisstant follow you around picking out dresses! I had heard about a store in NY that stocked hundreds of dresses and you could turn up, wander around on your own, pick out ones you wanted then try them one. By chance I was going there with two of my bridesmaids for a holiday so dropped in and found the perfect Venus dress at half the price it would have been in the UK (£450 incuding veil).

What about your husband’s outfit? Where was it from?
My husbands suit was from TM Lewin as we wanted to get something that he could use after for work and that wouldn't break the bank! We also go the best man a matching suit and they both had pale pink ties.

And how about your bridesmaids' outfits?
Bridesmaid dresses were again from the USA this time from an online store called Go Jane and only £40 each! They were plain prom style dresses with multiway straps that we had as halternecks. Again we got pale green to match in with the ties.

What type of cake did you go for, and how did you come to that decision?
My husband and I are not a fan of wedding cake or the traditional wedding cake cutting photos so we opted for a selection of cakes on tea stands that were bought out during the evening reception. There were cupcakes, whoopie pies and slices of lemon, chocolate and sponge cake all bought from Marks & Spencers the day before.

Who was your florist, what flowers did you choose, and how did you come to that decision?
As part of the hotel package we got £25 worth of flowers per table from their florist so we used that to get the vases of gladioli. To keep the budget down, my bouquet and the bridesmaids' bunches were made by my stepmother from roses that we had bought from New Covent Garden Fower Market the day before. This meant I could have a huge bouquet of pale pink and cream and the bridesmaid had plain cream ones.

What entertainment did you choose?
The hotel package came with a DJ who was amazing and kept everyone dancing the whole night. We had given them some songs that we like and they used that list, plus others suggested by our guests. There was also a magician called James Pritchard during the photos and drinks reception to keep everyone entertained.

Who was your photographer and how did you choose them?
Our photographer were the wonderful Julia and Ian West of Modern Photographic. I have known Julia for a while and she has taken some amazing shots of friends weddings and christenings, plus as neither me or my husband are particularly comfortable in front of the camera it was great to have someone that made us feel more relaxed. We also got a pre-wedding shoot done which helped us get more used to having our photos taken!

Did you enjoy planning your wedding? What advice do you have for brides planning their big day?
I loved planning the wedding! My advice is don't let it take over your life, try and remain stress free, as it is just one day. Also you can have a wedding on a budget without it looking cheap or feeling that you haven't had a special day. No one could believe how much we had saved by shopping around and doing somethings ourselves as you couldn't tell on the day.

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Tuesday 4 January 2011

Unique Wedding Stationery

Your wedding stationery should reflect the style and mood of your wedding, hinting to your guests what they can expect on the big day itself. So if you're planning a unique wedding, you'll want something more than the standard black swirly type on white card. Azulsahara designers' studio and boutique offers unique and memorable stationery which you can personalise in every which way. All  the designs are carefully selected, and printed in fantastic quality, with gorgeous finishing touches, like crystals and ribbons. I'm loving the 'something blue' blossom design below, and the stunning jewelled band in the bottom picture. Don't miss their website for plenty more styles and information.




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Monday 3 January 2011

Wedding Love Letters

This is why I love Etsy, it's just full of gorgeous, original wedding ideas. Just check out this vintage love letter, discovered on one of my rambles through the online boutiques. The letter is handtyped on high quality white paper with a matching handtyped envelope, and you can personalise it for your love. Simply send your message of under 100 hundred words, and Sepia Smiles will type it out on their 1930's typewriter. Whimsical, romantic, and totally old-fashioned - I love it! Based in Northampton, Sepia Smiles have plenty more wedding inspiration on their website and blog, and if you sign up for their newsletter, you get 15% off till the end of January. {P.S. I just got in touch with Sepia Smiles to tell them about the posting, and Roseanna is offering 20% off if you mention Before the Big Day!}



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Sunday 2 January 2011

Real Wedding: Neil & Holly

It's a bit of a grey day in London town, but nothing we can't liven up with a gorgeous summer wedding. Neil and Holly chose yellow and orange to theme their wedding, and it call came off beautifully, thanks to wedding coordinator Kim, from Wedding Concepts. This wedding was set in South Africa, but that doesn't mean us British brides can't steal their best ideas! I'm loving the use of fruit {chic and cheap}, and Holly's gorgeous arum lily bouquet. Arum lilies are just the most elegant of wedding flowers. Other stealworthy spots include the chapstick favours, white lanterns and posing signs - perfect to add a bit of fun to your wedding photographs. They also included a quick game of boules in their wedding reception, an idea I'm definitely going to copy for my own Provencial wedding. Gorgeous photographs as ever, from the fantastic team at We Love Pictures.


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Saturday 1 January 2011

Before the Big Day Black Book

To welcome in the New Year, I'm starting a brand new project, namely the Before the Big Day Black Book. This Black Book will contain all the contacts you need for a great British wedding, and every supplier will come with the Before the Big Day stamp of approval. Check out the lists, and keep a look out for the stamp. Plus, if you've got a supplier to recommend, get in touch!
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