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Monday 18 July 2011
Real Hot Pink Scottish Wedding: Ann & Jamie
One way to make sure your wedding stands out from the crowd is to choose a seriously bright colour as your theme. Elegant bride, Ann, loves pink, and chose a super-hot shade for her wedding in the north of Scotland. With her bridesmaids in stunning full length gowns, and her husband-to-be in tartan, this was always going to be a striking wedding. I'm loving the little pageboys and the pretty table decorations, plus the simple tiered wedding cake, with pictures of their parents on their wedding days in silver frames. And check out the train on Ann's dress - devine! I'm also particularly keen on their venue - Dunrobin Castle looks pretty special, particularly in the dramatic final shot. Stunning pictures published with thanks to one of our favourite photographers, Ken Buist.
If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter and click for more pink themed wedding theme ideas. Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.
If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter and click for more pink themed wedding theme ideas. Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.
Saturday 16 July 2011
Just Married - How Will You Say It?
Traditionally the ushers tie tin-cans to the back of the wedding getaway car, but now there's so many other options to say 'Just Married' in a creative way. Brides and grooms often organise for their photographer to snap a pic of them holding a sign saying 'Just Married' as they make great prints for your thank you cards. But if you're going to go for that option, what's the best prop? Two of my friends left on sledges because it was so snowy, and I love the idea of getaway bicycles. Take a look at a few of these pics for more inspiration, and don't miss my picture boards at Pinterest for more fun ideas.
Photo Credits: {top collage} 1. Unknown, please get in touch if you know 2. via I Love SW Mag {bottom collage from top left, clockwise} 1. Unkown, 2. via Ruffled Blog, 3. Unknown, 4. Assassynation Photography 5. Ashley Forrette via Elizabeth Anne Designs
If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter and click for more wedding detail ideas. Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.
Photo Credits: {top collage} 1. Unknown, please get in touch if you know 2. via I Love SW Mag {bottom collage from top left, clockwise} 1. Unkown, 2. via Ruffled Blog, 3. Unknown, 4. Assassynation Photography 5. Ashley Forrette via Elizabeth Anne Designs
If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter and click for more wedding detail ideas. Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.
That Friday Feeling Wedding Web Links ♥17
Anyone else pining for a summer holiday? My Boy and I aren't going to get one till September, because we took two weeks for our wedding in May. If only we could have a decent stretch of sunshine in the UK, it would make the weekends feel like mini-holidays, but the clouds keep creeping across the sky. Rainy days are forecast for this weekend, so snuggle under your duvet and enjoy all these wedding blog web-links.
{Photo Credit} Alice B Gardens
♥ Cute easy-peasy DIY heart lavender bags {seriously, anyone could made them!}
♥ Cheap and cheerful picnic wedding
♥ I've long-loved Toast, and they've got 60% off - woohoo!
♥ Clever escort cards {what we call place markers} for an artistic wedding
♥ Win a Luxe Guide for your honeymoon via wedding blog OMG I'm Getting Married
♥ This wedding proves it doesn't matter if it rains on your wedding day.
♥ One of the best DIY weddings I've seen in a while. Full of rustic inspiration.
♥ A hot air balloon wedding theme.
♥ A selection of gorgeous buttonholes for your groom
♥ Loving the topiary in this wedding, who would have thought inspiration could come in the form of a hedge!
♥ Chic Ocean-style for your honeymoon.
And....the best bits from Before the Big Day this week....{if we do say so ourselves}
♥ All the pictures from my London wedding - Part 1 and Part 2
♥ Before the Big Day's very own DIY budget bride
♥ An Alice in Wonderland themed wedding
If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter and click for more Friday Feeling wedding web links. Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.
{Photo Credit} Alice B Gardens
♥ Cute easy-peasy DIY heart lavender bags {seriously, anyone could made them!}
♥ Cheap and cheerful picnic wedding
♥ I've long-loved Toast, and they've got 60% off - woohoo!
♥ Clever escort cards {what we call place markers} for an artistic wedding
♥ Win a Luxe Guide for your honeymoon via wedding blog OMG I'm Getting Married
♥ This wedding proves it doesn't matter if it rains on your wedding day.
♥ One of the best DIY weddings I've seen in a while. Full of rustic inspiration.
♥ A hot air balloon wedding theme.
♥ A selection of gorgeous buttonholes for your groom
♥ Loving the topiary in this wedding, who would have thought inspiration could come in the form of a hedge!
♥ Chic Ocean-style for your honeymoon.
And....the best bits from Before the Big Day this week....{if we do say so ourselves}
♥ All the pictures from my London wedding - Part 1 and Part 2
♥ Before the Big Day's very own DIY budget bride
♥ An Alice in Wonderland themed wedding
If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter and click for more Friday Feeling wedding web links. Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.
Wednesday 13 July 2011
Before the Big Day Wedding Theme: Butterfly
Hugely popular, butterflies are a gorgeous wedding theme. Light and lovely, they can fit in with every colour theme, and are a particularly sweet addition to a summer garden wedding. For starters, add them to your cake, stationery and favours. But these ones are even edible! I'm loving these stunning 3D butterflies from Bugs Loft {top} and Hip & Clavicle. But if you're a DIY bride, save a few pennies and make your own origami butterflies via this tutorial.
If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter and click for more wedding theme ideas. Before the Big Day - the best UK wedding blog.
If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter and click for more wedding theme ideas. Before the Big Day - the best UK wedding blog.
Tuesday 12 July 2011
My Vintage Tea-Party Wedding - Part 2
So here we go ladies, Part 2 of my vintage tea-party themed wedding. After our quicky wedding ceremony in Hackney Town Hall {our local}, we headed to Victoria Park for our pictures, where {joy of joys} we found the best photo-prop ever. An ice-cream van! I'm not sure what the little girl in front of us in the queue thought, but our 99 Flakes were delicious! Although that might have been because I'd been on a diet for a few months. Stunning photographs published with thanks to Caught the Light, and I've filled in my own Before the Big Day Bridal Questionnaire, so check out my answers below for all my suppliers and DIY projects.
The Before the Big Day Bridal Q&A
Where and when did you get married?
We got married at Hackney Town Hall on 5th May in front of 20 family and close friends.
What was your thinking behind choosing the venue and the decoration of the reception?
This was our secret wedding before the big official day in France, so we kept it simple with a tea-party back at our flat in Shoreditch. It was lovely for closest family to see us in our home - many of the grandparents hadn't seen it before. For our decorations, we used white bunting and handmade white tissue pompoms, that looked like peonies.
Did you have a theme, colour or motif in mind?
As we got married at 3pm, we settled on a tea party. I considered an Alice in Wonderland theme, but settled instead on a vintage tea-party, complete with cucumber sandwiches and my mother-in-law's vintage china.
Who made your wedding outfit, and how did you come to that decision?
My dress was from an Australian designer called Rose & Ruby. They've actually stopped trading, but I managed to find this one on Australian Ebay, and I took the plunge and bought it without trying it on. Luckily it fitted perfectly, and if you want to buy it, I'm open to offers! (It's a size 8). My shoes were gold strappy stilettos from Halston Heritage with blue sequinned I Do stickers on the soles. I wore my mother's vintage sapphire engagement ring, and diamond studs my mother gave me for Christmas.
What type of cake did you go for, and how did you come to that decision?
My mother actually chose and organised my cake, and my grandmother paid for it. I'm not actually sure who made it, but it's a lady in Dorset. I'll find out and update! We bought all the rest of the tea-party food from Marks & Spencers. The champagne and the hired glasses were from Majestic.
Did you have any favours? What were they? Was there any particular reason why you picked them?
We chose to give little pots of Dorset honey as favours, because that's where I grew up. Guests also took a cupcake with them as they left.
Who was your florist, what flowers did you choose, and how did you come to that decision?
We DIY'd our flowers, with blooms bought from Colombia Road Flower Market the Sunday before. We kept them in a darkened room, but they still opened a bit too much - so in some ways I wish I'd spent a bit more money and bought them from a florist on the day. My mother bought up flowers from her garden for my bouquet and the boys' buttonholes. She made me a lily-of-the-valley bouquet, and the buttonholes were roses from a bush that my grandfather had given her as a present.
Who was your photographer and how did you choose them?
I can't remember how I found Chloe from Caught the Light, but I've long been a fan of her work here on Before the Big Day, and I booked her over a year in advance for my French wedding. When we decided we wanted our London wedding to be photographed as well, she very kindly agreed to help out. Chloe's work is stunning, and I can't recommend her enough. Serious praise from a wedding blogger.
Did you enjoy planning your wedding?
YES! I started Before the Big Day because I love weddings and thinking creatively about how to make them stand out from the crowd. However, it was A LOT more stressful than I thought it would be. With hindsight, I probably should have taken on a few less DIY projects, but it saved us lots of money, and it made our wedding personal to us.
Did you have any DIY projects?
Lots! With the help of my mother, we made the tissue pom-poms and the stationery, and arranged the flowers, my bouquet and the buttonholes.
Who designed your stationery? What did it look like and how did you come to that decision?
I designed our stationery, and I organised for it to be printed at our local KopyKat. It was a serious labour of love, but worked out a lot cheaper than the Follow Studio wedding stationery that I'd fallen in love with but couldn't afford.
What advice do you have for brides planning their big day?
Read Before the Big Day! Come up with a theme idea, and start your DIY projects early. Eat properly on the day of your wedding - I got grumpy just before the ceremony - not a good idea! And leave yourself lots of time to get ready. You'll want to have time to compliment your bridesmaids and your mother on what they're wearing, and if it's all a bit of rush you won't have time to savour every special moment.
Also - get your eye-lashes done, but Chanel foundation and have your hair done professionally. My recommendations are Lash Lab and One Drayson Mews Hairdressers in Kensington {ask for Tracy}.
The Before the Big Day Bridal Q&A
Where and when did you get married?
We got married at Hackney Town Hall on 5th May in front of 20 family and close friends.
What was your thinking behind choosing the venue and the decoration of the reception?
This was our secret wedding before the big official day in France, so we kept it simple with a tea-party back at our flat in Shoreditch. It was lovely for closest family to see us in our home - many of the grandparents hadn't seen it before. For our decorations, we used white bunting and handmade white tissue pompoms, that looked like peonies.
Did you have a theme, colour or motif in mind?
As we got married at 3pm, we settled on a tea party. I considered an Alice in Wonderland theme, but settled instead on a vintage tea-party, complete with cucumber sandwiches and my mother-in-law's vintage china.
Who made your wedding outfit, and how did you come to that decision?
My dress was from an Australian designer called Rose & Ruby. They've actually stopped trading, but I managed to find this one on Australian Ebay, and I took the plunge and bought it without trying it on. Luckily it fitted perfectly, and if you want to buy it, I'm open to offers! (It's a size 8). My shoes were gold strappy stilettos from Halston Heritage with blue sequinned I Do stickers on the soles. I wore my mother's vintage sapphire engagement ring, and diamond studs my mother gave me for Christmas.
What type of cake did you go for, and how did you come to that decision?
My mother actually chose and organised my cake, and my grandmother paid for it. I'm not actually sure who made it, but it's a lady in Dorset. I'll find out and update! We bought all the rest of the tea-party food from Marks & Spencers. The champagne and the hired glasses were from Majestic.
Did you have any favours? What were they? Was there any particular reason why you picked them?
We chose to give little pots of Dorset honey as favours, because that's where I grew up. Guests also took a cupcake with them as they left.
Who was your florist, what flowers did you choose, and how did you come to that decision?
We DIY'd our flowers, with blooms bought from Colombia Road Flower Market the Sunday before. We kept them in a darkened room, but they still opened a bit too much - so in some ways I wish I'd spent a bit more money and bought them from a florist on the day. My mother bought up flowers from her garden for my bouquet and the boys' buttonholes. She made me a lily-of-the-valley bouquet, and the buttonholes were roses from a bush that my grandfather had given her as a present.
Who was your photographer and how did you choose them?
I can't remember how I found Chloe from Caught the Light, but I've long been a fan of her work here on Before the Big Day, and I booked her over a year in advance for my French wedding. When we decided we wanted our London wedding to be photographed as well, she very kindly agreed to help out. Chloe's work is stunning, and I can't recommend her enough. Serious praise from a wedding blogger.
Did you enjoy planning your wedding?
YES! I started Before the Big Day because I love weddings and thinking creatively about how to make them stand out from the crowd. However, it was A LOT more stressful than I thought it would be. With hindsight, I probably should have taken on a few less DIY projects, but it saved us lots of money, and it made our wedding personal to us.
Did you have any DIY projects?
Lots! With the help of my mother, we made the tissue pom-poms and the stationery, and arranged the flowers, my bouquet and the buttonholes.
Who designed your stationery? What did it look like and how did you come to that decision?
I designed our stationery, and I organised for it to be printed at our local KopyKat. It was a serious labour of love, but worked out a lot cheaper than the Follow Studio wedding stationery that I'd fallen in love with but couldn't afford.
What advice do you have for brides planning their big day?
Read Before the Big Day! Come up with a theme idea, and start your DIY projects early. Eat properly on the day of your wedding - I got grumpy just before the ceremony - not a good idea! And leave yourself lots of time to get ready. You'll want to have time to compliment your bridesmaids and your mother on what they're wearing, and if it's all a bit of rush you won't have time to savour every special moment.
Also - get your eye-lashes done, but Chanel foundation and have your hair done professionally. My recommendations are Lash Lab and One Drayson Mews Hairdressers in Kensington {ask for Tracy}.
If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter and click for more more on my wedding. Before the Big Day - the best UK wedding blog.
Monday 11 July 2011
My Vintage Tea-Party Themed London Wedding - Part 1
Deep breath! Here we go - my secret London pictures. Why secret? Well our 'real' wedding was in Provence, but legally we had to get married in London first. At first we thought we'd just sneak off on a Tuesday afternoon and get married privately with just two witnesses. But then our parents wanted in. And then we realised that the grandparents weren't going to make it out to France, so they snaffled invitations. And then, being a wedding blogger, I got all excited about a vintage tea-party wedding theme, and Chloe from Caught the Light offered to do our pictures. So before we knew it, we were planning two weddings. There were moments when I thought I'd bitten off more than I could chew, and there are a couple of things I would change, but when we said our vows, it felt pretty real, so I'm thrilled we had our family there watching. So how did I come to choose all my details? Well I've answered my own Before the Big Day Bridal Questionnaire, which I'll be publishing with Part 2 tomorrow...so check out the blog tomorrow, or sign up to get it delivered {for free} to your inbox.
If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter and click for more more on my wedding. Before the Big Day - the best UK wedding blog.
Sunday 10 July 2011
My London Wedding
Crazily, it's just over two months since my London wedding and I still haven't blogged my gorgeous pictures taken by Chloe from Caught the Light. I think we wanted the dust to settle a bit, before we revealed our wedding to the world {or just Before the Big Day readers!}. Also I'm finding it impossible to edit. When you're looking through another couple's wedding pictures, it's easy-peasy to select which pics you like the most. When it comes to your own it's a nightmare! So here's a sneak-peak...with a promise that tomorrow, I will publish our London wedding. There - now I've got to!!
If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter and click for more more on my wedding. Before the Big Day - the best UK wedding blog.
Saturday 9 July 2011
Before the Big Day Wedding Theme: Bicycles
With the Tour de France pedalling its way across the continent, it seems the perfect opportunity to draw your attention to a hugely popular wedding theme. As we all become more eco-friendly, urban dwellers are embracing the bicycle, and cycling off into the sunset together. Creating this wedding theme couldn't be more simple - add a tandem bicycle motif to your stationery, a miniature penny farthing to top your wedding cake, and encourage your groom to cycle up the aisle. Decorate your bikes with flowers and ribbons, and they'll make great photo props for your wedding pictures. You could even walk down the aisle to "Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do".....{okay maybe that's a step too far!}.
{Photo Credits} Top: Fotographica, Left: unknown (please get in touch if you know), Right: Brookelyn Photography via 100 Layer Cake
If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter and click for more wedding theme ideas . Before the Big Day - the best UK wedding blog.
If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter and click for more wedding theme ideas . Before the Big Day - the best UK wedding blog.
Thursday 7 July 2011
Real DIY Budget Wedding: Katie & Josh
Budget brides and DIY brides are going to love this fabulous wedding, submitted by a Before the Big Day reader! Katie got loads of her wedding inspiration from this wedding blog, and I'm thrilled to be featuring her gorgeous big day. If you're worrying about your wedding budget, take heart in the fact Katie and Josh only had £7k to spend, and every detail was gorgeous. From the butterfly theme to the moustache and tiara favours, and hugely realist fake flowers {eco- and budget friendly}, it's a fabulous flurry of wedding perfection. Don't miss Katie's top tips in the brides questionnaire below - you'll be making notes! Stunning pictures published with thanks to Sarah Janes Photography.
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The Before the Big Day Bridal Q&A - Katie was kind enough to fill in our bridal 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?
We got married on May 7th in a beautiful small town in North Wales called Llangollen. We married in the Llangollen Methodist Church and then moved to the White Waters Hotel down the river for the reception – but not before playing a round of crazy golf!
What was your thinking behind choosing the venue and the decoration of the reception?
Llangollen was the obvious choice of location, it’s just so beautiful. We looked around three venues before calling in to the White Waters on the off-chance for a wedding brochure and they offered to show us around the whole hotel. The staff were so friendly, we decided to book, although we checked four more times before putting a deposit down!
Did you have a theme, colour or motif in mind?
We had a strict budget in mind of £7,000 for the day and we managed to stick to it more or less ({that amount definitely didn’t include the honeymoon!}. Josh and I met at Leeds Met University and the University colours are aubergine and grass green, which just happen to be my favourite colours too. Purple was my underlying colour, but I was careful not to surrender myself to purple overload…I also love butterflies, I found in the lead up to the day that I seemed to be collecting more butterfly items. So the butterfly theme just kind of emerged over time…
Who made your wedding outfit, and how did you come to that decision?
My dress was from a great shop called Confetti & Lace in Harrogate, and was made by Ellis Bridals. My dress was around number 11 that I'd tried on and when I first tried this one on I loved it, but I kept looking just in case something else was out there. I couldn’t choose between two pairs of shoes from Schuh, so I ended up buying both! My necklace, bracelet and butterfly ring were from Debenhams. Sparkly, reasonably priced chic!
What about your husband’s outfit? Where was it from?
We hired suits from Cameron Ross via Yorkshire Menswear. My dress hunt took a fair few months, his suit hunt took thirty minutes…where’s the justice?!
And how about your bridesmaids’ outfits?
We lucked out here! My three beautiful sisters were my bridesmaids and we all got together in January to go shopping for dresses. All I had in mind was that I didn’t want them to look exactly the same; they are all totally different people and I wanted them to be able to express themselves. We walked in to Monsoon and I saw it! A strapless purple and grey cocktail dress reduced from £130 to £60. I left the bridesmaids to choose their own shoes and accessories, and they customised their own dresses, adding straps or a ribbon waist. My little niece wore a flower girl dress from BHS.
What type of cake did you go for, and how did you come to that decision?
We kept it simple and went to Marks and Spencers! I’d seen the butterfly cake on Before the Big Day, and ordered the butterflies from Etsy and assembled them myself. I also ordered two cupcake towers from M&S and bought some edible butterfly wafers from Ebay to decorate them.
Did you have any favours? What were they? Was there any particular reason why you picked them?
I didn't want to spend money on items that would be left on tables - so we gave each man a moustache on a stick (idea taken from Before the Big Day too!) and each girl/lady/Nan got a tiara – 89p for four from Wilkinsons. I loved looking back over the photos and seeing everyone use these – we’ve got some excellent poses going on in them!
Who was your florist, what flowers did you choose, and how did you come to that decision?
As our wedding was in a small town, we didn’t have a wide choice of florists and I was left unimpressed by the town's main florist who wanted to charge for a second appointment to make her time worthwhile! So I decided to go fake! Sarah's Flowers have a huge range of flowers and they were around the same price as real flowers. My bouquet is going to be placed on my Nan's grave, and my sisters are keeping theirs, so I like the fact they were artificial.
Who was your photographer and how did you choose them?
I found Sarah Janes Photography through a picture in the brochure of our wedding venue. They had used one of her sepia images of a bride and groom in the rain and I thought 'if she can take a picture like that on a rainy day, imagine how beautiful the pictures could be if the sun is shining!' so I'm only slightly ashamed to say that I gazumped another bride who had put in an enquiry for our date and booked her after meeting with her over coffee! I just loved her natural approach to wedding photography.
I must also mention the fabulous Mandy Rigby who did my make up on the day. Mandy and Sarah are my dream team as they’ve worked together before and really know what looks good on camera. I’d recommend them both to anyone!
Did you enjoy planning your wedding?
Absolutely! I'd be lying if I said it wasn't stressful at times, but seeing everything come together on the day was the best feeling ever! I've was so proud of everyone involved. My husband was great - if I ever started stressing about things not matching or my massive to do list, he'd point out that it didn’t actually matter if the napkins didn't match the petals on the tables…I still know he’s wrong about that but it did help to put it all in to perspective!
We had an afterparty the next day at my Dad's cottage, so that was a great chance to catch up again before we headed off to Mexico for our honeymoon and everyone headed back home – if anyone has the chance to do this, I'd totally recommend an afterparty!
Did you have any DIY projects?
I loved the DIY projects and my bridesmaids threw themselves into the DIY as well. We had homemade pew ends for the church pews, charms with our initials around the champagne glasses, handmade place cards and I wrote a memory I had of each guest inside to get the nostalgia flowing – cheap and cheerful! We also made moustaches on sticks, and we asked our guests to make a ten minute iPod playlist to be played during dinner. I also made a sign saying 'Thank you' so we could use that photo of us with it for our thank you cards. I put together photo board collages of every single guest at the wedding for all to laugh at and I also fashioned our table seating plan out of sticks from the garden, fairy lights and table cards to hang from the sticks – DIY-a-rama!
Who designed your stationery? What did it look like and how did you come to that decision?
My Dad, my maid of honour and I worked on it together! I’d seen plenty of ideas, but my Dad does this for a living so there's no one else I trusted more to design our stationery.
What advice do you have for brides planning their big day?
My main piece of advice is - don’t forget about the actual wedding ceremony! We had a church service and once I started choosing hymns and readings, I realised that I was really excited about the service. I'd also say, don't be afraid to both defy tradition, and embrace it, all on the same day! We couldn't figure out a way to incorporate both sets of divorced parents and new spouses, so we just had a sweetheart table for just the two of us and put our parents on an unofficial top table; it was a great way to make sure we actually talked to each other during the day and the speeches were carried out around us on different tables. I loved the whole day and want to relive it all over again!
To finish, my top tips based on my day would be:
1. If possible, give your Dad (or whoever gives you away) a kiss when you reach the top of the aisle.
2. Brides – do a speech! You'll always wonder if you should have afterwards! I did, and I loved it.
3. Have someone, anyone, video the speeches. They don't have to be a pro, but it's something I really wish I'd arranged.
The Before the Big Day Bridal Q&A - Katie was kind enough to fill in our bridal 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?
We got married on May 7th in a beautiful small town in North Wales called Llangollen. We married in the Llangollen Methodist Church and then moved to the White Waters Hotel down the river for the reception – but not before playing a round of crazy golf!
What was your thinking behind choosing the venue and the decoration of the reception?
Llangollen was the obvious choice of location, it’s just so beautiful. We looked around three venues before calling in to the White Waters on the off-chance for a wedding brochure and they offered to show us around the whole hotel. The staff were so friendly, we decided to book, although we checked four more times before putting a deposit down!
Did you have a theme, colour or motif in mind?
We had a strict budget in mind of £7,000 for the day and we managed to stick to it more or less ({that amount definitely didn’t include the honeymoon!}. Josh and I met at Leeds Met University and the University colours are aubergine and grass green, which just happen to be my favourite colours too. Purple was my underlying colour, but I was careful not to surrender myself to purple overload…I also love butterflies, I found in the lead up to the day that I seemed to be collecting more butterfly items. So the butterfly theme just kind of emerged over time…
Who made your wedding outfit, and how did you come to that decision?
My dress was from a great shop called Confetti & Lace in Harrogate, and was made by Ellis Bridals. My dress was around number 11 that I'd tried on and when I first tried this one on I loved it, but I kept looking just in case something else was out there. I couldn’t choose between two pairs of shoes from Schuh, so I ended up buying both! My necklace, bracelet and butterfly ring were from Debenhams. Sparkly, reasonably priced chic!
What about your husband’s outfit? Where was it from?
We hired suits from Cameron Ross via Yorkshire Menswear. My dress hunt took a fair few months, his suit hunt took thirty minutes…where’s the justice?!
And how about your bridesmaids’ outfits?
We lucked out here! My three beautiful sisters were my bridesmaids and we all got together in January to go shopping for dresses. All I had in mind was that I didn’t want them to look exactly the same; they are all totally different people and I wanted them to be able to express themselves. We walked in to Monsoon and I saw it! A strapless purple and grey cocktail dress reduced from £130 to £60. I left the bridesmaids to choose their own shoes and accessories, and they customised their own dresses, adding straps or a ribbon waist. My little niece wore a flower girl dress from BHS.
What type of cake did you go for, and how did you come to that decision?
We kept it simple and went to Marks and Spencers! I’d seen the butterfly cake on Before the Big Day, and ordered the butterflies from Etsy and assembled them myself. I also ordered two cupcake towers from M&S and bought some edible butterfly wafers from Ebay to decorate them.
Did you have any favours? What were they? Was there any particular reason why you picked them?
I didn't want to spend money on items that would be left on tables - so we gave each man a moustache on a stick (idea taken from Before the Big Day too!) and each girl/lady/Nan got a tiara – 89p for four from Wilkinsons. I loved looking back over the photos and seeing everyone use these – we’ve got some excellent poses going on in them!
Who was your florist, what flowers did you choose, and how did you come to that decision?
As our wedding was in a small town, we didn’t have a wide choice of florists and I was left unimpressed by the town's main florist who wanted to charge for a second appointment to make her time worthwhile! So I decided to go fake! Sarah's Flowers have a huge range of flowers and they were around the same price as real flowers. My bouquet is going to be placed on my Nan's grave, and my sisters are keeping theirs, so I like the fact they were artificial.
Who was your photographer and how did you choose them?
I found Sarah Janes Photography through a picture in the brochure of our wedding venue. They had used one of her sepia images of a bride and groom in the rain and I thought 'if she can take a picture like that on a rainy day, imagine how beautiful the pictures could be if the sun is shining!' so I'm only slightly ashamed to say that I gazumped another bride who had put in an enquiry for our date and booked her after meeting with her over coffee! I just loved her natural approach to wedding photography.
I must also mention the fabulous Mandy Rigby who did my make up on the day. Mandy and Sarah are my dream team as they’ve worked together before and really know what looks good on camera. I’d recommend them both to anyone!
Did you enjoy planning your wedding?
Absolutely! I'd be lying if I said it wasn't stressful at times, but seeing everything come together on the day was the best feeling ever! I've was so proud of everyone involved. My husband was great - if I ever started stressing about things not matching or my massive to do list, he'd point out that it didn’t actually matter if the napkins didn't match the petals on the tables…I still know he’s wrong about that but it did help to put it all in to perspective!
We had an afterparty the next day at my Dad's cottage, so that was a great chance to catch up again before we headed off to Mexico for our honeymoon and everyone headed back home – if anyone has the chance to do this, I'd totally recommend an afterparty!
Did you have any DIY projects?
I loved the DIY projects and my bridesmaids threw themselves into the DIY as well. We had homemade pew ends for the church pews, charms with our initials around the champagne glasses, handmade place cards and I wrote a memory I had of each guest inside to get the nostalgia flowing – cheap and cheerful! We also made moustaches on sticks, and we asked our guests to make a ten minute iPod playlist to be played during dinner. I also made a sign saying 'Thank you' so we could use that photo of us with it for our thank you cards. I put together photo board collages of every single guest at the wedding for all to laugh at and I also fashioned our table seating plan out of sticks from the garden, fairy lights and table cards to hang from the sticks – DIY-a-rama!
Who designed your stationery? What did it look like and how did you come to that decision?
My Dad, my maid of honour and I worked on it together! I’d seen plenty of ideas, but my Dad does this for a living so there's no one else I trusted more to design our stationery.
What advice do you have for brides planning their big day?
My main piece of advice is - don’t forget about the actual wedding ceremony! We had a church service and once I started choosing hymns and readings, I realised that I was really excited about the service. I'd also say, don't be afraid to both defy tradition, and embrace it, all on the same day! We couldn't figure out a way to incorporate both sets of divorced parents and new spouses, so we just had a sweetheart table for just the two of us and put our parents on an unofficial top table; it was a great way to make sure we actually talked to each other during the day and the speeches were carried out around us on different tables. I loved the whole day and want to relive it all over again!
To finish, my top tips based on my day would be:
1. If possible, give your Dad (or whoever gives you away) a kiss when you reach the top of the aisle.
2. Brides – do a speech! You'll always wonder if you should have afterwards! I did, and I loved it.
3. Have someone, anyone, video the speeches. They don't have to be a pro, but it's something I really wish I'd arranged.
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