Before the Big Day Theme: Let it Snow

Inspired by the photo above? Well then why not add a bit of snowy loveliness to your big day, thanks to the gorgeous items below?

Product Credits (from top left corner) - Lace Cuff: Jess James Jake, Feather Hair Accessory: One Little Dove, Vintage Lace Dress: Timeless Vixen Vintage, White Blossoms Ring Cushion: AAlicia Wedding, Satin & Tulle Strapless A-Line Gown: Bridal Bliss Designs, (from middle left) White Takes Flight Feather Comb: Boring Sidney, 14k Nena Stacker Ring with Acquamarine: Michelle Lenae, Ping & Jing Wedding Hat: Boring Sidney, Frozen Crystals Tiara: Which Goose, (from bottom left) White Orchid Shrug: Toccata, White Felt & Gold Earrings: 3 Fun, Pearl Studs: Toccata, Lace Gloves: Malam

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We ♥ Vintage Wedding Dress Sample Sales

Massively exciting news! The Vintage Wedding Dress Company is holding a trunk sale next weekend. They'll be showcasing over 200 vintage dresses on 10th, 11th and 12th February (viewing by appointment only) at their central London showroom. This gorgeous boutique is renowned for its heavenly gowns, both vintage and vintage-style, and this is your opportunity to get your hands on some amazing never-seen-before dresses at discounted prices. Also on offer will be a selection of gorgeous vintage accessories, jewellery, shoes and veils plus samples from their exclusive Decades Collection. Shopping is strictly by private appointment only, and the central London location remains secret until you've registered online at their website. Definitely a date for the diary!

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Wonderful Wood Wedding Stationery

When it comes to wedding planning and wedding invitations, I'm a huge fan of surprising your wedding guests by using fun and unusual materials. The best wedding ideas are all about originality because that's what will keep your wedding unique! A big trend for 2012 is have your wedding stationery printed on wood. It's all part of weddings getting greener and more eco-friendly, and as our mood turns towards natural products, it's surprising how many woody invitations you can find! Take a look at the pretty stationery products below - don't you know, paper is soooo passé!

{Product Credit} Perch Papiers



{Product Credit}  Palomas Nest


{Product Credit} Baumbirdy

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Before the Big Day Wedding Theme: Fancy Dress

Photographs can often become formulaic, especially wedding shots, so how about setting up a photobooth where guests can take pictures of themselves? Lots of American photographers are offering it as part of their packages, and I think it's time it came to the UK. One way of making the shots stand out is to offer your guests a fancy dress box. Then just sit back, and watch the hilarious shots roll in! My suggestions for super-cool props? Feather boas, vintage gold frames, wacky glasses and a couple of mini blackboards for messages. As ever, check out the offers on these items below....

Product Credits {top L to R} 1 & 2, MeriMask, 3. I Made You A Beard, 4. Something's Hiding Here, 5. Cox & Cox, {mid L to R} 1.Cox & Cox, 2. Leather Art Works {bottom L to R} 1. Glitz Concepts, 2. Jokers Masquerade, 3. Future Girl, 4.1 Handmade By Heather

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Relaxing Hen-Weekend Ideas

What's your favourite treat to yourself? I'm a huge fan of massages - they're ridiculously luxurious, and they're the only thing that calm me down when I'm super-stressed. My wonderful husband gave me a massage just before my wedding day, and it completely changed my perspective from freaked, to cucumber-cool. A spa day would make for a brilliant hen party. According to their budget, your bridesmaids could choose whether they wanted manicures or pedicures or a facial, and to keep costs down even further, you could try to find a deal on Groupon UK. Invitations to the hen party could include bath hats or toe-separators, and everyone could get a bottle of nail varnish as a leaving present.

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Wedding Favours - Wrap With Love

One of my favouite activities is wedding window-shopping at Etsy - I thoroughly recommend it to anyone with a spare minute to fill! On my metaphorical stroll earlier today, I discovered LillaLotta, the sweetest little store of handmade cotton tapes. It's run by Anna Barrow, who lives in a sleepy little village in the South of France, with her large noisy family of five little children. Along with her standard selection below, Anna also offers bespoke tapes, decorated with the wording and images of your choice. Just imainge - there are so many ways you could use the tape on your big day, from tying your bouquets and buttonholes, decorating table vases and, of course, adding to personalised wedding favours.

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Real Elegant Winter White Wedding: Karianne & Philip

Just imagine if you only had a two months to plan your wedding. If it was me, it would be serious panic stations, but luckily, the lovely Karianne and Philip harnessed the expert wedding planning skills of Aimee Dunne, who whipped them up the perfect wedding in only eight weeks. Their winter wedding in the New Forest included tonnes of lovely wedding details, including lots of luxurious white flowers {by Corbins Florist}, flickering candles and marshmallows. Inspired by a Bruce Oldfield wedding dress, Karianne found a seamstress to make her something similar, and paired it with a mid-length veil and an incredible bouquet. Aimee organised for the church to be filled with candles, and a gorgeous ivory aisle runner by Dream Occasions, which created an intimate warmth to the ceremony. I'm loving the Philip's dapper white scarf, the individual roses at each guest's seat, the pashmina favours, and the marshmallows for toasting over blazing outdoor fire-pits {my favourite winter wedding idea ever!}. Gorgeous photographs published with thanks to Andy Catterall.

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Wonderful Weekend Wedding {WWW} Blog Links

Do you get homesick? It's a strange feeling to have as an adult, but I'm away, living in Brussels this month, so I've been getting real pangs. I've been put up in a lovely flat in a great area {v near trendy Place du Chatelain}, but it's just not home. So this weekend has been a real treat, because I've come back! It's created a combination of feelings; the fun of seeing the flat through new eyes, and the familiarity of slipping back into my old patterns. Plus, London feels brand new again, I'm rediscovering it like a tourist, because The Boy and I are so keen to pack more into our weekend. We went to the National Portrait Gallery, and out to a show in the Roundhouse, called La Soirée. I'd highly recommend both. La Soirée would make a fantastic hen night, and you could even theme your wedding around a glamorous circus theme! For more incredible wedding inspiration, check out the best of the wedding blog links below, and don't miss Before the Big Day's wedding theme ideas.

{Photo Credit} Amy Carroll Photography

♥ Exquisite pastel garden wedding {via wedding blog 100 Layer Cake}

♥ Loving the idea of a rainbow procession of wedding cars, as spotted by my wedding planner Kerry Bracken on her blog

♥ Simple is always beautiful, and I love a pear on a plate {via wedding blog Once Wed}

♥ I love hand-drawn wedding invitations - they are SO this season {via my favourite wedding photographer's blog @ Caught the Light}

♥ Pumpkins and straw at a wedding! It shouldn't work, but it so does {via wedding blog Green Wedding Shoes}

♥ A great guide to pink wedding flowers

♥ 50 ways to trim your wedding budget {via the master of all things wedding, Martha Stewart}

♥ Gold wedding inspiration

♥ Have you seen my wedding inspiration boards on Pinterest?

♥ Don't forget you can still win tickets to the National Wedding Show thanks to Before the Big Day!

♥ And if you're still looking for The One {aka your wedding dress}, don't miss the Wedding Dress Sales

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