Friday 16 March 2012

Real Cornflower Blue-Themed Barn Wedding: Lisa & Alan

Barn weddings are something Britain does best. The countryside is bursting with gorgeous, lofty barn conversions that make the perfect setting for a shabby-chic wedding, or a vintage wedding, or in this case, a glamorous winter wedding. I'm loving all the details in Lisa and Alan's wedding, from the colour-popping cornflower flower blue, bridesmaids' dresses, to the Thornton's chocolate wedding favours, and the cute white postbox for guests' messages. Fabulous pictures published with thanks to James from Funky Pixel Photography, and don't miss Lisa's answers to the Before the Big Day Brides' Questionnaire below the pics.


The Before the Big Day Brides' Q&A - Lisa 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?
Cooling Castle Barn in Rochester on 9th February 2012

What was your thinking behind choosing the venue and the decoration of the reception?
We both fell in love with the venue, it was unique and within our budget. We chose simple and elegant decorations, with a colour scheme of cornflower blue and ivory.

 Who made your wedding outfit (dress, veil, shoes and accessories), and how did you come to that decision?
My wedding dress was made by Maggie Sottero, the dress was simply stunning & it was everything that I had always imagined wearing. My shoes were bought from John Lewis and my hair accessories were from Oriental Pearl.

What about your husband’s outfit? Where was it from?
We hired the suits from a place in Wales, called Oh Suit Hire

And how about your bridesmaids’ outfits?
Our bridesmaid dresses were bought from a family-run bridal shop called Jacqueline's House of Brides.

Did you have any favours? What were they? Was there any particular reason why you picked them?
We had our favours made by Thorntons, they contained three chocolate truffles with our first initials printed on them. We liked them because they added a little personal touch, and they were reasonably in priced.

Who was your florist, what flowers did you choose, and how did you come to that decision?
We used a family-run florist based in Kent, called The Darling Buds of Kent. The flowers we used for all of our bouquets are called Norma Jeane Roses. Our button holes were Avalanche Roses. I've always loved roses, so it was an easy decision!

Who was your photographer and how did you choose them?
Our photographer was James of Funky Pixel Photography. We actually won James' services in a competition! We were quite nervous of this to begin with, but after his viewing his work and meeting him in person, we were absolutely delighted to have won & couldn't have picked a better photographer.

Did you enjoy planning your wedding?
I loved every minute of planning our wedding, although like every bride I had days that were stressful.

Who designed your stationery? What did it look like and how did you come to that decision?
Our stationery was designed by a lady I had met on a Facebook wedding swap shop, she listened to my opinion and designed what I had described.

What advice do you have for brides planning their big day?
Try not to stress out and delegate simple tasks your maid of honour and bridesmaids - after all, they're there to help you. Enjoy and embrace every moment from the planning, to the actual big day. And don't let others opinions deter you from having what you want, as this your special day. 

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Thursday 15 March 2012

Incredible Simple & Chic Wedding Stationery

If you're a long term fan of Before the Big Day, you'll know I'm a bit of a wedding stationery obsessive. Out of all the wedding details, including wedding dresses and wedding flowers, it's the wedding invitations that really get me excited. Because of budget concerns, we DIY'd our own wedding stationery, but in my wedding dreams, I wanted a bespoke design from Follow Studio. The good news for budgeting brides and grooms is that Follow Studio now has a cheaper 'Made to Measure' line. The fabulous designs feature clear lines, pretty fonts, and a selection of accessories made of natural materials, including linen tape, kraft envelopes, mini wooden pegs and burlap twine. Gorgeous!


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Wednesday 14 March 2012

Reasonably Priced Vintage Boho Wedding Dresses from Minna

One of my bug-bears is how much wedding dresses cost. Truly, it drives me up the wall to see a simple silk shift of a dress being sold for over two thousand pounds, when we all know that if it didn't have the word 'wedding' in the title, it would cost 75% less. Well finally a reasonably-priced, vintage inspired, wedding collection has been launched by eco-luxe brand Minna. Their 'To Have And To Hold' dresses cost from £200, and they also offer a stunning range of veils, hair adornments and capes to complete the romantically boho bride look! Trust me - you'll love them! P.S. My lovely wedding planner Kerry Bracken has just bought two for her own wedding day - a serious seal of approval.


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Tuesday 13 March 2012

Made Your Wedding Day Sparkle

There's nothing like adding a puff of fairy-dust to your wedding day, and as my fashion icon Patsy once said, "You can never have enough hats, gloves or shoes" {Absolutely Fabulous}. So give your girlfriends and bridesmaids a treat with these gorgeous sparkly shoes and matching clutch from BHLDN. Or snaffle them for yourself, and add a touch of twinkle under your wedding gown.




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Monday 12 March 2012

Real Rustic Forest Wedding: Isby & Henry

Is there anything more romantic than getting married in a forest? Happy couple Henry and Isby picked a gorgeous rustic-elegance theme for their big day, and fabulous photographer Jessamyn Harris was there to record every little detail. My most inspirational spots have to be the CD favours (perfect for the drive home), the bold orange napkins and the personalised beer bottles. Also loving Isby's gorgeous backless dress, and the seed pearls studding her hair - so pretty!


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Sunday 11 March 2012

Wonderful Weekend Wedding Blog Links

This week I've been holidaying in South Africa with my cousin. We've had a fabulous time exploring the wine region, and all the cute little shops and stalls in the area. South African style is a super-cool fusion of European and African, with an almost Swedish minimalism thrown in for good luck. It makes for great wedding style, and my brain has been popping with potential wedding details. If you've been following me on Twitter and Facebook, you'll have seen a few of my favourite wedding details {with apologies for the slightly out-of-focus pictures!}. Even the vineyards make for the most perfect wedding venues in the world, so if you're considering a destination wedding, you know where to look. In celebration of my trip, this week, many of my wonderful weekend wedding blog links come from South Africa - enjoy!


{Photo Credit} We Love Pictures

♥ Loving the incredible details in this vineyard wedding {via South African wedding blog Cap Classique}

Free printable labels for your wedding water {via South African wedding blog The Pretty Blog}

Pretty pastel wedding with a very beautiful bride by Catherine Mac

♥ Clever wedding favour ideas with tonnes of edible favourites {via South African wedding blog The Pretty Blog}

♥ Fantastic South African wedding stationery designs {loving the fabric envelope linings}

♥ Clever single bloom wedding bouquets idea {via South African wedding blog Cap Classique}

♥ Loving the bridesmaids' dresses in this white-themed wedding by Christine Meintjes

♥ Burlap, lace and paper lanterns {via South African wedding blog The Pretty Blog}

♥ Another great DIY bride idea from Elephant Shoe

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Saturday 10 March 2012

Real Rainy Day Sunshine Yellow Wedding: Valerie & Jimmy

YELLOW! It's a happy colour, and it's the precise shade of my daffodils, that are dancing in the breeze on my roof terrace right now. It's also a great way to bring brightness to a winter wedding, as you can see from this fabulous rainy-day wedding. Valerie and Jimmy were worried about the chance of rain on their big day, but prepared for the worst with a polka-dotted umbrella and wellington boots, which made super-cool photo-props. There are sooo many details to copy from this wedding, I'm slightly beside myself. I'm loving everything about Valerie's outfit, from her stunning earrings and the flower in her hair, to the bustle and bloom detailing on her dress. Have you spotted the bridesmaid's daisy pomander? This old-fashioned style of bouquet is making a come-back this season, so consider creating several for your bridesmaids, or hang them off the backs of chairs at your reception. One last detail-spot; don't miss the table stationery. Valerie and Jimmy went for a love-bird motif, and the laser-cut detail on the place settings is simply gorgeous! This wedding is a lesson in gorgeous styling - huge thanks to Stephanie Williams for sharing her fabulous pictures.


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Thursday 8 March 2012

My Latest Obsession - Wedding Macaroons

I'm aware that I'm hugely behind the curve on this, and that the macaron-trend ship has well and truly sailed, but I've suddenly become obsessed with macaroons at weddings. It's part of my new love of colour and brights, which in turn is almost certainly a response to the endless grey of the English winter. Once hugely expensive, you can now by macaroons at M&S, making them an affordable treat, and a lovely present for a girlfriend who's invited you round for dinner. Of course, the Ladurée macaroons {or macarons in French} will always be the ultimate luxury, for the packaging alone! If you can't afford to give all your guests a box of macaroons as a wedding favour, why not try a DIY macaroon wedding cake?


{Photo Credit} Aimeentnguyen via Vintage Rose Garden

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