Wonderful Wedding Blog Links

Spring is here, which means the wedding season is in full swing. It's now that Saturday becomes the busiest working day for a wedding photographer, and church wardens spend every Sunday morning sweeping up confetti. If you're planning a spring or summer wedding, you'll have all the big things booked {wedding venue, caterer, wedding flowers, etc}, and you're onto the fun bit....the wedding details. That's why this week's wonderful wedding blog links is full of inspirational stardust, to help you, make your wedding stand out from the crowd. Enjoy! P.S. This weekend I've been home alone without my husband, and I've spent the whole weekend playing with wedding DIY ideas. You can spy the fruits of my labour on my Facebook page. P.P.S Next week I'm introducing my latest wedding expert...don't miss it!

♥ {Photo Credit} This Modern Romance -  How about inviting a donkey to your wedding?

♥ Tonnes of wedding detail ideas

♥ Get your bridesmaids to DIY your wedding hair {via the amazing Cup of Jo}

♥ Loving how this bride and groom used vintage mirrors {via wedding blog Green Wedding Shoes}

♥ Add an accessory to your wedding cocktails

♥ Place fabulous props in odd places like in this vintage wedding {via wedding blog 100 Layer Cake}

♥ Digg out your old board games for fun wedding table decorations {via wedding blog Project Wedding}

♥ Consider a wedding vintage car like Kate &William! {via wedding blog Rock My Wedding}

♥ Make your guests see stars {via the amazing Cup of Jo}

♥ What about your wedding nail polish?

♥ Win your wedding cake topper {via wedding blog The Pretty Blog}

♥ Make your own wedding photo prop speech bubbles {via wedding blog Rock n' Roll Bride}

♥ Cute wedding favour ideas

♥ Don't forget you can WIN 5 amazing Alphabet Bags for your bridesmaids, thanks to your favourite wedding blog

♥ Want more wedding theme ideas? ♥ Or how about DIY wedding ideas? ♥

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Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

Shoot the Wedding Dress Post-Wedding Pictures

It's pretty hard to get great wedding pictures of the bride and groom. Most portraits are taken during the cocktail reception, just after the ceremony, which is exactly the point when you {as bride} and your new husband {woohoo!} will want to chat to your guests. You might even be feeling a little bit stressed - after all you're hosting the most expensive party of your lives, you want it to go well and you're the centre of attention. That's why your wedding photographer has to be truly talented. Somehow, they've got to get you feeling comfortable and looking your best, plus all sorts of other photographer-things sorted, like light and lenses. So there are two alternative options. One is to have a first look, like in this wedding, where the bride and groom see each other before walking down the aisle, and have their portraits before the wedding. The other is to have a Shoot the Dress sessions after your big day. The great thing about Option 2 is that it gives you the chance to wear your wedding dress again {yippee!}, and you can have a lovely long shoot with no pressure or great-aunts-who-just-want-a-quick-word-with-the-bride. Take inspiration from these fabulous pictures from Christy Blanch Photography.

♥ Want more countryside wedding ideas? ♥ Or how about vintage wedding ideas? ♥

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Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

Brilliant Cheap & Chic Bridesmaid Presents & A Competition!

Ever since one of my coolest friends chose Alphabet Bags for presents for her bridesmaids {pics here}, I've had a mega-crush on their fab designs. So when I discovered they'd launched a special range for weddings, I got very excited, and sent them a quick email promising a feature here on Before the Big Day. Imagine my excitement when they wrote back offering a fabulous Giveaway AND a Discount Code {sooo deserving of capital letters}. Win 5 bags from the Alphabet Bag Wedding Collection for you and your bridesmaids! All you need to do is Like Before the Big Day on Facebook, and leave a comment below saying which is your favourite bag. I'll announce the winner a week today {29th March}. Don't worry if you don't win, you can still get 15% off this week on bags, with the code BIGDAY.

♥ Want more Bridesmaid ideas? ♥ Or how about DIY wedding ideas? ♥

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Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

Welcome Our New Wedding Beauty & Hair Expert

Now that Before the Big Day is over 2 years old {my baby, so big!}, it's time for this boutique wedding blog to get growing! I'm all about roping in as much wedding expertise as possible, because I want you to be able to plan an exquisite wedding, with tonnes of beautiful details to make it stand out from the crowd. You're also going to want to look your very best on your big day, and I'm the first to admit that wedding beauty and make-up are not my speciality. So that's why I'm thrilled to welcome the lovely Julia Bowden to the Before the Big Day wedding blog team!

{Photo Credit} Julia Bowden's hair & make-up work.

Julia is a professional make-up artist and hair stylist who works on music videos, adverts, fashion shoots, TV and films. She's a serious name in the hair and beauty world, but {thank goodness} she loves working as a bridal make-up artist as well. For brides-in-the-know, she's a secret beauty weapon, and I've heard her name mentioned in hushed tones at many a wedding reception.

If you're on the search for a make-up artist and hair stylist for your wedding, contact Julia or follow her on Twitter, but in the meantime, enjoy her beauty and hair advice for free on Before the Big Day! Click back on the blog tomorrow for her first posting - My Top 5 Wedding Beauty Products Ever.

♥ Want more wedding beauty ideas? ♥ Or how about wedding hair ideas? ♥

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Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

DIY Bride - Homemade Tissue Flowers

My preparations for The InWedding Show are in full swing, and all I can think about are the decorations for my Before the Big Day stand, and the room where I'll be hosting my special wedding inspiration sessions. It's just like planning for another wedding! I've been buying vintage props like this vintage typewriter, old apple crates, and crafting materials like peach tissue paper, colourful inks and heart-patterned straws. I'll be hosting four sessions on 22nd April, on the themes 'How to Make Your Wedding Fabulous {Themes & Colours}' and 'DIY Weddings Made Easy'. As part of my planning, I've been practicing my DIY skills, and I'm particularly pleased with how these little tissue flowers turned out. Made with nothing more than tissue paper, a toothpick and glue, they take less than 3 minutes to make! Check out the tutorial from fabulous crafting blog Oh Happy Day, and make sure you sign up for my wedding inspiration sessions when you buy your tickets for The In Wedding Show {only £3.50 in advance}.

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Amazing Alice in Wonderland Wedding Shoot

Alice in Wonderland is one of my favourite wedding themes of all time. Like many classic stories, it's got tonnes of potential wedding details. From the Queen of Hearts as a colour theme, to the Mad Hatter's Tea-Party for your reception, and Drink Me, Eat Me labels for favours, you'll have your work cut out for you to keep up with every wedding detail. You could even dress your waiting staff as White Rabbits. For more wedding inspiration, take a look at this fabulous wedding shoot by Erika from Photo Madly. For more pictures, do check out the Alice in Wonderland wedding blog, where this shoot first appeared.

Credit List
Photography by Erika Szostak for Photo Madly
Cakes & Dessert table by Flutterby Bakery
Flowers by Amanda Refoy Flowers
Alice's bespoke dress by Marrianne Designs
Props by Peter Gosbee & Alice Dreams: A Wonderland of Curiosities
Make-up by Alessia Mancini
Hair by Elloise India Willett
Assistant Photography by Mike Oddhayward
Models: Alice - Miriam Gisbey, Mad Hatter - Peter Gosbee. Special thanks to Andrew White for his invaluable help in organising the shoot.

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.

Before the Big Day Personal Trainer - Healthy Eating Tip

{Advice from Alice} A power smoothie is a great way to start the day. This particular drink is quick to make and full of goodness, with protein from the yoghurt, two of your five a day in the raspberries and a banana, and oats to keep you full all morning. It's low fat and super good for you - a great way to start your wedding diet! Don't miss Alice's other wedding personal training blog posts for Before the Big Day.

For one Power Smoothie, all you need is:
1 small bowl of fresh or frozen raspberries
1 glass of skimmed milk
1 0% bio fat free yoghurt
1 tbls runny honey
1 banana
1 cup of oats
apple juice for consistency

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Wonderful Wedding Blog Links

This week I am mostly shattered! It's been a long one - recovering from my overnight flight from South Africa, and getting used to being back at my day job. It's also been a very exciting week behind the scenes for Before the Big Day. Next week I'm hoping to welcome not one, but two new wedding gurus to the blog. They'll be following in the footsteps of our wedding blog's personal trainer, Alice Cowen, who's been blogging up a storm of fitness hints and healthy recipes. I've also started my preparations for The In-Wedding Show, where I'll be hosting four fabulous wedding inspiration sessions. With a stand and a room to decorate, it's the perfect excuse to buy tonnes of vintage props!

♥ Why your wedding pictures can still be fabulous in the rain! Photo Credit {above} Our Labour of Love

♥ I'm besotted with this bride's wedding dress - it's like a T-shirt! {via wedding blog Once Wed}

♥ Win this fabulous Paula Pryke book 

♥ Colourful bridesmaids dresses you'll love!

♥ Two lovely DIY ideas for Mothering Sunday from Heart Handmake UK {my new favourite blogger}

♥ Heirloom underwear

♥ I'm going to try to make one of these this weekend

♥ Loving the buttonholes in this spring wedding {via wedding blog Grey Likes Weddings}

♥ Love this idea on how to stamp the inside of your envelopes

♥ Romantic hair trend {via wedding blog Flights of Fancy}

♥ A cool industrial wedding with baby's breath {via wedding blog Inspired By This}

♥ I want this summer dress

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