DIY Bride - Homemade Lace Votives

Before I got engaged, I never really thought of myself as a crafty or creative person. But it's amazing how a wedding can wake up those school memories of glue and glitter. DIYing your wedding details is the easiest way to personalise your wedding, and it'll save you a fortune at the same time. So over the next few weeks, I'll be posting a few DIY wedding ideas, all of which I've attempted myself, with varying degrees of success. I figure that if I can do it....so can you! This first project involves glue, lace {I bought mine here}, and jam jars. It's so incredibly easy, I'm not sure it even counts as wedding DIY.

{First step}                                                                 {Second Step} 
You'll need...                                                                Fold the lace around the jam jar, leave an extra
Glue, lace, scissors, a jam jar                                       2cm and cut, using your scissors

{Third step}                                                                 {Last Step} 

Add glue to one end of the lace                                      Wrap the lace around the jam jar & neatly line
Try not to get glue on the floor like I did                           it up before glueing. Add pinwheels or candle.

And you're done! See - I told you that was easy. For smaller jam-jars just buy thinner lace. For more jam-jar wedding ideas, check out my Pinterest page.

♥ Want to see more DIY wedding ideas? ♥ Or how about wedding decoration ideas? ♥

If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter. 

Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

Whimsical Vintage Wedding Paper Bunting

Loving this pretty upcycled paper bunting that I spotted on my online stroll around fab crafting site Folksy. Created by the online Scottish boutique, Peony and Thistle, they're made out of the pages of rescued vintage books, so every banner is unique. They'd be perfect for a shabby chic wedding.

 ♥ Want to see some shabby chic wedding ideas? ♥ Or how about wedding decoration ideas? ♥

If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter. 

Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

Real Brights Autumn Garden Wedding: Kirsten & David

You've got to love sunflowers at a wedding. I've fallen head-over-heels for the beautiful wedding flowers in this fabulous big day from last autumn. The golden light and the glowing orange details colours create wonderfully warm effect, and I'm loving the outdoor family dining, the lanterns and the beautiful twinkling overhead lights. Throw in a beautiful bride with a flower in her hair, and hand-painted wedding stationery and I'm in heaven.  I'm loving all the vintage prop details, the old watering cans, the jam-jars filled with flowers, the blackboards, and the birds nest confetti baskets. So many stealworthy DIY-able ideas, you'll want to save these pics on your Pinterest board for sure! Huge thanks to Jessamyn Harris for her truly beautiful pictures.

Wedding Credits
Venue and Food - Barndiva
Planning and design - A Savvy Event
Florals - Fleuressence
Hair & Makeup - It’s a Date

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

If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter. 

Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

Today I ♥ - Sandpaper Wedding Confetti Hearts

Let's me honest, weddings can be a pretty girly affair. So why not add these touch lough 'Kiss Me' confetti hearts to your wedding tables, as a nod to the man in your life. Punched from sandpaper, they'll juxtapose nicely with your pretty pink peonies, and flowered napkins, and they're perfect for a rustic style big day. Pick them up from Etsy shop ScrapHappieAZ {they also come in pink and polka dots!}.

♥ Want more rustic wedding ideas? ♥ Or how about wedding detail ideas? ♥

If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter. 

Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

Choosing Your Wedding Venue - 6 Questions to Ask

You're engaged! Congratulations! So where are you getting married? If you don't have an obvious venue, this can be the question that strikes fear into a bride's heart. If you're finding it really hard to choose where to celebrate your wedding day, don't worry, you're not alone. I have two newly engaged friends, who are right now tearing their hair out over where to get married. They're both very different - one couple are looking for the perfect field and farm, the others are on the search for the best London landmark, with Kew Gardens high on their list. The venue is key to the type of wedding you'll be having, and that's why it can be the hardest decision. Until you know your wedding style, it's hard to pick your wedding venue. And until you pick your wedding venue, it's hard to pick your wedding style. Argh!! But fear not, help is at hand thanks to Before the Big Day. Here are five questions to help you make a decision.

{Photo Credit} Caught the Light

1. How many people do you want to invite?
2. Home or abroad?
3. Urban or countryside?
4. Decorated or empty?
5. Smart or casual?
6. Budget - big or small?

Or there is the Lucky 7th option....have two weddings like we did! One in France, and one in London. One large and one small. One expensive, one budget. One countryside, one urban. One inside, one outside. One casual, one elegant. The best of both worlds!

♥ Want to see some wedding theme ideas? ♥ Or how about wedding decoration ideas? ♥

If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter. 

Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

Before the Big Day in the BBC Magazine

After the immense excitement last week, when I appeared on the BBC World Service, you can imagine the incandescence when I discovered Before the Big Day had also earned a mention on the BBC magazine website! *Happy dance!* Please do take a look....here!

{Product Credit} Tongue-in-cheek posters created by Livy Love Designs

♥ Want to see some wedding theme ideas? ♥ Or how about Real Wedding ideas? ♥

If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter. 

Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

Wow Wow Wow Jenny Packham Bridal Collection 2013

It doesn't take a huge amount to get me excited, but my pulse leapt three feet when I spotted a sneak-peak of the Jenny Packham 2013 Bridal Collection on Before the Big Day's Facebook page. I knew I had to share them with you instantly! We're talking some seriously divine wedding dresses, with an English garden theme. With names like Azalea, Marigold and Mimosa, I'm finding it hard to pick a favourite. They're not available until September this year, but any lovely brides getting married in Autumn/Winter 2012 are in for a treat! P.S. If you're looking for a reasonable wedding dress, have you spotted the Sample Sale section of Before the Big Day? Follow me on Twitter to find out about all the Wedding Dress Sample Sales.

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

If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter. 

Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

Real Zingy Citrus Wedding: Ashley & Allen

A gorgeous tangy wedding for your delectation this lunch time. I'm loving the zingy feature colours Ashley and Allen chose for their wedding, and check out their fantastic candy bar! Stealworthy ideas include the cute blue-bird stickers they used to seal their sweetie bags (why not pick your own wedding mascot?), the gorgeous lacy wonder of a cake and the fab bridal bouquet of citrus freasias beribboned in blue. Also loving the groom and ushers casual outfits, if the weather's hot, it's almost cruel to make the boys wear full suits. Just give them a tie and a sharp white shirt and let them roll up their sleeves. Don't miss Ashley's lovely flat yellow shoes - I love a bride in flats! Big love to the team at Our Labour of Love for their inspirational photos. They always have tonnes of great portrait poses to copy.

♥ Want more yellow-themed wedding ideas? ♥ Or how about fruity wedding ideas? ♥

If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up for our free newsletter. 

Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.