Real Quirky Comic-Book Themed Wedding: Verity & Russell

Brighten up your day with this imaginative, comic-book themed wedding! It's packed full of stealworthy ideas, and I'm thrilled that the lovely Verity drew inspiration from Before the Big Day. We share a love of giant round balloons, along with a good wedding theme. Verity and Russell chose an old-school vibe of comic books and vintage board games to decorate their reception, and I reckon it's the first time I've seen a Monopoly board at a wedding! You'll have to wait for this afternoon's feature to see those details, but first, feast your eyes on Verity's fabulous Sophia Tolli wedding gown, her dramatic bouquet of red gerbera and Russell's fantastic red bow-tie. I also love her little bridemaids' dresses - their luxurious red sashes, and little ribbon wands. Verity has tonnes of great wedding advice on how to keep to your wedding budget - from DIY projects to winning competitions! Enjoy reading her answers to Before the Big Day's Bride's Questionnaire, and why not submit your wedding? Huge thanks to Rebecca L Weddings for her gorgeous pictures of this big day.

We got married on 18 May 2013 at Sudbury Hall in Derbyshire with a reception in Rosliston Forestry Centre. I won a competition by Wedding In A TeaCup so our wedding invitations were free. We went for a vintage look and used stamps to create the name tags.

Wedding Table Settings & Buffet Bags

Striped Paper Bags must be among my favourite things in the whole world. I have a huge selection in my craft cupboard, and you'd be amazed how often they come in useful, from present wrapping to colourful storage. When it comes to weddings, they're the perfect cheap and chic solution to favours, children's activity packs, and now as buffet bags! Aren't they just the cutest way to store your cutlery? I love these designs from Cherished Blessings. Their whole shop is packed full of fabulous wedding inspiration - with ideas you can copy or buy. And now I'm going to need to purchase a whole bunch of chevron bags - they're clearly the new stripes! P.S. For more budget-friendly paper bag ideas, check out my Pinterest board {I told you I was obsessed!}.

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Introducing Hen Party Superstore

Last weekend my best friend hosted her sister's hen weekend. Like all the best hens, the bride-to-be ended up dressed as a cow, wearing wild sunglasses and drinking cocktails out of a willie straw in Brighton. There's a lesson in this! It's doesn't matter how sophisticated and professional you are in your daily life, or how glamorous you're going to look on your wedding day, you need to let loose on your hen do, and embrace the cheese. It's a rite of passage, and if you miss it, you miss out. That's why I'm delighted to introduce Hen Party Superstore for all your hen weekend accessories. Browse by colour or theme, and pick up costumes, personalised t-shirts and sashes, and even gift bag fillers. And don't forget the Learner badge.....

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Real Boho Barn Wedding Video: Vicky & Richard

It's been a weekend of strong emotions here at the Before the Big Day studios. First there was the excitement of being featured in Wedding magazine, and then this wedding video trailer by White Dress Films had me in tears! Vicky and Richard celebrated their big day with a traditional church ceremony, followed by a gorgeous reception at South Farm in Cambridgeshire. There's tonnes of gorgeous reception details {pom-poms - yippee!}, but it's the Vicky's wedding outfit that's really got me excited. Her gorgeous fishtail gown has stunning lace straps, and she teamed it with a lovely cosy fur shrug - the perfect accessory for any spring bride. I also love her pageboys' outfits - their cute matching waistcoats and converse trainers. With pretty blue and red flowers arranged in lace jam-jars {the easiest and most effective DIY project ever}, stunning patterned wedding stationery {spot the programme at the start}, and even white peacocks, it's a treat from start to finish. Enjoy it with your morning coffee!

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Before the Big Day....in a magazine!

I've been meaning to mention this for ages, but other features kept pushing their way to the front of the list! Last month, there was huge excitement here at the Before the Big Day studios, as the new issue of Wedding magazine dropped in my letter box. There, on the back page, was a feature all about me! Obviously I'd known it was coming, but with everything that's going on, I forgot all about my interview with Features Writer, Vicky, until I spotted it over my lunch. If you'd like to have a read, do take a look at the August/September issue. It's all about how planning my wedding led to the launch of Before the Big Day, and now, Before the Baby. And if you want to know more about me, click here.

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Real Before the Big Day Bride: Katie & Michael - Reception Details

Time for the wedding reception details! With inspiration from wedding blogs like Before the Big Day, Katie and Michael spent two years preparing their wedding, so you can be sure of some stunning details. My favourites? I've fallen for Katie's incredible David Tutera for Mon Cheri wedding gown, her hand-tied peony and rose bouquet, and her bold bridesmaids' dresses. Nothing like a shot of pink to brighten up a big day! Other fav-picks include the elegant going away car {a Rolls Royce?}, and the super-cute personalised cake topper made by Artlocke Designs. I love how all the wedding details reflect the lace and pearl theme, it creates a really elegant effect you normally only get from a professionally planned wedding. Gorgeous wedding pictures published with thanks to Andrew Billington - don't miss more of his work on his website.

When we were looking around for wedding venues we wanted somewhere with a wow factor, and Waterton Park Hotel fitted the bill. We needed somewhere that would accommodate all 80 of our guests, and have a nice big room with the dance floor in the middle, and plenty of space for all of our DIY ideas. We wanted the decoration to be light and bright to reflect our summery wedding.

Our wedding photographer, Andrew Billington was also a recommendation - I think it's the best way to find a photographer because there are so many out there, which is a bit daunting at first. 

Real Before the Big Day Bride: Katie & Michael

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's nothing I like more than a Before the Big Day bride! Lovely Katie read Before the Big Day on a regular basis and even signed up for our newsletter as she prepared for her wedding, so it's so exciting for me to feature her gorgeous wedding pictures. A girl after my own heart, she researched her wedding on Pinterest, Etsy and of course Before the Big Day.   As a couple, Katie and Michael DIY'd tonnes of their wedding details, including all the stationery, from Save the Dates, table numbers, the table plan, and a fabulous photo booth. Katie's wedding theme gradually developed once she'd bought her wedding gown - a gorgeous lacy dress by David Tutera for Mon Cheri. This led to lots of lace and pearl wedding details, teamed with a deep raspberry pink and ivory colour palette. Tonnes more wedding details to come in the reception post later today, in the meantime enjoy these gorgeous wedding pictures by Andrew Billington.

We got married on the 22nd June 2013 at St Michael’s Church in East Ardsley and hosted our reception at the stunning Waterton Park Hotel in Walton, Wakefield.

Pretty Flower Crowns For Your Bridesmaids

If you're a regular reader of Before the Big Day, you'll know that nothing gets me more excited than a good flower crown. That, and bunting. I'm very big on bunting as well! So I hope you won't mind me featuring a selection of particularly pretty pictures of gorgeous headdresses by Rosie of Vintage Posie. The shots were taken by her friend and wedding photographer Kathryn Hopkins, and I'm sure you'll agree they look stunning! I love the wallpaper in the background as well - wouldn't that look great as the backing to your wedding invitations? Lovely wedding inspiration all round!

{Photo Credit} Kathryn Hopkins

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