A Traditional Countryside Wedding with a Fabric Inspired Theme - The Reception

It's taken me far too long to put up the second half of this amazing detail-filled wedding, {I've had horrible flu}, but believe me, it's worth the wait! Bride Amy read Before the Big Day while preparing for her wedding, and took her decor details to the next level. We're talking 250 meters of hand-sewn bunting, homemade fudge wedding favours, and carefully painted dog food tin can vases. The result is a perfectly rustic English country garden theme, with a pretty green and blue colour palette. I love all the Colefax and Fowler fabrics, and the DIY'd table flowers, picked from Blooming Green Flower Farm. Look carefully at every picture for the little extras, including the twine-tied jam jar lanterns, the blackboard paint table names, menu cork stands and burlap table runners. Huge thanks to Amy for submitting her wedding, and filling in the Before the Big Day Bride's Questionnaire, and to Kate Murrell Weddings for her beautiful wedding pictures. Don't miss the two fantastic wedding videos at the end - one by 

We got married on the 27th July at St Michael and All Angels in Withyham, in Sussex, and we hosted our reception in my parent’s garden ten minutes away from the church.

As I work in interior design I was very into the visual side of the wedding planning, and I had a scrapbook full of sketches, pictures and fabrics! I wanted to go for a very traditional English country wedding look, with bunting, a pole marquee, trestle tables and country garden flowers. 

A Traditional English Countryside Wedding with a Floral Fabric Inspired Theme

This is one of those simply perfect weddings, where you just want to dive in and devour all the details. Lovely Amy read Before the Big Day in the run up to her wedding, and along with her husband Alex, they created the most amazing array of pretty DIY'd decorations. Amy works in interior design, so she was very keen on the visual side of the wedding planning, and started with a scrapbook full of sketches, pictures and fabrics. In fact the wedding colour palette was entirely themed on a tiny scrap of fabric - a pretty blue and green floral print on a cream background. The crafty projects are never-ending! Along with her mum, Amy made 250 meters of double sided bunting {now available to hire!}, dried all the confetti in their airing cupboard, and picked and arranged all the marquee flowers. Meanwhile Alex's mum made the fudge favours, and not to be outdone, Alex made the chalkboard table-plan. There's so many stealworthy ideas to choose, but my favourites have to be Amy's stunning self-designed wedding gown, her adorable traditional pageboys' outfits {in knickerbockers made by her mum!}, and Amy's family jewellery - some serious rocks!! Huge thanks to Kate Murrell Weddings for her stunning pictures of the day....more to come in Part 2.

We got married on the 27th July at St Michael and All Angels in Withyham, in Sussex, and we hosted our reception in my parent’s garden ten minutes away from the church.

As I work in interior design I was very into the visual side of the wedding planning, and I had a scrapbook full of sketches, pictures and fabrics! I wanted to go for a very traditional English country wedding look, with bunting, a pole marquee, trestle tables and country garden flowers. 

My Top 5 Beauty Products For Your Wedding Day

{Posting by Julia Bowden, Before the Big Day's Hair & Make-up Expert} As a professional make-up artist, I'm always getting asked 'what is the best beauty brand?'. Sadly it's not that simple, because while one brand will make the best lipstick ever, their foundation won't rock my world. You have to pick and choose. Luckily for you, I'm the original product junkie, on a constant quest to find new and exciting lotions and potions. So while I do the testing, you can reap the rewards, and only buy the best for your wedding day. In my wedding beauty features for Before the Big Day I'll be keeping you up-to-date with all the latest hair and beauty innovations, so you can look your best on your wedding day. Follow me on Twitter for all the latest updates or email me here.

{Photo Credit} Julia Bowden's Wedding Hair & Make-up Work

To kick things off this time round, I just wanted to fill you in on the beauty products I can't shake. No matter how hard I try to innovate, I keep coming back to those old faithfuls. Georgia told me to come up with my Top 5 but I’ve got 7 {whoops…sorry Georgia}! Remember, this isn't just about your bridal make-up bag. In my view the following products are staple make-up investments for every girl. Not just for your wedding day, but for life!

1: Laura Mercier foundation Primer – smoothes your skin ready for foundation and makes it last all day {I promise}! I can't wear a full face of make-up without it. I'm officially addicted.
2: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation - light and sheer, looks like real skin but fabulously light reflective with great natural coverage
3: Bobbi Brown: Pot Rouge in Pale Pink - for the original blushing bride look, very natural, lasts all day and breaths life into your face.
4: By Terry Touch Expert Advanced Under Eye Pen - From the lady who designed the famous Touch Eclat for YSL, this is similar in that it’s light reflective, but it also covers dark circles and plumps the skin around the eyes. An all-in-one dark-circle destroyer.
5: Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils Luxurious Mascara – Instant false lash effect, no clogs and great longevity – can't argue with that!
6: Mac Blankety Lip Stick – A lovely nude lip colour that's so flattering and natural – it suits almost everyone.
7: Urban Decay Naked Eye Shadow Palette – A lovely range of shades for creating dramatic or subtle looks – a great all rounder palette you'll use time and time again.

I hope you enjoy them! Till next time xJB

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Introducing Alice Cowen Personal Training for Your Wedding-Ready Body

Brides looking to slim down and tone up for the wedding are in for a treat! Before the Big Day's Nutrition & Fitness Editor, Alice Cowen is back from three busy years in Mallorca, and now available for personal training in the UK. Alice is a secret weapon for her celebrity clients, as she's known to whip people into shape in just a couple of months. She's their go-to girl for red carpet emergencies, and the perfect person to get your bottom walking-down-the-aisle ready, and your tummy honeymoon-bikini-flat! She sorted me out before my wedding, and although I felt the pain, I've never felt more confident as I did on my big day. So if you're looking for a last-minute blast ahead of your winter wedding, or a more gradual long-term figure-change for the summer, then take a look at her website. Alice is based in Dorset, but comes up to London three days a week, and she's also available for Skype training.....and if you think you can get away with cheating on the squats via Skype, think again! This girl is strict! Read more about Alice on her Bootique blog.

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Seasonal Flowers? How To Get The Wedding Flowers You Want

Did you know that there are brides who plan their wedding according to which flower is in season? I didn't quite got that far, but I was very conscious that peonies are in season in late May / June, and Lily-of-the-Valley in late April / early May. I love both blooms, and I was really keen to include them in my bouquets {I had two weddings - find out why!}, so I was thrilled both came into season right on time. One bride I know wasn't so lucky. Her favourite flowers are dahlias, and she was genuinely distressed that they weren't in season for her summer wedding. Her mother-in-law even tried to force them in her greenhouse! Luckily I've stumbled across a solution - artificial flowers. I'm not talking about the plastic cheapies that you find on the tables of dodgy restaurants, but truly beautiful silk blooms. I have a bouquet of pretend peonies on my dining room table right now, and everyone keeps asking me where I've found them in autumn. They're that realistic! And the added benefit is they've saved me a fortune - artificial flowers are so much cheaper than the real thing, and they last forever - a great money-saving tip for budget-conscious brides. You could keep your bouquet forever! Enjoy these pictures and take a look at my Pinterest board for some serious bouquet brilliance.

{Photo Credit} Bouquet by KM Floral Design, picture by Orange Owl Photo - see the rest of this wedding on Oh Lovely Day

{Photo Credits} 1. Picture by Riverland Studios, Bouquet by Violet Floral Design | 2. Unknown

{Photo Credits} Unknown

{Photo Credits} 1. Picture by Brooke Schultz Photography, Bouquet by Calie Rose, more from this wedding on Style Me Pretty | 2. Unknown

{Photo Credits} 1. Jason Tey Photography, Bouquet by Flower Opera, more from this wedding shoot on Burnett's Boards | 2. Unknown

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Wedding Trend for 2014 - Two-Piece Wedding Dresses

If you're the opposite of a Princess bride - i.e. someone who's loves poufy Vera Wang-style wedding dress, then you're going to fall head-over-heels for these amazing modern gowns by ShopDionne. They're bang on trend for 2014, which is going to be all about the two-piece wedding gown. Stylish and economical, separates are much more likely to be worn again, so they're a great choice for brides with one eye on their budget. Dress designer, Anya is Canadian, and she sells her mini-collection of wedding gowns on Etsy. Each item is stylish, and handmade, and really reasonably priced.... the top gown in particular, looks almost couture in style, and it comes in at under £1400.

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Boho Hippy Wedding Hair

Boho brides are going to love these feathery hair extensions from Feather Ray. Add them to your hair for a hippy festival look, or coordinate your bridesmaids with subtle matching strands. Every extension is handpicked and once applied, can be curled, straightened or styled like your own hair. Choose from a natural blend for subtle flecks or go wild with the Rainbow Festival mix. They're only £15 for a pack of seven - cheap and chic!

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An Enchanted Forest Wedding Themed Around Music & Love - The Reception

This dreamy destination wedding has got me wanting to get married all over again! Nuria and Jordi chose a love and music theme for their big day, and designed many of their wedding details around this central idea. Their wedding stationery was made out of origami paper, and came with directions on how to fold it into a piano - such an original idea! The other wedding theme centred around their wedding venue - their boutique hotel, La Garriga de Castelladral, near Barcelona in Spain. I've fallen for all their wedding details, from the stunning balloon release, to the bubble confetti and the exciting children's sweetie table - it's like a scene from Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. So many stunning details - huge thanks to Abreras & Ruso for capturing every detail!

We got married on the 7th of July 2012 at La Garriga de Castelladr, a magical boutique hotel in the middle of nature, one hour from Barcelona in Spain.

Our wedding photographers were Abreras & Ruso. They are a team of two, and they're very professional and skilled. We chose them because their work is very natural and spontaneous.