Real Rustic Beach-side Wedding

I've fallen in love big-time with this wedding. There are just so many stealworthy ideas, and every time I look at the pics, I spot more and more. I've only just noticed that they used a slice of log as a cake stand - super rustic but super stylish! It's all down to the happy couple, Betty and Kent. Betty is an interior designer, and you can really see her talent reflected in these gorgeous pictures by Punam Bean. Lace is a dominant theme, starting with Betty's dress, and continuing to the bridesmaids' parasols and the delicately decorated water bottles. Also loving the bright pop bottles and pashmina library, plus Betty's fab red shoes - yum!

Truly Wearable Silky Wrap Bridesmaids Dresses

If I had a £ for every real wedding I'd featured that included Dessy bridesmaids dresses, I'd be a very rich wedding blogger indeed! There's no doubt their gowns are gorgeous, and super-wearable, but I'd like to break their hold on their wedding world, and recommend a new, boutique designer. Hiding behind these life-rings is the 'Octopus Infinity Wrap Dress', designed by Coralie Beatrix! It's a special gown that converts into several different styles - depending on your bridesmaids' style. The gowns come in a massive array of colours, and in multiple sizes - from child-size, to maternity and plus size. I love the luxurious silky jersey satin fabric, and the fact you can pimp your gown with a mermaid train! P.S. Another recommendation from Before the Big Day Real Brides is House of Brides for bridesmaids gowns.

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Fall in Love with Claire Pettibone Wedding Dresses

There must be something in the air - I've been day-dreaming about planning my wedding all over again! Maybe it's the lovely sunshine, or the wedding invitations dropping through my letter box, but I'm going to have to start a fantasy wedding Pinterest board to get it out of my system. First on every bride's list is the wedding gown, and my favourite designer at the moment has to be Claire Pettibone. Her wedding dresses are a work of art! Here are just a few of my favourites, but do have a browse through her collections - they're all up on her website.

{Above) Beauty, {Below} Devotion

Chic Separates for Summer Wedding Page Boys

Are you having pageboys at your wedding? I was supposed to have my nephew, but it didn't quite work out. The plan was for him to walk down the aisle ahead of me, with a sign saying 'Here Comes the Bride', but unfortunately he fell asleep just before his big moment! To be fair, he was only one, and now I've got my own little son, I realise how impossible they are to manage. I also had no idea what I wanted my nephew to wear. In the end, my mum picked him up this outfit from M&S, and he looked super cute. {See pictures of my wedding}.  If you fancied going for something a little more bespoke, on of my real brides discovered Little Linens, and I've since become a huge fan of their chic separates. They're great for flowers girls and bridesmaids dresses as well {although for me Monsoon has cornered that market}, but their real strength is their pageboy range. Take a look! Now all you've got to do is keep them clean until the group photographs.....

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Burlap & Peach Modern Desert Wedding

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say we need more peach in the world. More peach and more burlap. Luckily, Karen and John, the happy couple in this real wedding understand the worth if giving good peach and burlap, and celebrated their big day in serious style. I'm loving their cute-as-a-button ring pillow, Karen's gorgeous laid-back style {simple veil, hair down, let the dress do the talking}, the family-style dining tables, and the glamorous golden table numbers. Throw in the wedding favour succulents and bluey mason jar vases, and I'm a very happy wedding blogger. Incredible photographs published with thanks to Sarah Yates.

Nominate Before the Big Day for the Wedding Blog Awards 2014

How quickly a year passes!!! Last October, I was lucky enough to win Editor's Pick at the Wedding Magazine Wedding Blog Awards 2013, at a start-studded ceremony at The Ritz Hotel. It was a FANTASTIC evening, and an amazing honour to win - and I can't tell you how much of a confidence boost it gave me. So I'm hoping I'm not pushing my luck, by asking you to vote for me ALL OVER AGAIN! Wedding Magazine have just launched the application process for 2014, and I have a huge favour to ask. Could you quickly tap in a few words for praise for me? This year I'm going for Best Big Day Inspiration, as I rather think it suits Before the Big Day. All you need to do is visit Wedding magazine's blog awards page and fill in the deets. Literally a one minute affair, and everyone who nominates will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win golden tickets to Wedding Magazine's fabulous Bloggers' Tea Party {oh yes!}, and a Diamonfire jewellery set worth £80. Plus it would make me a very happy lady....almost as happy as this bride!

{Photo Credit} the very talented We Resolve

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Exciting Alex Monroe Jewellery Sample Sale

My favourite jewellery designer of all time, Alex Monroe, is hosting a sample sale round the corner from my house. It's like they planned it especially for me! My mum gave me his Bumble Bee necklace for my 30th birthday, and I still wear it every day. You'll love his nature-inspired, intricate necklaces, rings and bracelets, and you're bound to pick up presents for your bridesmaids, or even something naughty for your wedding day. Prices will start at £40, and on sale you'll find samples, discontinued jewellery & slight seconds from across their collections. It all starts this Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th June at the hip Shoreditch venue, The Hoxton Hotel. I'll be there bang-on 11am, and the sale is open each day until 6pm. There's an Entry Fee of £1, which will be donated to The Haven Breast Cancer Support Centre. Enjoy!

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Pretty Unique Printable Wedding Stationery

Given half a chance, I'd spend hours of every day browsing the amazing artistic offerings that make up Etsy. If you haven't discovered it yet, you're going to fall head-over-heels. Along with Pinterest {& Before the Big Day}, it's the only website you need to create a truly individual wedding day. My latest find are the fabulous stationery designers behind Yes Dear, Studio. Aubrey and Philip create gorgeous, unique wedding invitations and Save the Dates - many printable at home - a genius idea to save you precious pennies. My favourites are pictured below - I love the vinyl botanical design {which comes with a real-life record!}, the desert-style invitations, and the library book style. They've also designed bookmark Save the Dates, so you can start your theme from the start!

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Destination Mexican Wedding Featuring a Donkey & Tequilla

The perfect wedding is an alchemy of romance, design and organisation, plus a supercalifragilistic-expialidocious photographer. In this case Stephanie Williams from This Modern Romance, seriously rocked the wedding photographs, taking pics of every little, exquisite detail. The bride and groom behind this romance are Erica and Abrahm, who celebrated their big day on Valentine's Day in the gorgeous mountain town of San Miguel De Allende in Mexico, at an historic colonial villa called Casa Chorro. The wedding theme of orange and grey, succulents, wood and French linen worked perfectly with the venue, and I've fallen for Erica's lace Monique Lhuillier dress, bespoke-dyed Kate Spade shoes and succulent bouquet. Their wedding coordinator, Guadalupe Alvarez from Penzi Weddings, did an amazing job of coordinating the three days of celebration. Not only did she provide the flowers, decor, and Benito the tequila donkey, but her team built the whole raised reception dance floor on the villa grounds in less than two days! Amazing!

Pretty Pastel Lavender & Old Lace Millinery Wedding Inspiration Shoot

Celebrate the start of the summer wedding season with this stunning wedding inspiration shoot organised and styled by Fabiola Capo Milliner. I'm in love with the whimsical prettiness - the vintage book props, the feathery softness of the wedding gowns, the wide pastel bouquets, but most of all the divine accessories. Just take a look at the chic cuteness that is the Pink Champagne Pillbox Hat, and the vintage fabulousness of the silk capelet - such a clever take on a veil. Brides keen on a hint of Great Gatsby will adore the Pearl Headdress, and boho brides will fall for the Blushing Bride Halo. Stunning pictures by 13:13 Photography

A Rustic Mountain Lakeside Wedding with Rich Purple Details

Mountain weddings have to be amongst the most romantic, and they're pretty rare - I see a lot of weddings and not many are set in such dramatic scenery. This is a burlap wedding, one of those gorgeous affairs where elegance and rustic meet with a heavenly combination of details you'll want to copy. My stealworthy spots are the invitations, complete with mini wood charm, the silver birch candle stands and the coolest cake stand in the world. Huge thanks to Jose Villa for his perfect photographs - every one is a winner.

Homemade DIY Rustic Wedding Signs

One of my favourite DIY details at my wedding were the homemade wooden wedding signs. I'd spotted tonnes of them on Etsy, but with our tight budget, we were keen to DIY as much of our wedding as possible. Thank goodness for my helpful father- and brother-in-law! Between the two of them, they rustled up some fantastic signs, all made out of old wooden pallets, which cost next to nothing. The day before my wedding my in-laws scattered signs throughout the village, so nobody got lost. They also made for great wedding decorations around our wedding venue. Take a look the pictures from my wedding day {by Chloe at Caught the Light}, plus a few more for inspiration. If you want more ideas on what to write on your signs, check out my Pinterest page or Facebook page.

{Pictures above by Caught the Light}

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Real Fun-filled Farm-style Wedding

Brace yourselves for a wedding inspiration overload from this gorgeous vintage-themed countryside wedding. Fabulous couple, Julia and Mark planned a beautiful rural wedding with wild flowers, tractors, green gingham tablecloths, and a huge cheese cake. They decorated their barn reception with pretty DIY wedding details, including candle holders tied with lace and twine, a wooden place settings board with luggage label tags hanging off different door handles, and lovely bundles of herbs on each plate. Guests had a great time flying kites {such a fun idea, the daylight equivalent of sky lanterns}, dressing up in silly wigs, and later in the evening lighting sparklers. Fabulous pictures by the lovely Artis Studios.

Real Elegant French Chateau Wedding

Totally obsessed with this immensely classy wedding in the Loire Valley in France.The location is just divine, and shows you how hugely atmospheric the right venue can be, and how much it can add to your big day. When the gardens are this exquisite, you'll hardly need to add any flowers, saving your pennies for the honeymoon, or a gorgeous Croque en Bouche profiterole cake like the one picture below. The pictures for this wedding come thanks to Punam Bean, who truly captured the happiness of Cailen and Sean's big day. Just look at the smiles! Sean's dress is pure fairy-tale and I love the little lavender bouquets and boys' buttonholes. As for the last picture, who doesn't want their day to end with sparkle?

A Castle Wedding with a Simple, Elegant Theme

If you want to feel like a princess on your big day, then you're going to need to hire a castle for your wedding venue. Luckily there are plenty of venues in the UK to tick your castle-box - not least the dramatic Hedingham Castle in Essex hired by gorgeous bride and groom, Liz and Mike. Liz wholeheartedly adopted the regal feel for her wedding style, wearing a beautiful, champagne gown from Allure Bridal, teamed with a divine, sparkly tiara by Andrew Prince. Sparkly emerald cut diamond earrings, plus an art deco design wedding ring completed her elegant look. Mike lived up to his bride's style, with a smart grey morning suit and dove-grey waistcoat. The whole ceremony was beautifully pictured by Kristian Leven, enjoy his shots - many more to come later today, including all the detail photographs from the elegant, ivory and platinum themed reception.

We got married on Friday 5 April, 2013 at Hedingham Castle in Essex. We had our ceremony in the castle itself before going over to the Georgian house and marquee for our reception.
 

The first part of my outfit I bought was my tiara. It was made by Andrew Prince in London who I went to see after seeing some of his pieces in a bridal magazine. His shop was being refurbished when we went, but he set me up with a Snow-White style mirror and a cabinet overflowing with tiaras and jewellery. The young girl in me who had dreamed of being a Disney princess was in her element!

I chose a tiara that had emerald cut accents that coordinated with my engagement ring {an emerald cut diamond solitaire}. It was more expensive than I had budgeted for, but I had to have it. It was as close to a real diamond tiara as you could get {Andrew makes the tiaras for Downton Abbey, that’s how good they are!}, and I couldn't get married in anything else. My mum bought it for me as a birthday present on the condition it became a family heirloom, and is now kept in a safe so that I don't wear it out. The moment my tiara went on was the moment I became a Bride and everything fell in to place for me. All the nerves disappeared and I just felt incredible.

Introducing Bob Owen Wedding Photography

Looking back, it's like my wedding passed in a flash. Or perhaps it was more of a blur - particularly after two glasses of champagne at our reception! I remember after our big day, we couldn't wait to see our official wedding pictures. We begged our friends to send their iPhone shots - just to try to piece together the bits of our big day that we missed. You're bound to feel the same way, and that's why I'm thrilled to recommend Bob Owen Photography. His beautiful reportage style captures the fleeting, precious moments of your wedding day, making memories on your behalf. With twenty-five years of experience, you can be sure you're putting yourself in good hands. Bob is wholly professional and easy going - just the type of person you'd want to have around on your wedding day. His packages start at a reasonable £1200, and he offers both the option of an album, or digital copies of your pictures. I've been enjoying looking through his blog - it's full of beautiful shots, and testimonials.

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Wedding Trends of 2014 - Air Plants

Can I let you into a secret? If you want to be ahead of the wedding fashion curve, then take a look at the wedding blogs from across the Atlantic. All the way over in California, they're always one step ahead of the trends, and every year, about three or four of the mega-trends wing their way over to the UK. One of the big ones for this summer and autumn is air plants. These cute, often spidery plants, are a great way to add green to your big day, while being super-eco friendly. They require hardly any water to grow {unlike cut flowers that often need loads}, and air plants will still be alive after your big day, as a growing reminder. But the best thing? They look fantastic! Just take a look at these wreaths by Peacock Taco. Shop owner Robin has lots of favour ideas too - take a look at her shop! P.S. I found lots of air plants for sale on Amazon and eBay.

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A Swedish Boat Club Wedding with a Simple White Theme - The Reception

This simply stunning wedding goes to show that you don't need tonnes of wedding details for the perfect wedding, just lots of love, good cheer, and fantastic friends, Johan and Maria celebrated their big day by the water, in a boat club decorated by their family and friends. I love the elegance of the single green-white carnations, white candles and pastel green table stationery. The views of the water are just spectacular, and it goes to show that you don't need tonnes of decoration if your venue stands out. Lucky Maria went to school with wedding photographer Annevi Petersson, who shot these beautiful wedding pictures. Don't you wish your going away transport was a boat!

We celebrated our wedding on 24 August 2013, in Åhus in Sweden. We got engaged in 2002, but it took another ten years, and two beautiful children later and a lot of encouragement from the bride until Johan proposed a second time!

He chose the very same spot that we got engaged 10 years earlier, in a park by the water. He went down on his knee and popped the question and I cried, because I'd almost given up on my dream wedding. But in fact, Johan had planned for the proposal over the last year.

A Swedish Boat Club Wedding with a Simple White Theme

There's something incredibly romantic about a wedding by the water, and this beautiful wedding is a lesson in simple Swedish style. After ten years together and two beautiful children, Johan and Maria celebrated their big day with a church ceremony, wedding rings designed by the bride, and a fabulous wedding reception in a rustic boat club. I love Maria's stunning tiered wedding dress and her cute birdcage veil, teamed with an elegant pearl necklace. A super-chic look, and I love her carnation bouquet - regular readers will remember I flagged up carnations as a big wedding trend for 2014! Big love to Annevi Petersson of Annevi Weddings for her beautiful pictures - more coming soon in Part 2.

We celebrated our wedding on 24 August 2013, in Åhus in Sweden. We got engaged in 2002, but it took another ten years, and two beautiful children later and a lot of encouragement from the bride until Johan proposed a second time!

He chose the very same spot that we got engaged 10 years earlier, in a park by the water. He went down on his knee and popped the question and I cried, because I'd almost given up on my dream wedding. But in fact, Johan had planned for the proposal over the last year.