The Seven Best Apps for Planning Your Wedding

Like all of us, I'm slightly addicted to my iPhone. I've recently made myself go cold turkey at night - once I'm in bed, I'm not allowed to turn it on. It's made me start reading books again, and I'm no longer tweeting late at night! But I have to admit, I miss my late-night Pinterest binges, and I'm not as up to date with all the other wedding blogs I follow. If you're planning your wedding, there's a few Apps I really recommend downloading - they'll give you inspiration, and help you keep your ideas in order, and even help you with booking a rehearsal dinner.

Wonderful Wedding Blog Links

It's been about six months since I last posted on wonderful wedding blog links, and it's no coincidence that my youngest son just turned 7 months. It's been an epic half year - we moved to Dubai with two children under two, when Arthur was only 5 weeks old. I definitely wouldn't recommend it! As a consequence my blogging had to take a slight back seat, but now we're settled, and Arthur has started to sleep a bit better, I'm back at work, and loving it! I hope you're enjoying Before the Big Day - please do recommend it to all your friends. I'm still based half of the time in London, so this wedding blog will remain UK focused. And for those of you with children, please do check out my parenting blog Before the Baby.

{Photo Credit} Ali Harper - see more from this feather inspired wedding on Southern Weddings. Love this egg & feather themed wedding - perfect for spring and Easter big days

♥ The wedding that cost under £4000
♥ Old-school friendship bracelets - make them for your bridesmaids
♥ What a great idea for a wedding photo booth
♥ One of my favourite wedding invitations ever!
♥ A new way to get engaged
♥ An insanely gorgeous Midsummer Night's Dream
♥ The longest wedding table I've ever seen
♥ You'll love this woodland elopement
♥ Flamingos at a wedding - of course!
♥ A traditional pink & peony English wedding

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Before the Big Day - The Best UK Wedding Blog.

Seven Favourite Wedding Guest Book Ideas

Wedding days are all about making memories, and you're going to want to get as much down on film and paper as possible! Top of my 'what I'd rescue if the house was on fire list' is our wedding guest book. Nearly everyone who came to our wedding took a silly polaroid picture of themselves, and stuck it in the book with a lovely message. When I'm having one of 'those' days, there's nothing more uplifting than a quick flick through it. Now, there's all sorts of creative ideas for recording your guests, from jigsaws to collages, but my favourite is still a beautifully bound book. Take a look at my top picks this month.

{I want this!} Wedding Guest Book or Photo Album, £35 by ONR.

Styling Your Groom

Grooms fall into two categories. They either couldn't get a stuff about how they look, or in the months ahead of their wedding, they suddenly turn into a complete peacock, preoccupied with every detail of their outfit. In my experience, most grooms end up falling into the second group - it's just a question of when.........and needless to say, it's usually with two days to go. My husband finally realised that he needed to buy himself a tie 24 hours before we left for France. Luckily we lived in London, so he wasn't short of options, but honestly, I could have killed him!! Make sure that doesn't happen to you, by buying your man one of these fabulous, fashionable ties from V Knit. Stylish, slim, and they come in every colour......simples!

Mens Knitted Tie in Caspian Blue, £36 by V Knit

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Brilliant Bride & Bridesmaid Presents

Every year, I allow myself the luxury of a smart Smythson diary. As a stationery lover, the gilt-edged, pale blue, featherweight paper, teamed with soft lambskin makes my heart melt. But this year, my husband's grumbling at the cost {£180!} encouraged me to look further afield. Surely there must be something suitably decadent available, but without the hefty price tag? Well I'm thrilled to say I found the answer! Sloane Stationery offers beautiful handcrafted notebooks in a variety of sizes and colours, and I am over the moon with my 2015 diary in aqua blue. All their products can be personalised, and they're the perfect birthday present or hostess gift. Take a look a this stunning I Do Notebook for Brides, which you can personalise with your name, or why not order a few for your bridesmaids' presents. They also make matching photo albums for your wedding pictures. Sloane Stationery - elegant yet fun, and crazily reasonable. Check them out, you won't disappointed… I’ve certainly been converted!

Written by guest contributor Lou Marmabachi

{I want this!}  I Do Personalised Notebook for Brides from Sloane Stationery, £49

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Boho Wedding Dresses from Saja Wedding

One of my favourite wedding dress designers is Saja Wedding. Based in New York, they're renowned for their gorgeous ethereal gowns, and their cute flagship shop is in seriously cool NoLita. On my wedding dress trip to New York, I tried on all their gowns, and each one is more stunning than the next. So when I spotted this fabulous shoot by one of my favourite photographers, Jose Villa, it was a shoe-in for a Before the Big Day blog post. Which dress would you pick? Other details I'm loving include the simple oak-leaf bouquet {fab for autumn brides}, the bright red lipstick teamed with peonies, and the unusual thistle bouquet. Stunning!

Glamorous Ombre Wedding Dresses

Ombre is a huge wedding trend right now, with every wedding detail, from stationery to flowers featuring a graduated tint. Even long hair is getting the ombre treatment. But this is the first time I've seen an ombre wedding dress. Ideal for brides looking to stand out from the crowd, these wedding gowns by Ouma are guaranteed to wow your guests. The stunning skirt features layer upon layer of hand-dyed tulle to create a full and unique silhouette, gradually fading up from a vibrant pink, to coral, to peach and finally topped with a beautiful silk white. Pair it with a v-neck t-shirt for a fun casual wedding party or glam it up with a corset and glitter heels. Check out my Pinterest board for more ombre wedding theme ideas.

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DIY Luxury Wedding: Beaded Belts & Accessories

If you're a bride with eyes bigger than your budget, you're going to adore my latest wedding discovery. Take one simple, wallet-friendly wedding dress, and add one of these incredible beaded trims by Allyson James, and BOOM! you've got a luxury-looking wedding gown without the price tag. Allyson James' beaded trims are made out of exactly the same quality trims you see on designer gowns such as Vera Wang and Monique Lhuillier, they're hand-sewn with the finest crystals, pearls, beads and sequins. Trims arrive ready to be sewn into sashes, belts, headpieces, bouquet wraps...whatever your DIY dream desires. Time to let your wedding imagination run wild!

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