Affordable Wedding Dress Series

My nanny's getting married, and she's looking for a wedding dress for under £1000. Probably well under £1k, but you'd be astonished how difficult it is to get under that magic number. I'm ashamed to admit that at first, I was no help at all. As a wedding blogger, I find that most of my posts are about dream wedding gowns, rather than the nitty, gritty practicals of actually paying for one. I did write a couple of posts about how to buy a designer wedding gown for less, but in the three years since I've been writing this blog, I've only featured a few reasonable designers - Minna and some great Etsy sellers like Truvelle & Rowan Joy. But now that's all set to change, as I've been doing my research, and coming up with a great selection of wedding dress designers in the UK who don't try and rip you off at every turn. Stay tuned for the amazing Before the Big Day Affordable Wedding Dress Series!

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A Boho Dreamcatcher Wedding Theme

An old hippy favourite, dreamcatchers are being reimagined for the twenty-first century in a kaleidoscope of colours and designs. I love them as the basis for a wedding theme - they represent all the hopes and dreams of the traditional marriage ceremony, but in a boho style. Use them as wedding decorations, favours and as a motif on your wedding stationery. You could even create a wedding altar out of a giant catcher. More ideas on my Boho Wedding Pinterest page, including lots of Etsy sellers and DIY wedding ideas.

A English Country Garden Wedding with Pretty Vintage Details - Part 2

A vintage tractor, bridesmaids in wellington boots, and military men in uniform - just a few of my favourite things about this quirky big day. Andy and Catherine planned their spring wedding with only four months to spare, and personalised every detail, thanks to the help of their friends and family. In the build-up to their big day, they held craft evenings to cut and sew the bunting, put covers on homemade jam jar wedding favours, and design the wedding stationery. They even prepared an Easter Egg hunt for their guests. Enjoy these fantastic pictures by Sarah Relf at Lawless Rose Photography, and don't miss my favourite wedding detail - the fabulous cake by Dippy Design.

A English Country Garden Wedding with Pretty Vintage Details

There's something uniquely romantic about a military wedding - they have the weight of history behind them, and everyone loves a man in uniform! Groom Andy is a captain in the army, so when he and Catherine left the church, they walked under a fabulous guard of honour, complete with shiny swords. Stunning! The happy couple planned their wedding in only four and a half months, but didn't scrimp on details - this big day is packed with stunning ideas. I love the English country garden theme, the vintage crockery, the gorgeous bridesmaids in sage green, and the beautiful barn venue. Don't miss the fantastic reception pictures in Part 2 - huge thanks to Sarah Relf at Lawless Rose Photography for capturing every detail.

A Lily-of-the-Valley Wedding Theme

Have you heard of lily-of-the-valley? It's the most exquisite flower, with tiny little white bells, and the sweetest scent. It's one of my favourite flowers, and luckily came into bloom just in time for my London wedding in early May. My mother picked it from her garden, and DIY'd my beautiful bouquet. It's a notoriously hard plant to force into flower, so if you want it at your wedding day, you'll have to be lucky! It's even got the royal seal of approval - Kate Middleton chose it for her wedding, and Grace Kelly carried a small bouquet of lily-of-the-valley on her big day. Once you see it, you'll fall in love - take a look at these wedding ideas, and check out my Pinterest page for more.

Wonderful Wedding Blog Links

How can it be May already? This month sees my fourth wedding anniversary, and if you've been following the blog, you'll have spotted I've already republished my London wedding pictures, by the fabulous Caught the Light. You'll have to wait a few more weeks for more of my French wedding shots, unless you're sneaky, and click on this link. The month of May sees the start of the wedding season in earnest, so if you're an upcoming bride reading this post, be sure to send me your wedding pictures so I can blog them {email me}! I've had a bit of time this week to explore the wonderful world of weddings online, so you'll love these links - they're packed full for wed-spiration.

{Photo Credit} Marianne Taylor Photography, Source.

♥  A colourful artist's wedding
♥  A wonderful woodland wedding with animal masks
♥  A cake competition wedding
♥  This eccentric British wedding venue will blow you away!
♥  A French inspired wedding with something blue
♥  The simplest & chicest of London weddings
♥  A festival-themed wedding with a happy boho bride
♥  When only a French chateau wedding will do
♥  The biggest bouquet of peonies I've ever seen!
♥  Gotta love a groom in a floral shirt
♥  Botanical wedding inspiration you can't fault
♥  A bride in leather and lace
♥  Colourful & cute - a trendy east London wedding

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Jenny Packham's New Bridal Collection for 2016

Fashion is a crazy world. Can you believe the designers have already released their collections for 2016? One of my favourite wedding dress designers of all time, Jenny Packham showed her 2016 Bridal Collection at New York Bridal Fashion Week. As ever, the collection is d-i-v-i-n-e! Inspired by Shakespeare's fairy realm and the characters of A Midsummer Night's Dream, it features celestial silk tulles, romantically sculpted corsetry and cascading silk chiffon. Add in a few appliqué organza blooms, ostrich feathers, crystal foliage motifs and delicate floral lace, and you've got a very happy wedding blogger. The collection will be available internationally from July, so autumn and winter brides - this is all about you! And the big question - will you pick one of the mint gowns?

Glamorous Golden Tattoos for Your Wedding Day

There's a huge trend at the moment for golden body art. Personally I wouldn't ever want a tattoo, but these temporary stencils are super-glamorous. They've got the feel of a wild summer holiday, and would look gorgeous on a boho bride. Keep it simple - less is more...... you could always surprise your husband with one stuck on somewhere under your wedding dress! California-based store Creative Swirls Shop will even create a bespoke design for you, but a simple love tattoo set is only £7. London stockists include Karizma and Awsm.Tattoo.

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