Pretty Perfect Vintage-Style Shoes for Your Wedding Day

Wedding shoes need to be two things - beautiful and comfortable. The two don't often go together. Luckily one of the UK's best shoe designers has got the combo nailed. Rachel Simpson's Shoes are prettily perfect, with vintage styles and sensible heels. Many of them have crossbar straps, like dancer's shoes, meaning you'll never lose a shoe on the way down the aisle! What I really love, is that Rachel's made it her mission to perfectly cut each shoe to compliment the foot. It's so refreshing to find a designer with comfort in mind! Her shoes aren't cheap, but if you buy a pair in a colour other than white, you'll be wearing them for years to come.

{I want this!} Rachel Simpson Mimosa in Mint, £170

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Mirror Mirror Wedding Dress Sample Sale

Wedding dresses can be a huge part of your budget if you pay full price. Luckily there are lots of sample sales each year in London and around the UK. Follow me on Twitter, to make sure you don't miss a single sale! Mirror Mirror has got to be one of London's best designer wedding dress boutiques, so you can imagine how excited I am to discover the dates of their summer sample sale. It's taking place on Sunday 28th June 2015 11am - 4pm at their shop at 56 Penton Street in north London. They're promising a fantastic selection of dresses from top designers, including Pronovias, Atelier, Cymbeline, Yolancris, Gemy, La Sposa, Raimon Bundo, Paloma Blanca, Alan Hannah, Mirror Mirror Couture, and much more. Most of the gowns are from 2015 collections!

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Loving Sweet Peas for Summer Wedding

Have you heard of sweet-peas? They come in every shade of pink and purple, with a few white and yellow petals thrown in for good luck. They’re the perfect bloom for a wedding, because they smell so sweet. Add a few to your bridal bouquet, or decorate your wedding tables with lots of little nosegays. They look amazing against the bright white table cloths. You can buy them from specialised sellers Sweet Peas Direct, or grow them yourself from seeds planted in spring. All you need is a sheltered spot, and my mum’s secret ingredient…..cow dung! For more ideas, take a look at my Sweet-Pea Wedding Pinterest board.

{Image Credits} Top: Sweet Monday

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A Mountain-View Wedding with Vintage Pink Louboutins - The Reception

Clouds of baby's breathy, bridesmaids in blush, and the prettiest lace wedding gown you've ever seen. This stunning big day is going to seriously float your boat. Xenia and Jeff live in Hong Kong, but they planned their destination wedding in Spain, at the beautiful La Garriga de Castelladral. You're going to love their sweet, romantic style - from the gorgeous miniature roses bridal bouquet, to the red velvet wedding cake - yum! Enjoy these beautiful shots by wedding photographer,  Noemi Jariod, and don't miss the Getting Ready and Ceremony pictures. For more details about Xenia's wedding decisions and suppliers, be sure to check out her brilliant blog Olivia's Choice - it's a great read!

We got married on October 6th at La Garriga de Castelladral, in inner Catalonia. Since we didn't want a religious ceremony but a civil one, it was a must for us to find a venue that offered this service in the prettiest possible way. This is the main reason we fell in love with the venue. 

La Garriga de Castelladral has breathtaking views to the Montserrat mountains. We held our civil ceremony on the terrace, and it was more we ever could have wished for. Regarding the decoration, all I knew was I wanted it to be sweet, just like I am!

An Elegant Mountain-View Wedding with Vintage Pink Louboutins

Wedding planners often say that once a bride has chosen her wedding venue and her wedding dress, everything else falls into place. Xenia and Jeff picked the incredible La Garriga de Castelladral in Spain, and Xenia found most exquisite Knightly Bridal gown I've ever seen, so you can guess that every other wedding detail is pretty exceptional as well. I'm going to let the lovely pictures by Noemi do the talking, but look out for Xenia's perfectly round miniature rose bouquet, her pink vintage Louboutins, and Jeff's smart black tie get-up. You'll also love their music choices - they picked a special song for every moment - so lots of great ideas for your own wedding! Huge thanks to the lovely Noemi Jariod for her fantastic pictures - look out for more of her work when I publish the reception photographs. Also - make sure you take a look at Xenia's blog - Olivia's Choice - it's packed with lots more details about her wedding planning.

We got married on October 6th at La Garriga de Castelladral, in inner Catalonia.  Since we didn't want a religious ceremony but a civil one, it was a must for us to find a venue that offered this service in the prettiest possible way. This is the main reason we fell in love with this venue. 

La Garriga de Castelladral has breathtaking views to the Montserrat mountains. We held our civil ceremony on the terrace, and it was more we ever could have wished for. Regarding the decoration, all I knew was I wanted it to be sweet, just like I am!

Wedding Trends 2015 - Doughnut Wedding Cakes

I first met Reshmi Bennett from Anges de Sucre when we both exhibited at the In Wedding Show. She'd just started her macaroon business, and buzzed with creative energy. Little did I know, that one day she'd become so famous! Three years on, she's opened her own posh Kensington shop, branched out into luxe marshmallows and s'mores, and created these super-cool deconstructed doughnut wedding cakes. With brilliant names like The Cookie Monster Cake and The Homer Simpson Cake, they're at the very cutting edge of wedding cake fashion {geddit?!}.

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20 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding Day

Budget-savvy brides know it's possible to have the wedding of their dreams, without paying the price. It's all about the three C's - being clever, cautious and creative. Plan ahead, don't rush into anything without doing your research, and where possible, DIY or call on the creative skills of friends and family. Here are my top 50 ways to save money on your wedding day - share it on Twitter and send it to your friends!

A Boho Humanist Wedding with a Forest Ceremony - The Reception

Take one sequinned gown and mismatch it with a farm wedding venue, and you have the perfect big day combo of boho glamour. Hanna and Paul chose Hawthbush Farm in East Sussex for their wedding day and celebrated with a three-day extravaganza. All their friends and family stayed on site, and enjoyed a BBQ on Friday night, before the humanist ceremony and barn reception on Saturday. I love the relaxed atmosphere of their big day - there weren't many decorations, but the stunning rustic venue speaks for itself. Don't miss the just-picked wedding flowers, the naked berry cake, the festoon lights, and the hilarious wedding portraits. Huge thanks to Michael from My Beautiful Bride for sending me this wedding. Don't miss the Ceremony pictures here.

We celebrated our big day on 14th June - a summer wedding. We chose Hawthbush Farm in East Sussex as our venue. It's stunning with a clearing where we hosted our marriage ceremony outdoors in the woods.

It was the second venue we visited. It was perfect because we had the farm for the whole weekend, meaning it felt more of an experience, than an in-and-out job like other weddings we've experienced.

A Boho Humanist Wedding with a Forest Ceremony

When I see a truly perfect wedding, I get goosebumps, and I literally can't wait to share it with you! Michael from My Beautiful Bride sent over these wedding photographs a few days ago, and I've been champing at the bit to get it edited and published as quickly as possible. Hanna and Paul celebrated their big day with a humanist ceremony in a forest. So far so rustic, but Hanna glammed it up with a s-t-u-n-n-i-n-g vintage sequinned gown, and colour-pop bridesmaids dresses in coral pink and lemon yellow. It's a feast for the eyes! I'm in love with their rural venue choice - Hawthbush Farm in East Sussex, and their freshly-picked flowers from the next door field. They managed to stay relaxed throughout their wedding planning, and you can really see the joy shining through Michael's pictures. Enjoy these shots, and don't miss the Reception pictures, coming later today!

Enormous Gold Love Balloons for Your Wedding

If you asked me why I have such a crush on giant letter balloons, I honestly couldn't give you the answer. There's just something hilarious and beautiful about them. We had silver LOVE balloons at both our London ceremony and French wedding, and they made for the most brilliant props. It's easy-peasy to buy them yourself, and pump them up with helium from eBay - I'd just recommend buying two of each, just in case one fails on your wedding day. If you wanted an alternative XO looks super-effective, or your initials, or you could get really ambitious and spell out Happy Ever After! Check out my other blog posts for more balloon ideas.

{Picture Credit} Supply and Co

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Glittery Glamorous Bridal Accessories

One of my girlfriends got married last weekend and wore the most incredible Cinderella shoes ever! They were Jimmy Choo's, and cost a crazy amount of money, but they've inspired me to go looking for glittery treats for your big day. So whether you're going for a Grecian look, an Art Deco style, or want to be a bling-y bride, you shall go to the ball!

{I want this!} Clockwise from top left 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

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My Secret Garden Wedding in a Provence Chateau - The Reception

Our wedding reception passed in a flash! I think every bride and groom feels that their big day passes too quickly, partly because you have to step away at one stage for your wedding photographs. We were thrilled with our portraits by Chloé from Caught the Light, and it's definitely worth making time for your photographer. You'll see in this blog post, all the little extras that I added to personalise our big day. We chose a Secret Garden theme, as we hosted our reception in an historic walled garden. Our colour palette was soft grey, pink and sage green, and I chose a key motif, which appeared on all the stationery, place-markers and we gave each guest a vintage key as a wedding favour. I bought grey and white striped straws, and made little drinks flags to go in our signature cocktails. Looking back - I can't believe how many details I managed to squeeze into one day! These are the reception pictures, you can see the ceremony pictures here.

We celebrated our wedding on 28th May 2011 in a tiny French village called Puyricard, just outside Aix-en-Provence. We hired a private house called Château Grimaldi for three days.

The walled gardens inspired me to choose a secret garden theme, with a key motif. Our colour palette was soft grey, dusky pink and sage green.

My Secret Garden Wedding in a Provence Chateau - The Ceremony

As promised, I'm marking our fourth wedding anniversary by republishing our photographs from our French wedding. It's crazy how quickly the time has gone! Although this wasn't our legal wedding, it's the one that felt most real. We invited ninety of our closest friends and family out to Provence for a three day party, and I loved every minute. As a wedding blogger, I spent many days agonising over which theme to choose. In the end our stunning venue, with its walled grounds, led me to pick a Secret Garden theme, and a colour palette of soft grey, dusky pink and sage green. We had a key motif which appeared on all the invitations, place markers, programmes and pashmina favour tags. There were endless wedding details, all captured perfectly by our brilliant wedding photographer Chloé from Caught the Light and my friend Jemma Harding Photography. Four years on, it's true what they say - your pictures are the lasting memories of your wedding day, so it's worth hiring the best.

Ten Quirky Original Wedding Place-Setting Ideas

You can really let your imagination run wild with your place-settings. Why settle for a simple card, when you could give your guests the welcome they deserve? Combine it with a wedding favour, pretty present or sweet treat, or build anticipation for the speeches, party and dancing {I'm thinking glow-sticks, fake moustaches and sparklers}. I'm all about delighting your guests at every turn - we had old-fashioned fortune tellers and vintage keys at our wedding. What will you choose? More ideas on my Pinterest board.

Wedding Trends for 2015 - Edible Flowers

Hosting a truly original wedding means surprising your guests at every turn, and that's why I love this micro trend for 2015. Edible flowers have been around for years, but it's only now that wedding caterers are getting in on the act. It's partly down to the growth {sorry!} of suppliers in the UK - you can buy your flowers direct from First Leaf and Greens of Devon, or even buy seeds to grow your own! Ask your caterer, or DIY your own edible flower creations. I'm loving these creative ideas {below} for signature wedding cocktails, deserts and cheeses, and how about edible confetti?!

{1. Edible Flower Popsicle Recipe by Marla Meredith}

{1. Love Design Fest | 2. Design Love Fest}

Affordable Wedding Dress Series - Monsoon

One of my best friends from university got married in a wedding dress from Monsoon, and it completely opened my eyes to the brilliance of the British high street. We have the best shops in the world in the UK, and every season they translate {ahem...copy!} the catwalk into affordable garments. And the wedding catwalk is no different! I'll often see stunning gowns I think are Jenny Packham or Temperley London, and actually they turn out to be high street honeys. Here are a few of my favourites from Monsoon - I love the 1920s feel to many of the gowns - they feel like they could have come straight from The Great Gatsby. Don't miss their flower-girl and bridesmaids dresses and their truly fabulous wedding shoe department.

Affordable Wedding Dress Series - Reformation

You've got to love Pinterest. I was scrolling through the wedding pictures looking for inspiration, when all of a sudden I found this dress. A little bit of research and a couple of clicks later, and I'd discovered The Reformation, a boutique brand based in Los Angeles. All their wedding gowns are guaranteed eco friendly, they all cost under £500, and they even offer free shipping worldwide. Many of the gowns below also come in different colours and patterns, so even if The One isn't there for you - why not treat your bridesmaids?

Affordable Wedding Dress Series - Rowan Joy

Bride's looking for a vintage look are going to fall head-over-heels for these gorgeous gowns by Rowan Joy. Her designs are heavily influenced by the decadence of 1920's and grace of the 1930's, with a flattering cut and flowing skirts. Each dress is made-to-order, so she needs three months notice, but this means your gown will be made-to-measure for under a thousand pounds! Take a look at the designs below - more from different eras on her website.

Affordable Wedding Dress Series - Grace Loves Lace

This morning I am mostly loving these beautiful boutique dress by Australian designer Grace Loves Lace. At Grace, they personally create stunning ready-to-wear wedding dresses from the French laces and silks, to create a fabulous boho, vintage gowns you'll love. The dresses all have a pretty nostalgic charm and rather wonderful price tags, starting from only £500! Amazing!

{I want this!} 1. Boho Lace Wedding Dress, £950 | 2. Long Lace Sleeve Wedding Dress, £764

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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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