Monday 17 December 2012

Real Stylish London Wedding: Caroline & Matt

There's a real soft spot in my heart for London weddings, particularly after we hosted our own 'official wedding' in the heart of Hackney. Caroline and Matt planned their own stylish big day at The Old Marylebone Town Hall, with their wedding reception at The Londesborough pub in Stoke Newington. I'm completely in love with Caroline's fairy-tale Tara Keely wedding dress, which was the complete opposite to what she had originally planned! Her dress matches the feminine mood of the wedding; reception decorations included shabby-chic bunting, stunning David Austin roses, with gold, pink and dark blue colour accents. There's tonnes more DIY wedding details in Part 2 of this lovely wedding, keep an eye out for the second post later this afternoon. Huge thanks to Erica from Photo Madly for capturing the wedding so perfectly, and to Caroline, for filling the Before the Big Day Brides' Questionnaire. Don't miss her fab hints and tips!

My dress by Tara Keely by Lazaro from Morgan Davies in London. It was not an easy decision! I must have gone to about 20 bridal shops and kept waiting to find 'the one'. When I started shopping I said "I don't want a big dress and I don't want it to be strapless", so obviously that's exactly what I ended up with! I had a couple of dresses that I was choosing between, but I kept comparing everything to that one,so in the end I just accepted that it had to be the one!

My sister and I bought some fabric from a shop in Tooting, and I handmade my sash. I was then thrilled to find my Carvela shoes in the sale, and the colour matched the sash almost perfectly.

My florist was Elinor Walsh from Marlow, Buckinghamshire. She did such a good job, the flowers were exactly what I wanted. My ideal wedding flowers were pink and white peonies, but in September that's not really an option, so we chose pink David Austin roses mixed in with white hydrangea. I chose to have them tied with twine.

My wedding jewellery was bought online from Glitzy Secrets and my veil was from Blissful Gifts. I really wanted a bubble veil, and was so happy when I found Blissful Gifts online as it was so hard to find one anywhere!



I didn't really mind what colour or style my bridesmaids wore as long as they all felt nice in the dress. The dresses they ended up in were actually the second set of dresses we bought, because the first dresses just weren't quite right, and I could tell they weren't happy in them but didn't want to say anything!


It was more important that my best friends and sisters were happy and felt nice on my big day than they were wearing a specific style. In the end we bought their dresses from French Connection and added some gold ribbon from John Lewis to link in with the colour of Matt's tie.

We got married on 21st September in London, our ceremony was in The Old Marylebone Town Hall and we held our reception in The Londesborough pub in Stoke Newington. I got ready at The Black and White House in Belsize Park.


We both knew we wanted a civil ceremony, and living in London means there are lots of Town Halls in the city that were big enough for our 80 guests. We only gave ourselves 7 months to plan the wedding, so it really came down to where was available, but Marylebone was my first choice as I love the drama of the building, so we were really happy to get it.




Matt's suit was tailor-made from King and Allen. He really wanted a nice suit he could wear again. He also wore the pocket watch, which I bought him as a surprise, to open on our wedding morning.


Our photographer was Erika Szostak from Photo Madly. We picked her because we loved her work, and we felt really comfortable with her straight away. Your photographer is such a big part of your day it's so important you choose someone who you like having around! We're thrilled with how our photos turned out.


Matt and I met at work but we didn't get together until one Christmas party when Matt was dressed as a Lego man and I was dressed as Madonna in the Material girl video. We were together for 3 and a half years when Matt surprised me with a weekend away to Norfolk which is where we went for our first weekend away together. He'd booked us into a romantic yurt and took me out for an amazing eight course meal, when we got back we sat next to the camp fire with our glasses of champagne and Matt got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.



♥ Click for more London wedding ideas! ♥ And tonnes of shabby chic weddings! ♥
Have you discovered our free newsletter? Sign up for free! 
Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

Friday 14 December 2012

Message in a Bottle Wedding Favours

Build the sense of intrigue surrounding your big day with a secret message in a bottle. Roll up personalised messages to your guests and leave them as favours at each place setting, or use them to send your save the dates. Perfect if you're planning a nautical or vintage wedding. These sets are from Minature Rhino and include stoppered vials, a charm of your choice, paper and a little cloth bag. If you want to do your own DIY project, then check out Coloured Bottles for a lovely selection.


♥ Click for more wedding favour ideas! ♥ And tonnes of vintage weddings! ♥
Have you discovered our free newsletter? Sign up for free! 
Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

Thursday 13 December 2012

Pale & Interesting Wedding List

Have you ever looked at a picture in a magazine, and thought 'That's exactly what I want my wedding to look like'? Well I had that moment when I discovered Pale & Interesting. This fabulous shopping site has heavenly pictures to illustrate just how you can style your home {or wedding}, and all gorgeous products you need, right there to click and buy. Be warned, it's a very dangerous combination! The added benefit is that if you really fall in love with the Pale & Interesting style, you can even host your wedding in their American New England-style barn set in the heart of the Kent countryside. Plus they do wedding lists!



♥ Click for more wedding decoration ideas! ♥ And tonnes of wedding lists! ♥
Have you discovered our free newsletter? Sign up for free! 
Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

Wednesday 12 December 2012

Real Elegant Pastel Wedding: Keiron and Isil

This is one of those stunning and inspirational weddings, that reminded me of the importance of an incredible wedding venue. While marquee weddings enable you to stamp your own personality, they can end up being super-expensive, because you have to buy in all the wedding decorations. But if you host your big day in a dramatic wedding venue, then you can save a fortune, and just let the castle do the talking! Keiron and Isil chose Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham, for their wedding day, and I've fallen for its stunning, rich red interior and fairy-tale exterior. Add in Keiron's stunning strapless gown, the gold brocade wedding cake, and the dramatic rose flower displays, and you've got a truly elegant wedding with a real luxury feel. Beautiful pictures published with thanks to Alexis Jaworski.





















♥ Click for more luxury wedding ideas! ♥ And tonnes of winter weddings! ♥
Have you discovered our free newsletter? Sign up for free! 
Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

Monday 10 December 2012

New Wedding Décor Trend: Wedding Piñata

A mega-trend next summer will be Mexican-themed weddings. I can hear you asking 'Mexican? In the UK? Really?'. But believe me, they're going to be h-u-g-e. I'm not suggesting you go the whole hog and say your vows in Spanish, but if you add a touch of Mexican food, decorations and drinks to your wedding, your guests will thank you. Particularly if you start with margaritas! Another tradition that will definitely make its way over the Atlantic is the piñata. Piñata are brightly-colored decorations made from papier-mâché, and the idea is to bash them with a stick until they explode, releasing confetti and candy, signifying abundance or favors from the gods. Isn't it just a brilliant sentiment for a wedding? Check out these sparkling piñata and matching streamers by Confetti System.



♥ Click for more wedding decoration ideas! ♥ And tonnes of wedding themes! ♥
Have you discovered our free newsletter? Sign up for free! 
Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

Friday 7 December 2012

Latest Wedding Stationery Favourites

Choosing your wedding stationery is one of the most important steps in your wedding planning. It'll set the tone of your big day, and you should pick a design that suits your wedding style. There's thousands of fabulous designs out there, but if you can't find something you like, then I'd recommend commissioning a bespoke collection. Two brand new stationery designers on the block have recently caught my eye - one from Australia and one from here in the UK. Check out these gorgeous designs from Zed & Bee and Miss Emma Ruth.

{Pictures above: Zed & Bee} I'm particularly loving the femininity of their letterpress collection, and the mysterious dark seal in the picture above. {Pictures below: Miss Emma Ruth} Button badges are a huge wedding trend this season, and I love the romantic whimsy of the star design.


♥ Click for more wedding stationery ideas! ♥ And hundreds of real weddings! ♥
Have you discovered our free newsletter? Sign up for free! 
Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.

Wednesday 5 December 2012

Midsummer Night's Dream Wedding Theme

Take a dose of literature, a dollop of romance, add a sprinkle of fairydust, and you've got one of my favourite wedding themes - A Midsummer Night's Dream. A fairy theme would work well for any rural, forest or countryside wedding, just imagine luxurious flower displays, bridesmaids dressed in flowing chiffon, and pageboys wearing Puck-ish flower crowns. Shakespeare's poetry is perfect for wedding ceremony readings, and masks make for brilliant wedding favours. Fill your wedding stationery envelopes with glittery confetti, and ask for garden-themed wedding gifts. For more ideas, take a look at this incredible Midsummer Night's Dream themed wedding shoot, styled by Tricia Fountaine and pictured by Elizabeth Messina.





♥ Click for more fairy tale weddings! ♥ And hundreds of real weddings! ♥
Have you discovered our free newsletter? Sign up for free! 
Before the Big Day - the Best UK Wedding Blog.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...