An Outdoor DIY Wedding with a Cream Tea Reception

Any bride looking to keep her wedding within a sensible budget is going to L-O-V-E this inspirational big day. Kelly and Gavin flashed their cash where it mattered - i.e. venue and wedding photographer, but kept everything else wallet friendly, by searching for bargains and DIY-ing many of their wedding details. You'll love their handmade stationery, bunting, decorations and hand-picked wedding flowers. And I'm slightly obsessed with their chocolate wedding cake, with its personalised bunting. More fabulous details on how Kelly and Gavin saved money on their wedding outfits in Part 1 - in the meantime, enjoy these stunning shots by Linus Moran Photography.

My husband got down on one knee in Venice to pop the question. Two years to the day, we tied the knot at Kingston Maurward stately home, in Dorset, on March the 16th 2014.

After seeing several different venues Kingston Maurward ticked all the boxes, with the chance of an outdoor wedding I've always dreamed of having. Both being artistic, we enjoyed making as many things as possible. 

An Outdoor DIY Wedding with a Cream Tea Reception

Back in my teenage years, we used to go to these amazing parties at Kingston Maurward in Dorset. I have fond memories of the incredible stately rooms, and stunning grounds, including a tranquil lake and arboretum. So it was a wonderful blast from the past to receive Linus Moran's stunning photographs of Kelly and Gavin's wedding. The happy couple chose Kingston Maurward as their wedding venue, and despite getting married in March, managed to have an amazing outdoor ceremony, in the bright spring sunshine. Just goes to show you should always think positive about the weather! Kelly and Gavin love a bargain, and were keen to DIY as many of their wedding details as possible. You'll love their wedding flowers, sweet trees, table stationery, and all their pretty decoration details, including pompoms and bunting. What's more, Kelly's Benjamin Roberts wedding gown only cost £250. Find out more in her answers to the Before the Big Day Bride's Questionnaire, and enjoy Linus Moran's fantastic wedding photographs....more to come from their reception later today.

My husband got down on one knee in Venice to pop the question. Two years to the day, we tied the knot at Kingston Maurward stately home, in Dorset, on March the 16th 2014.

My wedding dress was from Preloved, a Benjamin Roberts wedding dress that should have been £1700, selling for £250. I fell in love with it, and it fitted like a glove. I love a bargain!

Including Your Pets in Your Big Day

I'm a BIG dog fan. Particularly pugs - I love their squishy faces. But if I had a pet, I'm not sure I'd have included them in my big day. Admittedly, there's nothing cuter than a dog running down the aisle with the rings, but what if they feel the call of nature at a key moment? You don't want the symbolism of dog poo to represent the start of your marriage. Never mind that fact that it would be the only thing that anyone remembered about your wedding day! I think the secret is to keep their appearance short and sharp, and to dress them in a bow-tie. Because dogs in bow-ties look hilarious. There's a huge range on Etsy - enjoy the pictures....particularly this one of an extremely angry cat model.

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Brilliant Bridesmaid {Dressing} Gowns

Did you know about the tradition to give your bridesmaids a present on your wedding day? I completely failed!! I had an idea to give them all a pair of espadrille slippers, but never actually got round to buying them. So I wish I'd discovered these heavenly robes by Girl with a Serious Dream before now. Their signature Samantha silk robe has an easy, draped fit, and comes in a range of divine colours. I love the kimono style of the sleeves, and the luxury feel. Choose a selection in your wedding colours, and they'll make your getting ready photographs look fab! P.S. Buy this one for yourself - it's a honeymoon must-have!!

{I want this!} Samantha silk robe, £102 by Girl with a Serious Dream

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A Tiny Irish Wedding in South Africa with a Bride in Boots

There's a photography team in South Africa who I've admired from afar for several years. They're called We Love Pictures, and they're husband and wife, Travis and Maike. Every wedding they photograph is stunning, and none more so than this tiny wedding of only six guests! Michael and Lynne chose a wonderful restaurant called Le Petit Dauphine in Franschhoek in South Africa for their big day. I've been there - and the food is amazing! So if you're struggling with your guest list, and worrying about your wedding budget, take inspiration from this wonderful, unpretentious wedding day.

Just the Cutest Flower Crown in the World

There must be something in the air post-Glastonbury, because I've seen more girls wearing flower crowns than ever before! I have to admit, I'm a massive fan - there's something delightfully boho about wearing flowers in your hair, and if I had my time again, I'd dress all my bridesmaids in them. My latest discovery is this pretty from Mari Style Couture, who's based in Belarus! Each flower is carefully hand sculpted from air dry clay, which is non-toxic, soft and flexible. You can request whatever design you want, so your crown can exactly match your wedding flowers. Personally I'm in love with the peonies, but if you wanted a more subtle look, you could always go with the rose hair clip.

{I want this!} Bridal Flower Crown, £96 | 2. Rose Hair Clip, £24 , both by Mari Style Couture

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A 1950's Vintage Themed Wedding with a Grace Kelly Inspired Bride - Part 2

With a vintage 1950's theme, and a rustic-glamorous venue, this wedding is something of a humdinger! the bride and groom, Tania and Tegid threw themselves into the planning process, adding tonnes of personalised ideas, and doing a fair few DIY projects along the way. There's lots of money-saving tips in Tania's answers to the Before the Big Day Bride's Questionnaire, including print-your-own wedding stationery from Zazzle, make your own favours with Jen's Sweet Shop vintage bonbons, and original 1970s figurines of Princess Leia and Han Solo as a cake topper. I'm also a big fan of their heart-shaped blackboards - such a useful photo prop! Loving all their wedding pictures, published with thanks to the talented team of Ben and Hannah of HBA Photography.

We got married in the Midlands on 31st August 2013. The ceremony was held at St John the Baptist's Church in Middleton, followed by our reception at Shustoke Farm Barns in Coleshill.

We saw a lot of lovely old hotels full of character, but for the number of guests we had {approx. 90}, with most of them we would have had to have held our wedding breakfast in a marquee away from the main venue. So when we found Shustoke Farm Barns, a red brick 18th century building which was still being renovated {we saw it pretty much as a building site, without a roof!}, we thought it was perfect. It had all the beautiful traditional rustic charm, but with the added bonus of lots of capacity!

A 1950's Vintage Themed Wedding with a Grace Kelly Inspired Bride

Bride's looking for an idea for a theme for their wedding will love today's Grace Kelly-inspired big day! Bride, Tania is a huge fan of the 50's star, and chose her Justin Alexander wedding dress based on her unique, elegant style. This in turn led to 50's inspired stationery, bridesmaid dresses {by Mori Lee}, traditional bonbon favours, and even the vintage suitcase as a wedding card postbox. I'm head-over-heels for their barn wedding venue, booked on a leap of faith, considering it wasn't even finished when they made the reservation! Add in a stunning bouquet of roses and eucalyptus, groom Tegid, in his morning suit, and two lovely late-1950s Daimlers for wedding transport, and I'm in wedding-heaven! Fabulous photographs published with thanks to Ben and Hannah of HBA Photography - don't miss the reception pictures coming later today!

We got married in the Midlands on 31st August 2013. The ceremony was held at St John the Baptist's Church in Middleton, followed by our reception at Shustoke Farm Barns in Coleshill.

I am a big fan of Grace Kelly! So my dress was very much inspired by her timeless look. We therefore had a hint of a 50s vintage theme throughout the wedding, from the 50s inspired design on the stationery, the style of the bridesmaid dresses, the traditional bonbons for favours, all the way through to our vintage suitcase, which we used as a wedding card postbox.

Original & Brilliant Pinata Wedding Decoration

The reason I started this blog - all those years ago {!} - was as a record of all the fantastic and original ideas I'd found. It took me a while to choose the theme of my wedding, and before Pinterest was invented, it was the only way I could save all my wedding inspiration. I'm still dazzled by all the fabulous, fun and creative wedding products on Etsy - regular readers will know it's my secret go-to source for ideas. My latest find? I am OBSESSED with the sheer coolness of these glittery love heart pinatas by Party Pony Pinata. And don't you wish you could get married on that beach......

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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?