Rock My Wedding

Bridal

I’ll Have Me Some Of That Matthew Williamson Please.

November 27th, 2011

Vix loves Matthew Williamson. Like LOVES him. And when I say him I actually mean his delectable design skills. So when we had the opportunity to visit the Matthew Williamson boutique for a sneak peek at their bridal and “Escape” honeymoon collection on Thursday evening we were there faster than a ruddy speeding bullet.

We didn’t have any professional pictures taken or take our fancy cameras with us so these images are a bit i-phone-tastic…. but I think they will give you the general gist of the gorgeousness we were lucky enough to witness.

The beautiful models swanked around in a variety of uber pretty gowns whilst Victoria, Adam I spent a significant amount of time hanging around the Zoe Clark cakes (have you seen these? works of art I tell you). We also for the first time tried a lavender, lychee and martini cocktail….

Quite possibly the loveliest cocktail on the planet.

As well as the bridal feather numbers (my favourite) I was very much taken with Matthew Williamsons “Escape” honeymoon range, especially the jumpsuit (I didn’t know I actually needed a jumpsuit for poolside lounging but I clearly do)

Also a fur shrug. I would very much like one of those for keeping shoulders cosy in the winter months please.

As well as an abundance of wardrobe enhancing clothing there were also shoes. Immense sky-scraping look-at-me type shoes.

They were by Harriet Wilde. We wanted to steal them. ALL OF THEM.

(And if anyone fancies the crystal encrusted heel pair don’t even bother – they are officially Vix’s W-day candy apparently)

As much as we’re sure you don’t mind us sharing our amateur photographic attempts on the odd occasion, here are a few of the real-deal collection images for you to admire. If only I was getting married again….

Anyone opting to try on a Matthew Williamson number for themselves?

Do tell.

Big If You Bagged A Short Flirty Frock You Could So Show Off A Pair Of Those Shoes Love

Charlotte xxx

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Posted in Bridal

Tags: Harriet Wilde Wedding Bridal shoes Matthew Williamson Bridal Collection 2012 Matthew Williamson Bridal Collection 2013 Matthew Williamson Escape Honeymoon holiday collection Zoe Clark Wedding Cakes

Underneath Your Clothes.

November 8th, 2011

Charlotte – The Fox in Florals: I have a confession to make. I do not own an assortment of overtly sexy undergarments. The very thought of see-through lace makes me shudder, suspenders bring me out in a cold sweat….. And when faced with the prospect of donning the full-on traditional first-night bridal garb for W-day I was very close to having some kind of mini meltdown.

It’s not that I think those that have the confidence to swank around in their saucy smalls don’t look lovely – they do. Positively ravishing in fact. It’s just that I’ve given it a go (on more than one occasion) and for some reason or another I have just ended up feeling like a bit of a berk.

My underwear collection falls into two distinct categories, plain and practical and “pretty prints”. The former is as described, T-shirt bras and bikini briefs in a range of white, black and nude tones and the latter is a vast array of colourful brights and rich hues courtesy of Monsieur Klein.

It seems I feel foxiest in florals. And now I’ve come to terms with that fact I think I’m ok with it. I have finally gotten over my deepest darkest desires to one day emerge as some kind of riding-crop yielding Miss Whiplash or a marabou mule wearing Marylin-esque Hollywood siren.

It’s just not for me.

Oh and for the O’Shea big day due to the no-need-for-a-brassier backless gown all I wore was a pair of silky flowery Calvins. And actually?…. that suited me just fine.

Ahem. Although I do have one secret weapon.

Over-the-knee-socks.

Jenny – The Curator of Corsetry: I bought my first corset from Vollers in 2002 to wear to a company Christmas Ball. I knew everyone else would be wearing a posh dress, so I wore my corset with a pencil skirt and killer heels, to try and be a little different. I felt quite conspicuous at first, I arrived and everyone was wearing a ball gown type dress from Monsoon or Coast, and looked really classy… And there’s me, looking like all I needed was a PVC whip and a gimp mask! It took approximately 3 glasses of wine and endless compliments on such a beautiful choice of corset before I could breathe out and enjoy myself. There began my love affair with corsetry.

To me, wearing a corset makes me feel empowered, and secure (despite it looking like my bangers might very well make an appearance if I’m not careful). Always being told how curvy I am I learnt to use them to my advantage (rather than hide them away) and embraced my womanly shape. Why should I hide myself away just because I’m not a perfect 10? I’m aware I don’t resemble Dita von Teese, I am far from having a perfect body, but I am a woman, with a womanly shape, and there’s nothing society can do to make me feel ashamed of what I look like.

Fortunately my wedding dress had a built in corset, a selling point considering I was up the duff and worried about showing. I would recommend a dress with a bit of inner structure – does wonders for your waist line (and posture!) I had Mr O help me out of my dress at the end of the night, then went and slipped into this.

I don’t tend to wear my corsets out in public these days, I’m not sure they’d like me running around Park n Shop with my heaving cleavage and grocery shopping list! I save them just for Mr O now…

If being married has taught me anything, it’s that wearing lingerie is necessary sometimes, to remind my husband that despite the smell of baby sick, I am capable of still being sexy still.

Vix – The Girl Next Door: I used to be a thong girl but as I have grown older (and a bit plumper) I cannot resist the good old (big-ish) pant!! I like the ones that are just big enough to cover my unsightly bits but small enough to still look sexy, well I think so anyway…. I just like to be comfy and feel attractive in my grundies. I still wear the odd thong or two, it depends on what I am wearing on the outside I suppose.

When it comes to my wedding I will definitely be sporting something comfy and sexy too. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not always a comfy girl, I do have some occasional saucy stuff that makes the odd appearance here and there (!) but the majority of the time the ‘girl next door’ pants are the best way forward for me.

So Then – What About You Gorgeous Lot?!: As you know with all things Rock My Wedding it’s about doing it your way – and that goes for what you wear underneath your clothes too, be it stockings, big pants or nothing much at all…

Have you bought your W-day underwear yet?

Are you going for a more traditional “first night” look complete with bridal basque and blue-ribboned garter?

Or do you favour a streamlining pair of spanx?

And more to the point…..Do you even care?

We would love to hear your thoughts this afternoon lovelies.

Big What’s Important Is What Feels Right For You Love

Charlotte, Jenny and Vix xxx

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Posted in Bridal

Tags: Bridal underwear Corsets for your wedding day Underwear for your wedding day

It’s Friday And It’s All Getting A Bit Fruity.

November 4th, 2011

Nope, I am in fact not talking about flirting/being a bit naughty (although you are welcome too – it is Friday after all…) I’m talking about a fresh fruity colour scheme for W-day. Namely YELLOW. Which apart from blue and grey and um…peach (!) is quickly becoming my favourite hue for all things decorative.

As I mentioned last week, I’m a magpie for beautifully styled inspiration shoots and this sunshine infused delight styled by Stacey-Marie Chalk of Cherry Topped Bespoke Weddings and captured by photographer Juliet McKee is delicious. Not only would I like to wear the white carnation and bright yellow craspedia headress every day for the rest of my life, the 3/4 length sleeve scoop back gown by Jesus Peiro is one of the classiest, regal and most sophisticated frocks I have ever laid eyes on. Let me tell you – Madam Middleton may have had to have donned a third dress had she spied this wee beauty.

Oh and if you are having a winter affair (or let’s be honest – any other ruddy season for that matter) then I suggest you get a wriggle on and hot foot it over to Miss Bush Bridal to go try it on.

And the smoky peepers and pale nudey lips a la Brigitte Bardot?

Perfection.

I defy you gorgeous lot not to find at least one little idea you want to steal, and if you do I want you to tell us what it is in the comments box below. And if you are willing to share, later this afternoon we may even treat you to a somewhat controversial discussion post written. by. a. boy.

Happy Friday lovelies

Juliet Mckee: Some months ago I decided to approach the lovely Stacey-Marie of Cherry Topped Bespoke Weddings to see if she would be interested in a collaborative bridal photo shoot. We have worked together before and Stacey-Marie has a brilliant eye for style and detail. Well lucky for me she said yes and so we set about planning an exciting project. We wanted to create a fresh, bright and bold style which would combine the fun feeling of the summer of love with the elegance of Audrey. We went for a deliciously bright sunshine yellow colour to run throughout.

To gather our ideas and inspiration we used the hugely addictive Pinterest to share images we both came across which hinted at the style, colour and design of the shoot. Stacey-Marie then compiled an inspiration board which we shared with the suppliers who we set about contacting to see if they’d be interested in working with us. I’ll let Stacey-Marie continue the story behind the inspiration and how she went about bringing the style together…

Stacey-Marie at Cherry Topped: With our vision and inspiration in place we wanted to make sure that our ideas were feasible; for brides to be able to create them themselves and to provide alternative colour and design inspiration. It turned out (after the photo shoot day!) that the yellow colour is said to be big for next year according to Pantone’s colour report – “Solar Power”! So on to the details…

Emma Meek’s (Miss Bush Bridal, a Surrey Bridal Boutique) stock of Jesus Peiro dresses and a Udo Zaldi dress were perfect for the sixties look that we wanted to create with our model Gemma. With the first dress by Jesus Peiro (style 2003) we wanted to accessorise this with a bespoke oversized yellow dupion silk bow to sit perfectly at the back to create drama and fun. Gemma also wore Pink’s “Tease” shoes which were dyed to match the bow colour swatch. Emma and her seamstress Janet worked their magic with creating the bespoke pieces for the shoot.

Gemma’s second dress, also by Jesus Peiro (style 1014) with its ¾ length sleeves is perfect for a winter wedding. We wanted to keep this look classic in all ivory and to mirror the bow on the dress in Gemma’s hair and on the shoes. Janet’s sewing skills came to the fore again with making a bespoke ivory satin bow for Gemma’s hair.

Gemma’s final dress, by Ugo Zaldi (style B126) is a fun short bridal gown, perfect for a second outfit in the evening. With a simple blusher veil it creates a stylish contemporary look.

Gemma’s hair and makeup was styled by Gemma Sutton and her assistant Stacey. The high beehives, dark smoky eyes and natural lips characterised the sixties feel and the addition of the white carnations and bright yellow craspedia at the base of the beehive gave that quirky dramatic feel.

Steph from Fairynuff Flowers provided the stunning bouquets. After sharing the inspiration boards with Steph she completely understood the look we were after. Steph created a vibrant yellow and green bouquet and a contrasting contemporary dome bouquet of white carnations; simple and classic.

Sunflowers and daisies were part of our inspiration for the sunshine yellow colour. Inspired by the flowers Janet Mohapi-Banks created “Summer” a beautifully striking 4-tier wedding cake covered in delicately hand crafted sunflowers and daisies, perfectly bold and elegant with a touch of fun too!

We wanted to have a fun sweetie buffet as part of the shoot, for which Sarah from Creative Candi provided her beautiful vintage apothecary jars of sweets. To finish off the look of the sweetie jars, we attached some little “Sweetie Mix” labels with ribbon, beautifully designed by Wendy at August Moon who use the shape of a sunflower as inspiration for the artistic design.

To go with the outdoor sixties party feel of the shoot we hired in some funky martini shape glasses from Jones Hire and some elegant glassware from Nest. The water jug and water glasses filled with iced lemon and lime water were perfect for the outdoor drinks reception feel together with a cloche style cake stand filled with lemons and limes.

The stunning venue for our shoot was Pendell House, in Bletchingley, Surrey. I visited Pendell House some months ago and loved its relaxed intimate atmosphere. Once the inspiration and colours were sorted for our shoot I thought of Pendell House with its decor suiting the design perfectly. The poolside location suited the cocktail drinks reception atmosphere and the elegant interior with ornate furnishing suited the classic elegance of the shoot. We just loved the gold gilt chair, inside and outside!

Last, but most definitely not least, is Juliet! Working with Juliet is just such a brilliant experience! She worked so, so hard making sure all details and elements were captured to their very best, in the best locations and in the best light (literally!). She has captured the look and feel of our ideas amazingly!

Everyone involved in this styled bridal shoot were absolutely adorable to work with and all put in so much effort to bring the style and design together. By pulling together your initial wedding ideas and inspiration to show your wedding suppliers, they can then use their expertise and imagination to create each element of your wedding day to suit your requirements. We hope that this has inspired you even in some little way by showcasing different ideas and ways of introducing variety, colour, and personalised touches into your wedding day!

Venue – Pendell House

Photographer – Juliet McKee Photography

Coordinator & Stylist – Cherry Topped Bespoke Weddings – Stacey-Marie Chalk

Model – Gemma Underhay

Dresses and Accessories - Miss Bush Bridal

Cake – Janet Mohapi-Banks

Flowers – Fairynuff Flowers – Steph Turpin

Stationery – Wendy Li at August Moon

Hair & Makeup – Gemma Sutton

Sweet Buffet – Creative Candi

Anything here take your fancy folks? it’s funny, although I am a W-day blogger I always forget that you can in fact dye ivory shoes to pretty much any colour of your choice…anyone thinking of giving this option a go?

Oh and I know what colour mine would be today.

YELLOW.

Big Fruity Love

Charlotte xxx

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Posted in Bridal

Tags: August Moon Stationery Cherry Topped Bespoke Weddings Emma Meek Miss Bush Bridal Fairynuff Flowers Gemma Sutton hair and make-up artist Miss Bush Bridal Surrey Pendell House Wedding Venue Yellow colour scheme for your wedding

White On White.

October 26th, 2011

I love all the inspirational fashion shoots we feature. All of them. And if I was in the midst of planning my dream W-day I would be in scrapbook heaven.

I’ve got to tell you though, the Luella’s Boudoir Luxury Wedding Show look-book photographed by Chanelle Sergerius Bruce certainly takes the most-things-I-want-for-myself biscuit in terms of accessories, hair and make-up. Perhaps it’s the white on white theme that makes everything look so deliciously delicate, clean and sophisticated or maybe it’s just the fact the styling in general is let’s face it, A.mazing.

I want the top knot/messy bun. I want the circular sparkly statement headpiece. I want the backless dress and the feather cape. I want to be surrounded by lanterns and butterfly’s and the palest of blooms…

Hell. I want it ALL.

Chanelle Sergerius-Bruce: Bridal fashion and still life detail shoots are something that I am doing more and more of now and loving it. I worked for 3 years as a re-toucher for Mario Testino and secretly wished I could be shooting fashion even back then; Bridal fashion to be exact. When the opportunity arose to shoot for Rachel at Luella’s Boudoir for the Luxury Wedding Show Look Book I jumped at the chance. It was such a pleasure to have a professional team around to do the styling, hair & make-up and our agency models where fantastic to work with. From a photography perspective I am always looking for great light above anything else. I had a wonderful assistant, Sachin, who helped me with this on the day. I can’t wait to shoot more of these in the future!

The Location: The photo-shoot theme took full advantage of One Marylebone’s graceful decor and spacing, using the polished wooden floors to capture the reflections of the chandeliers and sun gleaming through the imposing windows. Luella’s also wanted to showcase their new collections in a venue that their brides would love and may wish to consider booking for their own special day.

The Suppliers: Various parts of One Marlybone’s entrance hall, gallery and two spiral staircases were transformed with decorations: hanging lanterns draped in fairy-lights were used to surround one of the models, creating a dramatic backdrop for her ethereal style gown, then balloons and bunting were positioned in front of one of the great arched windows. An abundance of flowers covered the ground around the models feet, spilled out of her bouquet and dressed the window sill of one of the grand spiral staircases.

On the other staircase white lettering spelling the word LOVE was used with Luellas own vintage style cushion to create another look. In one of the shots a series of paper pom-poms and fans were pinned to the Georgian window: Whilst downstairs the butterfly tree, photo-frames and bird cage were reflected in a vast golden guild mirror.

Styling By Rachel Atwell Owner of Luella’s: I had so much fun styling this shoot and working with such a lovely group of suppliers made it even more enjoyable. I wanted to create something that would showcase some of our key bridal looks for 2011/12 but I also wanted to be able to give our brides some ideas about the different types of props they could use for their own weddings.

We carefully chose a variety of stylish accessories to compliment each dress, including our new floral designs by Jannie Baltzer, original vintage pieces by Magpie vintage and a selection of shoes and beautiful hair accessories by Emmy. All of the dresses and accessories featured in the shoot are available at Luellas.

The Brides: Under the glimmering chandeliers the models posed in dresses exclusive to Luella’s Boudoir. Each dress was chosen from Luella’s unique selection of designers, and ranged from sleek dresses with low backs to fuller skirted tulle gowns to 1930’s inspired beaded gowns. Hair and makeup was styled by Gemma Sutton and her team who created a series of stunning looks to reflect the style of the shoot.

Gemma Sutton: We created a number of different bridal looks, keeping the look and feel very classic, modern and elegant. Makeup was kept fresh and clean with most of the focus on the eyes using deep purple/black with a wash of light/shimmer pinks. Lots of individual lashes where added to create an elegant butterfly finish. Hair styles where changed to match each dress and headpiece’s; from the very high fashion up do’s to the softer waves and sleek do’s. This was such an amazing shoot and everyone worked so hard in their field. I was so happy to be a part of it.

Venue- One Marylebone

Photography- Segerius Bruce

Filming- Pearls Videos

Makeup & Hair Stylist – Gemma Sutton

Flowers – Philippa Craddock

Models- Gingersnaps Creative Management

Props and accessories – Balloons: Simply Elegant Ltd Bunting & Mobiles – The Hummingbird Card Company Lanterns & Fans – The Hanging Lantern Company Poms – Paper Poms UK

Butterfly & Heart Tree – Designers Choice

Dresses, Accessories and Styling- Luella’s Boudoir

That last image? I love everything about it. How can I get my barnet to do that?!

Do let us know what you think of the white on white (is it your choice for W-day?)…. and of course if any of the frocks or sparkly bits take your fancy.

Big Styling Love

Charlotte xxx

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Posted in Bridal

Tags: Luella's boudoir One Marylebone wedding venue Phillipa Craddock Wedding florist sergerius Bruce wedding photography

Kitty And Dulcie.

September 30th, 2011

Well today has turned out to be pretty exciting all in all, as you read this not only will Team RMW will be at The National Wedding Show but we have a ridiculously delicious exclusive to share with you all.

It’s no big secret that I am a sucker for fashion. Even more so when a collection is beautifully styled and the pieces are A. Complete. Bargain.

Imagine my delight then when Kirstie Taylor (she of Flo and Percy fame) and new business partner Shelley-Carter Bright (beauty writer for many a fancy glossy) asked Rock My Wedding to feature their brand new range of vintage-inspired gowns.

Kitty Paine and Dulcie Smith were Kirstie and Shelley’s grandmothers who in the war-torn years when money and materials were scare, shared an undeterred and fierce passion for dress-making. In their honour and loving memory Kitty and Dulcie was born, an on-line boutique of affordable, beautiful and catwalk-worthy W-day dresses.

The Kitty And Dulcie website has everything you could possibly need for purchasing your favourite frock at the touch of a button, all-angle images with zoom feature (LOVE a zoom me….) and a video that demonstrates exactly how each delectable number “moves”.

So without further ado, sit back, relax and enjoy the pretty.

The Cockney Rebel: Goodness me the swooshyness… layers of tulle make me giddy with glee, and I love the mix of princess-esque dress with bohemian headpiece and rock n roll make-up. £375.

The City Slicker: Yes I know, who knew a full length slinky applique number combined with a bowler hat would look so darn HOT? If I was offered the opportunity to wear this to the local market I so would. £375

The Bobbi Dazzler: Fun and flirty, one-shoulder floral corsage detail is gonna be HUGE for 2012 brides. And not that I want to make you buy even more or anything but… at £285 you could purchase it just for the first dance right?

The Pearly Queen: Make like an extra from Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan with a knee-length full-skirted number. There are sparkly beads AND sequins people. £285

The Dolly Rocker: The bow… how I love thee. And you know what? it’s the biggest bargain of the lot, £250. I’ll have two please….

Head Candy: If you were wondering what the to-die-for head accessories were then they are the Wilderness headband and the Temptation headband, both by Flo & Percy. And with such an under budget gown why not treat yourself?

Photography: Sarah Louise Johnson assisted by Paris Walkett

Make-up: Katie Reedman at Slap

Hair: Mariko Kinto Athertoncox

Every Kitty and Dulcie dress arrives beautifully tissue wrapped complete with pretty padded hanger for you to try on in the comfort of your own home. I really want one. And as I can’t find a suitable enough excuse to flex the plastic I am hoping some of you gorgeous lot certainly will.

Big I’m An On-Line Shopaholic Love

Charlotte xxx

P.S Does anyone else order clothes off the net that are essentially just for themselves giftwrapped for the sheer pleasure of receiving fancy parcel? No? Oh dear. Just me then.

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Posted in Bridal

Tags: Bargain beautiful wedding dresses Kitty and Dulcie on-line wedding dress boutique Tea length wedding dresses

Everything’s Just Peachy.

September 27th, 2011

Way back when last year Team RMW dedicated a whole week to all things peachy keen. Because we LOVE this feminine shade for W-day. Especially when combined with grey, or nude, or pink or green….. basically any combination of colours that may take your fancy.

A few weeks back photographer Chanelle Segerius-Bruce and wedding planner and stylist Helen Carter contacted Rock My Wedding to see if we would like to feature their recent bridal inspiration shoot, a vintage country style extravaganza with the prettiest decor and one single common theme throughout…

Yes you guessed it people, PEACH.

The make-up, fashion and hair is particularly delicious and don’t even get me started on the florals or the paper…. seriously, if I was planning my own big day I would be stealing every. single. detail.

Helen has kindly written all about the ideas and suppliers behind the shoot so you can go create something equally as delectable for W-day should you chose to.

Enjoy you gorgeous lot.

Helen Carter from Helen Carter Weddings: I’d been wanting to do a styled bridal photo shoot for some time, but somehow it was one of those things that just kept slipping down my to do list. In my mind I knew I wanted to create a look that was very design-oriented with a real focus on the little details, but that also offered realistic inspiration for brides looking for ideas for their own day.

I’ve ‘known’ Chanelle from Segerius Bruce via Twitter and e-mail for well over 12 months, but we hadn’t actually met until April this year. We got chatting about photo shoots, and right from the start I could tell that we were on the same wavelength. This was really important, as I knew I needed a talented photographer who could shoot beautiful model shots without overlooking all the little details I wanted to incorporate. Fortunately for me Chanelle was on board with all of my crazy ideas (!), so I set about putting everything together my very first styled shoot.

The Design

I already had an idea in mind for the design (which fortunately Chanelle loved!) – a subtle vintage country style with a duck-egg blue and peach colour scheme. However, when I started getting into the details I had so many ideas that I soon realised that just one look wasn’t going to be enough! So I decided to split the shoot into two parts – the first would be an elegant vintage style with hints of duck-egg blue, long flowing dresses and a formal table setting, whilst the second would have a more relaxed and country feel, hopefully (weather permitting!) using an outdoor setting. Both would have an individual feel, but would complement each other by using the same peach-based colour scheme and accessorising with lace, pearls and peaches.

The Location

Because I wanted the shoot to provide brides with inspiration, I didn’t want to use an impractical or inaccessible location. However, I wanted it to have the right outdoor space to complement the rustic side of the design, as well as having a beautiful interior that worked with the vintage look. Not an easy task!

After much searching I discovered the George in Rye, a gorgeous boutique hotel in Sussex. The exquisite silk panelled ballroom was just perfect for the vintage look, whilst the pretty little courtyard was exactly what I wanted for the outdoor country tablescape. And as an added bonus, with its quaint cobbled streets and quirky little store fronts Rye also offered a great backdrop for some gorgeous model shots!

The Suppliers

I knew for this shoot I was going to need an amazing team of suppliers who understood the two different, yet still complimentary, looks and exactly what I was trying to achieve. As a wedding planner I am lucky enough to work with some incredibly talented and creative individuals on a regular basis, so I went straight to my little black book of trusty contacts!

The flowers, provided by the lovely Leanne at Wild About, comprised a seasonal mix of peach and pink tones punctuated by smatterings of vibrant green, with two different bouquet styles to complement the vintage and country designs.

One of my favourite cake designers, Zoe Clark at The Cake Parlour, provided the cakes and confectionary. As soon as I saw the George in Rye I knew I wanted to do two completely different cake displays. For the vintage look we took inspiration from the beautiful silk panels in the ballroom, with Zoe hand-painting the hummingbird design onto a striking 3-tier creation, whilst for the country style she designed a beautiful 2-tier peach cake with sugar flowers that we set up in the courtyard.

For the stationery I again took inspiration from the ballroom decor. Jenny at In The Treehouse did a fabulous job of creating the ‘usual’ stationery items (e.g. invitation, table number and menus), and also created some quirky little pieces that we used for the drinks and cake displays.

Because of the mismatched nature of the accessories and props I wanted to incorporate, I sourced many of the items from Ebay, charity shops, car boot sales and antique centres – a bit of rooting around and you can find some great bargains! Some of the larger pieces were borrowed from Vintage Style Hire, who have loads of different props and accessories that are just perfect for accessorising a vintage wedding.

The ‘Brides’

Stephanie Allin provided four beautiful dresses for the shoot, which all had their own distinct style but complemented each other with the continuing use of lace and soft fabrics. We accessorised these with a range of shoes from Rachel Simpson, and beautiful headpieces and jewellery from Chez Bec.

For the bridal shots I really wanted to have two distinct looks to complement both the vintage and country designs, and Gemma Sutton did a fantastic job on hair and make-up. The vintage looks were characterised by more formal up-dos and sparkly headpieces, whilst the country look used loose curls, pearls and floral accessories.

Designing and organising the shoot was a great experience, and I would like to thank everyone who was involved for all their hard work and support. I really hope you like the ideas and find some inspiration for your own wedding day!