I found myself doing the whole “ooh” and “gorgeous” and “what a clever idea” the whole way through, and not in a “this is delicious but too aspirational” way, but in a genuine “this lady put so many lovely but simple little details together to make her day personal” way. And yep. You guessed it, Jacin’s blog is appropriately named just that - Lovely Little Details.

Jacin: I actually started the blog back in September 2009 as my diary to the altar, as we planned our entire wedding while living across the country. I wanted a way for family and friends to keep up-to-date with our planning and really didn’t think anyone besides my mom and cousins would read it . Now that the wedding has come and gone, I still find myself loving weddings more than ever, and I am so passionate about what I write. I told myself once the passion goes away, I will stop blogging. Hopefully that day never arrives!

We very rarely post anything from the U.S of A, this is after all a UK wedding blog and a big % of our readers (about 90% of you to be exact) are part of the beautiful Brit pack. However, sometimes there is a whole lot of inspiration to steal regardless of location or climate.

And these lovelies are what I think you might want to half inch from this Connecticut Yacht Club soiree:

The Veil. So intricate, so wow-factor, so beautiful.

Jacin’s hair do. I want. Now.

The mason jar pew ends, so effective and so pretty.

Jacin had the best “getting ready to be a bride” dress I’ve ever seen (cute with a capital C) and great for the images of that all important part of the day.

Stripy straws. Every wedding should have some.

Maids in the same colour but different design dress. Maid of honour also with a different colour (hot pink) sash to really stand out. Love that.

The blooms. Football chrysanthemums apparently. Whatever – I die.

There is a shot of the wedding party IN. A. SUPERMARKET.

Anyway, it’s not like I need to tell you all of this, you can go see for yourselves folks…..

Rock My Wedding, bringing the sunshine to your Sunday

Fate

My dress was a custom design from a little dress shop in Hoboken, New Jersey called Ally Bridal. I had searched high and low for a dress that made me feel like it was “the one” and I actually thought I found it a few times, until I found this one! It was a boatneck dress with straps when I first saw it, but Ally, the designer, convinced me to try it on because she could alter it to a strapless sweetheart neckline.. Once I put it on and she worked her magic with safety pins here and there, I looked in the mirror and thought “this could be it!” All it took to seal the deal was for me to look down at the bottom of the dress and notice a swiss-dot detailing that was so different and fun… When I couldn’t stand to take it off and continued to daydream about the dress, that was when I knew it was the one.

Purchasing my dress at Ally Bridal was the best decision I could have made – I had several appointments at Kleinfeld Bridal {where the show “Say Yes to the Dress” is filmed} and they were all cancelled due to snowstorms. I considered this a sign when I went in to Ally just to look around and her dresses were not only custom, but they were a fraction of the price compared to name brand dresses! It was truly meant to be.

Something Borrowed Something New

I wore my mother’s lace mantilla veil that my grandmother made for her when she was married. I have always had my eye on it and was so honored to wear it on my wedding day as well – it was so special to be including something from my parents’ wedding in my big day as well. In my hair I wore a single gardenia flower, which was a tribute to my late grandmother, Mimi, who loved gardenias and passed away just months before our wedding.

The shoes were the Christian Louboutin Parisienne Plato in Nude Chiffon and they were oh-so-gorgeous {but honestly, the most uncomfortable things I’ve ever worn haha!}

Beauty Queen

After meeting and working with the lovely and talented Jennie Fresa of Jennie Fresa Beauty Library at my cousin’s wedding the year before, I knew I had to have Jennie do our makeup for my wedding day as well. She is sweet as can be and really focuses on keeping you looking natural and fresh, taking your visions/ideas and bringing them to life. Oh, and false eyelashes were a MUST and Jennie made sure to take care of that!

My hair, Hmm…. How to say this. Well, let’s just say that my hair was probably one of my least favorite things about the big day. Unfortunately, I planned my entire wedding from across the country, as I lived in California and we were married in my home state of Connecticut, so I wasn’t able to really spend as much time as I would have liked on hair trials, etc. I learned that no matter what, sticking to what makes you look good on a regular day can sometimes be best on a big day like your wedding, because lets face it, although your hair can look like Carrie Underwood, if the face doesn’t match, sometimes it just doesn’t work

Slate, Pink and Khaki COOL

The guys all rented black tuxes from Men’s Wearhouse, and Pat differentiated from the pack with an ivory tie and vest with the rest of the guys in all black. The ladies wore all different styles of Lula Kate dresses in the same slate color with off-white shantung sashes, and my maid of honor wore a fuchsia sash. Our colors were slate blue, hot pink and khaki and we pulled that in wherever we could!

The Handsome Groom

Pat wore a tux from Men’s Wearhouse with an ivory vest and tie. His boutonniere was a simple pink ranunculus flower with dusty miller as an accent. He looked so handsome and it was all I could do not to give him a kiss right then and there!

Big Day Blooms

I loved choosing flowers for the wedding, it was one of my favorite parts of planning! We chose football chrysanthemums and ranunculus along with hydrangeas and dahlias in shades of white and pink. Eucalyptus leaves made a lovely accent to represent California! Our amazingly talented florist was Jennifer Hodgins at Branford Flower Shop.

Capturing The Heart

I could go on and on and on about our photographers!! This part was a tedious process for us, to choose just the right team to capture our day! In the end after speaking with numerous photographers we chose to work with Graham and Ashley Scobey, the husband and wife team who make up Scobey Photography and we could not have been happier with the decision to do so. They not only captured all of our most important moments, but captured the hearts of all of our friends and family, too. Everyone LOVED them!!! They are so sweet and genuine and did I mention, talented? See, I told you I could go on and on! I heart the Scobeys!

The Sound Of Music

For the cocktail hour, we hired close friends, JA2M to play guitar and sing tunes by Dave Matthews, Ray Lamontagne, and laid back music perfect for hanging out before the dancing began. We hired a DJ for the reception because we couldn’t justify spending a million dollars on a live band, and everyone loved the music so it worked out fine!

I will say that we had a “do not play list” that was about 4 pages long, though, because we didn’t want the Macarena or Chicken Dance to rear its head

We took a while to choose our first dance song and were torn between a Bruce Springsteen song, Kingdom of Days, and the song we chose, which was John Legend’s Stay With You. We chose Stay With You because we both just really loved it and it seemed very “us”.

Lovely Little Details

Oh all of the lovely little details were created and planned out with a great deal of love and thought! We used tissue paper pom poms in different sizes and shades of pink and hung them from the ceiling in the ballroom using blue and white baker’s twine. Blue mason jars lined the fireplace surrounded by eucalyptus and filled with flickering candles, and we also used masons for our centerpieces, straw holders, and to decorate the aisle at the church. Masons are a big part of my life as my grandmother taught me to make jams and pickles at a young age and the mason jars remind me of her. We also used beach stones as placecards, which incorporated the shoreline beachy theme, and they were set on top of a burlap table runner given to me by a very good friend {and fellow blogger of Sparkle & Hay}.

I created table numbers using wine corks and baker’s twine, and custom designed all the paper from menus with embossed silverware to signature cocktail signage. These were the details I had so much fun planning, once the big ticket items were taken care of!

The Best Advice

I think my favorite part about our wedding was that it was so US. Friends and family left and told us later that they felt like it was so comfortable, fun, and a great representation of who we are as a couple. We tried to bring in little details to represent our family, such as wedding pictures of parents and grandparents, and lots and lots of mason jars. We made a special effort to choose music we loved, but also polled our guests in our invites to see what they’d like to hear throughout the night {my favorite response was a friend’s 70+ year old mother who requested “Hey Ya!” by Outkast}. So many brides now a days are subject to what I call “inspiration overload” especially with the many wedding blogs out there, and my biggest piece of advice is to stay true to your initial vision and don’t let others sway you just because bloggers say certain components are “overused” or going out of style.

If you love it, and its something that represents you, then go for it! My other advice is to Make. A. List. For. Your. Photographer. Seriously – I love our photos but on the wedding day, the last thing in my mind was taking more pictures – I just wanted to party and have fun with everyone we love! If I took 10 minutes to jot down a list for my photographers, I would have had more of the pictures I realized afterwards that I would have liked to have. Overall – enjoy every moment, even the ones where you feel crazy from planning – because it will fly by in an instant!

Brides Gown – Ally Bridal

Make-up - Jennie Fresa

Blooms – Branford Flower Shop

Maids Dresses – Lula Kate

Photography – The Scobey’s

I hope you enjoyed a little bit of Real Wedding loveliness on a weekend (we like a bit of change every now and then) and if you are still in need of further W-day inspiration and advice (Jacin even does baking!) then head on over to Lovely Little Details for a peeky.

With thanks to Jacin and her husband Pat for sharing the Connecticut L.O.V.E

Big California Dreamin’ Love

Charlotte xxx

I’m not sure what it is exactly but I always seem to be right in the middle of everything but not actually finishing anything, housework, work work, blog work, trying to find time to get my lazy backside down the gym……

And it seems I have a whole load of lovely stuff and lovely people to post about on Rock My Wedding and um, no-where to actually put it. So I figured this afternoon lovelies we could all do with a little break (from W-day planning, life planning, catching up on a gazillion emails…) and just have a little click around all that is delicious on the world wide web.

So Wednesday afternoon is offically a Workaholics Anonymous meeting and that means one thing you gorgeous lot, put your feet up, have a rest and BROWSE. We promise you will all find at least one little something that tickles your fancy.

First things first. Yesterday was Independent Woman’s Day and we shared a little RMW poster love with Aisling and Claire’s blog Anyotherwedding. And for anyone that is feeling not only over worked but also under confident then please please just repeat the following community mantra:

The Cinderella Story. Do you want it? I’d say here was a 100% hands up “yes” for the Happily Ever After bit at the end right? Well then, how about the rest of it? Read Anna K’s frankly brilliant piece on how we should all move towards a more modern fairytale. It will really really make you think.

Orange and Yellow blooms in a turquoise can rock my world. That’s all I’m saying.

I am obsessed with jeans. I am obsessed with make-up. Now MAC have gone and made some cool cosmetics in denim shades. You know I am at the glossy counter tomorrow on a spree right?

You may remember English Rose RMW bride Elizabeth and she was just the sweetest and happiest girl to be married. Elizabeth now has her own place in Weddingville called Bridal Musings and she discovered this great blog called “Moments Junkie“. Go take a look, I for one am officially converted.

If you’ve still not had enough pretty this week then Chelsea and Brandon’s W-day may just sustain you. Think ruffles. Think picture perfect bride.

The RMW team can’t get enough of over-head decor, as in lanterns and poms and floral fancies….. take a look at this bunch of inspirational ideas if you are still contemplating the final touches.

Because sometimes black tie evening glamour makes for the most beautiful big day.

Jonas Peterson is one of Rebecca’s all time favourite photographers. If you take a look at Salma and Ziyaads’ Brisbane W-day I think you’ll see why. He’s now also one of mine.

Have you featured on or followed RMW? Are you one of our fabulous community? Well I’m thinking so as you’re here! Kirsty of A Safe Mooring is and she has our brand new “Rock My Wedding Bride” badge. Email adam@rockmywedding.co.uk if you would like one for your blog too!

Fairy Lights and Feather Choo’s. I want BOTH.

Simply stunning florals and maids. Lou from Whimsical Wedding Wonderland showcased one of the loveliest 60′s inspired spring weddings ever. Bring on the tulips folks.

I need to announce the winners of the Rosie Willet Comp! third place and winning a gorgeous necklace is Joey D, second and winning an entire jewellery collection is Lauren (9.53am!) and in first place and now the proud owner of a Darcy headpiece AND lots of sparkly bits is Abbi B. Congratulations!! We’ll be in touch soon with details on how to collect your prize!

Cowboy boots, fruity flavours and without doubt one of the most insanely beautiful bouquets I have ever seen. We die.

Because sometimes you just need to lose yourself in out-of-this-world photography.

We went and got some new ABOUT PAGE images. Hope you lot like ‘em.

Big I’m Going Shopping Today Instead of Working Love

Charlotte xxx

And it’s Friday afternoon……Double Yay!

And I would like to say a huge HELLO THERE! to all of our stylish new readers and commenters that have jumped on the pretty Rock My Wedding ship this year, welcome aboard lovelies

It’s been a busy week over at RMW HQ, planning and organising for 2011 and swooning over immense W-day gorgeousness ( there has been A LOT let me tell you, and all coming up in the next few months for you guys to enjoy!) ……and tomorrow we have a monthly RMW team meeting ( where we actually see each other in real life, not just on i-chat…) with an agenda as long as the river Nile.

And just to clarify, we are not moaning, quite the opposite in fact. In the words of Justin Trousersnake: We are loving it.

So thanks a million for all of your support, advice and general community greatness, we couldn’t do it without you folks.

Ok, speech over

To round up this fabulous week there are a few final you-might-want-to-know-about little things I would like to draw your attention to:

The “Event” in Derby on the 6th of February, we will be there with bells on, and we would LOVE to meet some of you guys, do let us know if you are coming along.

A lovely new bridal store “Adamo” meaning “falling in love” has opened in Leigh on Sea and my does it look luscious. Love a fancy schmancey boutique so we do…..Adamo are holding a bride to be pamper evening on the 29th January with advice from Industry expert cake makers, photographers, stylists, make-up artists and more. We are very jealous that we are no longer eligible to attend ( darn it!) so we would very much like some of you gorgeous lot to get your bridey wriggle on, go along and report back!

* images courtesy of Craig Williams Photography

I saw this simple but stunning surfy Big Day a few months ago and have been meaning to share it with you ever since – take a peek.

Oh and this ranch one. The bride looks phenomenal. Who knew colour and butterfly print could work so well for W-day?

Quite simply one of the most stylish and magazine-worthy white weddings I have ever seen.

Want to see something totally unique, cool and different? Rebecca did and this eclectic wedding is what floated her boat this week.

Does the cold weather make you want to bake stuff? it does me. Mostly for the eating it bit afterwards mind you. I found this delicious website the other day – Honey and Butter. Check out their Cinnamon Apple Pie recipe and how to make Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies. Perfect winter indulgence.

Rebecca recently discovered a make-up secret. And I stole it. Eye bags and dark shadows be gone – I’m wiping you out with Smashbox High Definition concealer. It really works people.

Rock My Wedding reader Anna K sent me this home decor blog the other day, it is now firmly on my favourites list for interior eye candy.

Talking of interiors, have you ever seen a cooler piece of pretty for your bed?! I want!!

A slightly random Friday post admittedly…..

But sometimes you just gotta write about what’s in your head, you know?

Big TFI Friday Love

Charlotte xxx

Is Granny Geek Chic going to be big this season or what?!

Don’t worry though lovelies, I’m not going to paint your weekend autumnal shades of grey ( although I do love grey)…. instead I’m going to serve up a large helping of summery W-day gorgeousness.

Hoorah!

If money was no object and I could have any dress in the world this Oscar De La Renta number would be it. *Le sigh*

I’ve mentioned The Cherry Blossom Girl before – adore the design of her blog. ADORE her wedding too.

I love brides in glasses. Rebecca loves grooms in Bow Ties. This Big Day has both. We die.

An engagement shoot actually UNDER WATER. You’ve gotta give an A* for effort right?

I think I may even like a KISSING BOOTH better than I like a photo version. Delicious.

If I got married again ( to the same man obviously) I would have this as my bouquet. Oh and have you seen the bridesmaid?!

Kirsty and Steve standing by a tree with some B.U.N.T.I.N.G. ( see what I did there?)

Cakes vs salad…. cake EVERY time. I could be persuaded though.

I can’t tell you how many times I have clicked on the link to buy and managed to maintain the willpower not to. The thing is I’m really not sure how much longer I can hold out. Pray for me people.

And if you plan on a little bit of retail therapy this weekend make sure you treat yourself. We only live once y’know.

Big Yes I know I am naughty Love

Charlotte xxx

Don’t forget to drop us an email of anything you think the RMW community might want to take a peak at

Just in case you lovelies had tried and failed, Denote’s customer contact form is now working so please head on over if you fancy some paper pretty

Are you a photography geek like The RMW Team? Well then, you need to go take a look at what is in Laura Lawson’s bag. There’s a lot of lens lovely in there that’s for sure.

If you like to sit down with a cup of tea and a biscuit to enjoy surfers paradise maybe next time you could indulge in a whole mug full of “Big Love” … Emma Bridgewater actually made this for us didn’t she?!

Working to a small budget but want to make a BIG impact? Fill bowls with delicious cherries or vibrant oranges to add colour, cool and kitsch. And if you don’t believe me you’ve really gotta check out this beautiful wedding. See!

I know it’s still technically summer, and I know that at heart I’m generally a high street kinda girl…. but that doesn’t stop me from desiring this Marc Jacobs jumper. It looks so cosy yet so very VERY chic

Now I may be thinking of how much I’d love the jumper but Madam Rebecca has gone out and actually bought this Whistles leather jacket. Lush.

And while we are on the subject of gorgeous garments you have GOT to go take a look at this Australian Art Deco inspired affair. The brides gown AND the bridesmaids dresses are unbelievably beautiful

There is no denying that the RMW team are total Apple geeks. Imagine our delight then when we discovered that net-a-porter magazine have an app for the super cool iPad. Yup that’s right, the leaders of on-line fashion are now at your iPad fingertips people. Hoo-bloomin-rah.

Not usually one to go completely nuts over W-day cake or indeed suggest you tie everything in with a “colour scheme” but this pink number may have just turned my thinking 180 degrees. Can you imagine it in Rock My Wedding blue?! A.mazing.

If You read my post “The Prettiest Maids” then you will understand why this Big Day made my week. I don’t think you need any further confirmation that maids + different coloured dresses = total and utter perfection. Oh and the ice-cream dream of a frock is pretty spectacular too.

Loved our head-piece post this week? still not found exactly the right thing? well then you may want to check out www.cherishedvintage.co.uk by Evangeline Rose Bridal. Featuring beautiful embellished hairbands, combs and hairpins made from genuine vintage costume jewellery and reworked into one-off accessories, Cherished’s designs appeal to brides seeking elegant individuality for their special day. Using brooches, buckles, buttons and jewellery dating from the 1900s to 1970s and sourced from around the world, each piece is unique and comes with its very own pedigree detailing its history. Fancy Schmancy.

Did you love the film “The NoteBook”? Well I did. And I was knocked sideways with this engagement shoot that was inspired by the movie. Divine.

Last but not least I’ll leave you with this, a piece of french fancy from the Cherry Blossom Girl. The perfect pink Miu Miu bag and the sweetest dress and shoes courtesy of Urban Outfitters. J’adore.

Have a fabulous weekend you gorgeous lot

Hope you all surround yourself with fine wines, fabulous friends and lots of laughter…..

Big Marc Jacobs Love

Charlotte xxx

One of my favourite blogs is the brilliant Eat Drink Chic by the very talented Amy Moss. Amy is a graphic design turned style blogger who makes the best free downloadables and printables which she very kindly shares on her blog. It still has me checking on a regular basis for cool projects and I’m sure we will be featuring her work regularly in DIY Devotee.

I might have a bit of a girl crush on Amy. Not only does she have a super pretty blog with the most stylish ideas and shares, she also had what I reckon is close to my perfect wedding. What I would do if I had to go and do it all again… wait for it, Amy has a surprise wedding!

Amy has very kindly given me permission to blog about her wedding using excerpts from her own wedding blog posts, for which I am eternally grateful. Thank you so much Amy and I hope you all enjoy the eye candy and the sentiment.

An Engagement Party to Remember

On Sunday March 28 at 2pm, our guests, believing they were about to attend an engagement party, began arriving at our beautiful backyard picnic. One hour into the proceedings we shocked them with a surprise wedding ceremony!

The looks of astonishment and delight on the faces of our guests were pure gold. After 10 years of friendship, in which the last 4 years we were an inseparable couple, Mark and I finally got married!

Family Vintage

The Wedding appeals to me on so many levels… Amy totally knocked the styling out of the park with so many of her own cute DIY touches from the florals to the paper goods to the casual style and I love the relaxed vibe being carried right through from the back yard setting to the floral short wedding dress Amy wore – despite it’s unusual appearance it really was a bona fide wedding gown…

I wore my mother’s 30 year old floral wedding dress accompanied by an Alannah Hill floral hairpiece and vintage-style pearl white shoes each topped with a cute little rosette.

Setting the Scene for a wedding…

Mark and I stood under a pretty cream-coloured royal marquee set up at the front of the event, greeting our guests as they arrived.

A series of pop-up pagoda marquees were set up around the edge of one half of a tennis court. In the middle were four large umbrellas. This added an open, outdoor feel while still protecting us from the intermittent drizzle that occurred throughout the day.

At 3pm, Mark grabbed everyone’s attention and begins his speech, thanking everybody for coming and relating stories about how we met and how we were friends for many years before we eventually got our acts together and became a couple. At the conclusion of his speech, he casually lets it slip that we are going to be honouring our commitment to each other in the form of a civil wedding ceremony here today before all our guests.

The collective gasp, shocked and delighted faces, raised arms and exclamations such as “You sly dog!” were pure gold! I wish I could live in that moment forever! We spontaneously chose a spot amongst our guests to conduct a relaxed and unrehearsed ceremony. Our celebrant Deborah Cannon did a fantastic job especially dealing with our tendency to erupt in silliness!

A Wedding Picnic

I chose ‘simple’, ‘rustic’, ‘recycled’, ‘vintage’ and ‘casual’ as the key themes of our wedding ‘picnic’. Wanting to capture a fresh, spring feel I set bright warm reds, oranges, pinks and yellows ablaze against a rustic landscape of wooden furniture, vintage crates, wine barrels, an odd assortment of collected jars and and bottles and bamboo plates and cutlery. Guests were advised a dress code of ‘smart casual’ to maintain the relaxed and understated tone of the event.

Lemonade Love

The ‘homemade lemonade with elderflower water’ by our caterers was simply delicious and, in true recycled fashion, provided in jam jars.

Manila tags tied to the top of each jar allowed guests to write their names and re-use their jar throughout the afternoon. These were topped off with pinky red and white vintage-style paper straws which I bought online. The lemonade sat in glass jugs atop wine barrels as part of ‘self service’ stations set up at various points throughout the event space.

Retro Writing

Our guestbook were Cavallini and Co. postcards from Zetta Florence depicting various flowers and vegetables. Guests would write us a little message on the back and leave them in this vintage-style wooden luggage.

Other props included Chinese Lanterns, a Faux vintage typewriter, Wooden Pencils from Oxfam, cute little stools to mix up the seating and Vintage Crates.

Festival Florals

Flowers were also casually placed in the vast array of jars and bottles of varying shapes and sizes and arranged haphazardly across picnic benches. Gerberas, roses, strawberry fields, gloriosa, tulips, billy buttons, green tricks, sunflowers and dahlias were among the flower types present.

A creative arrangement of cheerful and warm-toned flowers in hanging glass bottles floated magically above the buffet and was the chief focal point of the event.

Flower credits go to Melanie from Cecilia Fox. Her stunning hanging bottles stole the show. They were gorgeous! She also was a great help with all the other flower arrangements throughout the whole space. The vast majority of bottles scattered throughout the event were hired from Georgeous but I also added a few from my own collection.

The Photographer

Credit must go to Jonathan Ong to amazing photographer who took all the shots featured here and was fantastic at getting these images to me. I absolutely love his style and Amy has great things to say about him…

Luckily, on Polka Dot Bride I discovered Jonathan Ong. With a keen eye for composition and colour and a passion for detail, Jonathan and I spoke the same language and therefore worked really well together. I think it’s so important to be able to capture not only the results of all the hard work that went out into creating a beautiful event but also to capture all those special and magical moments that make up the wedding experience. Jonathan did a brilliant job with both of these tasks.

Cheers Jon! Look forward to working with you again in the future!

I love it. So simple and so full of personality. A very EDC wedding!

Thank you so much Amy and Mark for allowing us to share your wedding day, and thank you to Jonathan Ong for providing his beautiful images.

Yours Truly,

Rebecca
xoxo

You see one of my favourite blog posts on a Friday going YEARS back was the U.S.A blog Snippet and Ink’s Happy Weekend.

I genuinely looked forward to my Saturday/Sunday fix of loveliness and general eye candy.

The thing is, these type of web “round-up” posts are ten a penny on blogs now if I’m honest – everyone is at it – so you can’t help but think “what’s the point? How can I make RMW’s version different?”

And that’s why it’s kind of come to a grinding halt.

Until now that is.

You see I would really like some help please lovelies

Firstly I need a name for this post ( it will become a semi-regular if you like it) and ideas for the kind of stuff you would like to see.

I’m thinking weddings ( blo*dy obviously you would hope), amazing offers that we stumble across, general fancy schmancy from across the pond, what’s hot in the shops, bits of gossip, hot topics of general news/discussion and just general….. randomness?…… I guess.

In the main the content will be sourced by yours truly but Rebecca, Adam and Jenny will be sending me little bits and pieces that they think is worth a butchers too.

And of course we want YOURS – if you see something on the world wide web that would be worthwhile sharing with our readers then drop me an email at charlotte@rockmywedding.co.uk.

So folks, here is the kind of thing I am talking about:

Are you obsessed with Marilyn Monroe? Jenny and I certainly are and this is what we spent the whole of Friday looking at. She is the ultimate glamour icon.

Is your hair fine, flat and lack lustre? well not anymore people…..rub some volume into your barnet and you will emerge all bed-head and sexy like.

Can’t begin to tell you how much the pretty paper in this Seattle W-day makes me swoon. The Bride and Groom are particularly beautiful too.

Cool Britannia shoes. And they’re in the SALE!!!!

The prettiest flowers in various random glassware. I love.

This might be one of the coolest weddings I have ever seen in my life. I idolise Max Wagner. And you’ve just got to love this couples unique style. Don’t forget to check out the song list they chose for W-day, ’tis uber amazing.

Fan of Kate Moss? Fan of Mario Testino? Well then folks you had better head on over to the Saatchi Gallery to see the exhibition “Kate Who?”

Talking of Miss Mossy, the new limited edition collection is at Top Shop. Someone somewhere NEEDS to buy this dress. And did I mention I would adore to see a maid in navy frills?

You know we love the boys at Staggered and I really REALLY love this particularly gorgeous story……if you love it too then leave them a comment

Fancy joining us on these blue polka dot pages? Well we want you to be our next Jenny, really we do. So many great entries already but we want MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!

RMW Reader and blogger Fliss wants a Monique Lhuillier and so do we. Dreamy.

In fact – you can see a particularly beautiful Lhuillier gown in this little piece of Big Day perfection. I’m talking hair perfection……shoe perfection……..floral perfection……the list is endless. Go pay a visit people.

If you haven’t discovered it yet you really need to check out Rebecca and I’s favourite home store Grahame and Green. I am a huge fan of their bud vases.

Oh My Actual God. Ms Tiffany and Mr Apple get together – a match made in geek chic W-day heaven!!!!!

Been to have a nosey at Undress recently? Well if you like wedding dresses and you like them at discounted prices then you really need to go have a look see. There is a whole heap of designer bargains on offer.

So then……

What do you think?

A nice mix?

Not enough of something?

Too much of something else?

Do let me know

Big Surfy Love

Charlotte xxx

Just after Pete and I’s Anniversary shoot, Lisa Devlin contacted us to say that Ashley from Hi-Fi weddings would like to feature it, which led me to get in contact with her and of course to check out her post on our Rockin’ Anniversary.

Here’s what Ashley has to say about Hi-Fi…

Hi-Fi Weddings was a brain-child for Ashley in late 2009, and she decided to go live with the idea in 2010. Back in 2006 (before the big blog buzz), when she was planning her own wedding, Ashley spent weeks and weeks compiling the perfect play-list for her wedding. Even today there is still no one place for brides and grooms to gather inspiration for their own wedding mix…until now! Hi-Fi Weddings provides artists and songs for the music lovers uniting on their special day! If you are one of those music lovers, we look forward to hearing from you – whether to submit your own wedding, ask a question, suggest a song, or just to say “hey!”

Fulfilling life, simply put.

So with all this extensive knowledge about music and weddings I thought we should ask Ashley for some Music choosing tips for those of you planning a playlist for your wedding.

1. Be sure you and your partner love the music. I know that seems obvious, but it would be horrible if your future spouse had no idea you hated polka and decided to “surprise” you with a few.

5. Have fun with it! After all, this is the music that will carry you through your day. This is the music that will start your lives together. Twenty years from now you’ll have such a cherished memory to listen back on.

Ashley and Andy celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary just before my first and made a celebratory playlist which is a perfect place to start exploring Hi-Fi. Make sure you head over and check them out!

Yours Truly,

Rebecca
xoxo

As a result of Rupert’s submission I spent a long time on his blog – his weddings are A.mazing. As of course is his ability to capture every significant moment and every vibrant hue.

Although there were a ton of Rock My Wedding potential candidates the particular affair that I have chosen to post today has one of the RMW teams current favourite colour scheme choices for W-day… yellow. Not to mention some to-die-for shoe candy.

So if as we move into May it’s still looking all a bit miserable and grey out of the window take a few minutes to look at your computer screen instead.

This is where the sunshine’s at people.

Matt and Melinda were married on a Friday in July 2009 at Belle Mer in Newport.

Enjoy.

A Peep Toe Bow

Ah…the shoes! They ended up being a gift from my husband. I wanted a pop of color, something that I could wear again and something fabulous! I had seen them while perusing the internet and fell in love. He hunted them down for me and surprised me with them. They were skyscraper peep toe 4’’ bright yellow Christian Louboutin with a bow.

Bridal Bling And Buttons

I bought my dress at Carmen Fashions, a bridal store in my hometown of Fall River, MA. My dress was a Jasmine Couture gown (Style #T135). I realized it was the one when my mom finally cried. We had gone to a bunch of different stores and tried on lots of dresses.

I was looking for something that was form-fitting and not too puffy. I didn’t want anything too heavy since we were getting married in July and it tends to be hot. It had just enough “bling” and I fell in love with all the buttons in the back of the gown.

A Sharp Black Suit

The Groomsmen wore Executive suits from Jos. We decided to buy instead of rent because every man needs a great black suit. We chipped in half the cost of each suit and gave each Groomsmen their lime green ties, pocket squares and cuff links to match the bridesmaid dresses.

Matt wore the same Executive suit from Jos that our Groomsman wore. To make him stand out a little bit he wore a bright yellow tie, pocket square and cuff links to match the yellow that was in my bridal bouquet.

Lemon And Lime

The Bridesmaids wore J.Crew The strapless, knee length dresses made of silk taffeta in a color called light citron. To describe the color it was like a lemony-lime color which fit our color scheme of bright yellow and lime green perfectly.

International Superstar

Our photographer was Rupert Whitely He was born and raised in England and now resides in the states. He’s done weddings all over the states and abroad including New Zealand, Australia, Mexico and the UK so I guess that makes him an international superstar photographer!

His photojournalistic style of capturing moments that aren’t posed was what we were looking for. We knew upon our initial consultation that he was the right person for the day and we were so excited to hear that he was open for our wedding day! He was great company to have- he was very calming, funny and had a great eye for capturing our day. Our bridal party can be a handful and he was great with everyone. Our guests also raved about him and continue to this day.

Floral Fancy

The amazing flowers were all done by Lisa and Allie at Floras by Alisa out of Barrington, RI. My bouquet was a white hydrangea base, with pops of bright yellow Posey Calla Lilies, White Cymbidium Orchids with yellow throats, bright green Hypericum berries and White Asiatic lilies. The stems were wrapped in a white satin ribbon with pearl pins up the back and my grandmother’s rosary beads were wrapped around the base of bouquet as well. I was very close to my grandmother and she had passed away some time ago.

The rosary was something she prayed with every day and was a great way to have her there with me for the day.

The altar arrangements were set up on high pedestals and were overflowing with a fluffy arrangement of white hydrangea, bright yellow roses, Belles of Ireland, and Kermit mums with some greenery at the base. There were lime green ribbons trailing and a white starfish submerged in the glass container.

Our dads wore a single white Calla Lily and the moms wore pin on corsages of calla lilies and stephanotis.

Unique Chic

Our wedding day took place on our 7 year anniversary of dating. It incorporated our love of the ocean and beach and was filled with bright colors like yellow, lime green and aqua. It was a lot of fun, bright and full of love. After dating for so long it was nice to have everyone who had been a big part of our relationship all in one place to help us celebrate.

My piece of advice to future brides is to not forget what the day is really about- family, friends and truly committing yourself to someone you love. The planning process can only be as stressful as you let it be. Talk to your future spouse and ask for input, the day should be about the two of you, take some time to just be engaged before you start the planning, ask for advice and help from your family and friends and just enjoy it- you only get to do it once in your life.

The First Dance

Our first dance was to “Stay with you” by John Legend. We were married on our 7 year anniversary of dating so we had been together for quite some time and with that had helped each other thru a lot of life’s heartaches-moving to different states, taking on new job opportunities, losing loved ones and friendships.

The chorus of the song really stood out to us:

Oh I’ll stay with you through the ups and the downs
Oh I’ll stay with you when no one else is around
And when the dark clouds arrive
I will stay by your side
I know we’ll be alright
I will stay with you
Everything will be fine
And I will stay with you
Through the end of time
I will stay with you

Have we brightened up your day?

Even just a little?

Hope so.

With a big thanks to Rupert Whitley and Matt and Melinda for sharing this amazing wedding.

Big Let The Sun Shine down on you gorgeous lot this bank holiday weekend Love

Charlotte xxx

So here we are in Surfers Paradise, one of the shiny new sub-sections we added to the RMW menu bar launched in February.

“And what exactly is it??” I hear you gorgeous lot ask…

Well it’s a place we can share all the lovely stuff The RMW team find around the web from anywhere in the world – from Real Wedding eye candy to beautiful blogs we think are definitely worth a butchers.

And to begin our adventure I have a spectacular W-day affair all the way from Rhode Island in the U.S.A. I had admired the photographer Charlotte Jenks Lewis’s work for some time having seen her featured in various publications.

And you know what my philosophy is – if you don’t ask you certainly don’t get.

So we asked.

And we got.

A delicious piece of Big Day perfection with one of THE most prettiest colour palettes I have ever seen….We may be in the UK here girls but believe me – there are PLENTY of inspirational ideas to steal.

Becky and Ian were married at Astor’s Beechwood Mansion in Newport in an outdoor ceremony over looking the deep blue sea on a sunshine filled day…

Dreamy.

We love it. Hope you do to.

See – told you I was crazy about these blue and grey/lilac shades of pretty, it’s like the RMW blog colour palette!

A few Bride/W-Day details for you all:

DRESS: Monique Lhuillier
MAIDS: Vera Wang
SHOES: Christian Louboutin

The beautiful bride Becky is a magazine editor and has worked for both Marie Claire and CosmoGirl, Becky took a lot of style inspiration from Marie Antoinette and even designed the cake herself to be in keeping with the reception room decor….

Fancy Schmancy.

With a BIG thank you to Charlotte Jenks Lewis for sharing these beautiful images.

Go check out Charlotte’s blog for tons more inspiration.

Big American Love

Charlotte xxx