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I Will Always Keep You Warm.

March 7th, 2012

You would think after years of writing about romantic proposals, happily-ever-afters and the joys of W-day I would become somewhat immune, complacent even.

But I don’t.

I still take a sharp intake of breath every time something beautiful drops into my inbox, I still get completely swept away by the fairytale of it all.

And although personally I was not your classic storybook bride, all layers of tulle and delicate pearls, I really think those of you that genuinely are look breathtaking.

Take JJ and her fiancé Leo from London for instance, for their engagement shoot they enjoyed the best of both worlds – their everyday quirky cool and the ultimate in a Once-Upon-A-Time love story.

I’m not exaggerating when I say they look like something straight out of a (incredibly stylish) movie.

So if like me you want to spend this afternoon being completely swept away then have yourself a butchers at these gorgeous images by Jesselynn Quinn and read all about the romance involved.

JJ: We met through work back in early 2008… actually the first contact was through a business phone call. we became friends later on and started dating in Sep 2009. It took Leo that long to finally ask me out!

Leo proposed to me at Konigsee, Germany, in the middle of a hike… this was the place of our first overseas trip together back when we first started dating, so it was very special to us.

I think our best advice for couples planning on doing an engagement shoot would be to choose a photographer that you trust and feel at ease with who can make the whole shoot fun and relaxed!

My gown was bought in China so no real fashion brand!… Leo’s suit on the day was from MOSS Brothers, the cool T-shirts are from David & Goliath

Jesselynn Quinn: The whole shoot took about 9 hours and was spread out over two days because of the fickle Oxford weather. The couple travelled from London and stayed at The Randolph hotel, which coincidentally provided an excellent venue to take pictures in. We went all over Oxford doing the shoot, including stealing into Blackwell’s bookstore and sneaking a few pictures when nobody was looking.

When we took those pictures where JJ was wearing the wedding gown, it was a freezing 5 degrees outside! Poor JJ was slowly being turned into a human popsicle, but Leo was the sweetest thing ever, always ready to jump in and wrap her up in her coat once I was done taking her pictures.

I was gratified to capture a picture of him embracing her with her coat…I think that pretty much summed up their relationship.

I asked JJ and Jesselynn Quinn to supply the source of fashion purchase as I obviously need to buy Adam an “I Love Nerds” T-shirt (or should that be “I am a nerd”….?)

Are you a Princess bride?

And if you are can you do some running in your frock a la JJ (I recommend flats…) so you can have an image like the film-esque black and white above and then send it to me to swoon over?

Thanks ever so.

Big Is there anything more romantic than your partner giving up their coat so they can freeze their butt off rather than you Love

Charlotte xxx

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Ask Jenny.

March 2nd, 2012

Hi Jenny!



To save on costs we’re not having a sit down meal at our wedding but having a big evening buffet, but me and hubby to be can’t decide what would be the best time to get married. I don’t think getting married too early is a good idea because there will be a long waiting time after the photos etc. But was thinking of having a little tea party with sandwiches and scones just to give people some food. 
Any thoughts appreciated.

Cara Xx (getting married in April 2013!)

Hello Cara!

Thank you for getting in touch, my first ‘Ask Jenny’!

I think it all depends on the type of venue you are going for, are they happy for you to forgo the sit down meal and provide an afternoon tea instead? If they are, then why not go for it? If you got married at 4pm, had afternoon tea at 5pm, and then a big evening buffet at 8pm your guests will be fed and watered and happy! It would be no different to a 2pm wedding, with canapés prior to the main meal – it’s just you are doing it slightly later in the day. I would imagine mosts guests having lunch before attending a 4pm ceremony, I know I would eat before hand anyway!

Afternoon tea is a lovely idea, quintessentially British, and you could incorporate that into your décor too! Lots of lovely doilies and crockery.

Another suggestion though, it’s worth looking into costs, and getting some numbers together, because by the time you have paid for afternoon tea per head, it may actually still be only very slightly more costly to go for the sit down meal and an earlier ceremony, and once you have your dress on, and you have said ‘I do’ the day will go by in a flurry of activity and you will wish there were more hours in the day for you to enjoy your wedding!

Best of luck Cara, and I hope I have provided some food for thought…. (see what I did there…?)

Jenny x

P.S please do join in with your advice too and don’t forget to send your questions into askJenny@rockmywedding.co.uk

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Posted in Ask Jenny

Ask The Experts – All About The Dress.

March 2nd, 2012

*This is so fitting after Jo’s Dress Wobbles post yesterday! This morning we have Sam, owner of Mamfii Bridal boutique and all round knowledgeable W-day fashion type. Sam is here all day to answer any of your big day gown queries – and I mean ANY so please don’t be shy, ask away in the comments box below and Sam will shower you with her pearls of wisdom!

Sam Proprietor At Mamfii Bridal: Just because you are a bride, it doesn’t mean you have to change who you are. The most important thing you have to be on your wedding day is you, after all, that’s the person he’s asked to marry! So if you’re someone who wears classic clothes, go simple and elegant, if you’re someone who likes to be noticed, go edgy and a little daring. You’ll feel outside of your comfort zone in whatever you put on – we very rarely wear anything fitted, let alone fitting like a glove. You need to find a dress that makes you feel amazing and that gives you the confidence to walk in and say “here I am!”

The interior of Mamffi Bridal, photography by Segerius Bruce Photography

Wedding dresses are designed to make you feel good. If you’re conscious of a particular area, there’s more than likely a style that will hide the bits you don’t like. If you hate your hips, then a fishtail is probably not the best shape to go for. If you think you’re too boyish in shape, go for something that gives you curves with a clinched-in waist. If you dislike your arms (our most common niggle), a veil will disguise them, or perhaps a bolero/cover up of some description, although sometimes adding detail to an area you don’t like just draws attention to it. Once you’re wearing a fabulous dress, no-one is going to be looking at your arms and after you’ve had a couple of glasses of bubbly, you won’t care – I promise!

As for what to wear underneath, most dresses are designed so that underwear is built in. If you do want to wear something bear in mind that you don’t want it to be seen, so generally the simpler and smoother the better – you can always have something pretty waiting in the wings!

Once you’ve found your perfect shape, it’s all about finding the right detail and the accessories that will complete your overall look. If your dress has lots of detail and embellishment, you might just want to go for a pair of earrings and something in your hair. If it’s a simple dress, you can go to town and have a gorgeous bracelet or another statement piece. Think about what works as a whole – you want to wear lovely things but it all needs to flow and not take the attention away from you. Details are our forte! The dress you see on the hanger doesn’t have to be how it ends up. Take my beautiful sister Kim for example. The basic essence of the dress was what she fell in love with:

……and then we just tailored it to suit her figure and personality. We raised the bodice waistline, added lots more chiffon to the skirt and petticoats underneath to make it stay in shape. We added an internal corset, lowered the back, added beading to the neckline, and finally the black sash to give it real impact and show off her tiny waist. You can also see that her jewellery stayed with the same sparkle as her bodice, so that not one piece takes the eye – you look at her as a complete picture.

Kim looking radiant on W-day, photography by Polly Alexandre

So, beading can be replaced by lace, plain dresses can have beading added, necklines can be changed, backs re-­shaped, straps added, two dresses combined, or, as in Kim’s case, about five! We’ve added 25 metres of lace to a dress before and 10,000 crystals to another; the list is endless but by working together we can create exactly what you are looking for using a ‘base dress’ meaning no compromise, and you get a dress that is totally unique to you. It’s the one day you get to have exactly what you want and be exactly who you want to be, so now you just have to decide what’s best for you.

For further information on Mamfii Bridal visit www.mamfiibridal.co.uk or call 01483 275480.

Love Sam x

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Ten Green Bottles.

February 28th, 2012

I have been meaning to write a post around the subject of bridesmaids for some time now, I was just waiting for the right bolt of inspiration to strike. And then at the weekend it did after a visit from RMW reader Kelly to the RMW NWS stand for a one to one consultation.

Kelly is getting married in Italy (she showed Vix and I the venue – immense I tell you) and is having TEN BRIDESMAIDS. Yes ten. Now this is obviously quite a few. And there is nothing wrong with that, have thirty if you want or just opt for the one – anything goes at RMW as you know. But that is a lot of best girls to think about isn’t it? a lot of different shapes and sizes and skin tones to mull over. And when I made that last statement I base it on the fact the vast majority of brides would consider their potential maids preferences as well as their own desires for certain fashion and colour schemes….wouldn’t they?

As it happens Kelly was lucky enough to find a gown that all of her maids liked and the shade worked perfectly with the design and decor of her day. Except she was still worried. “What if they just look like ten identical green bottles?!” and so we discussed small ways in which if your frocks are the same, alternative accessories or bouquets could be a way of giving each one of your besties something of their “own”. Or a different hairstyle or a different make-up look. Or a million and one different ways to avoid 100% identikit.

And there lies my first question, what about if you do want a bunch of 100% identical lovelies all in a row? that’s ok if they are ok with it right?…. I don’t see why not. Or actually should it be ok regardless, after all it’s your day….right?

But then what if it’s not, what about if you have spent months trying to find a flirty little number only for one, or two or um…all of your girls to pull a face, flatly refuse to wear X, Y or Z and even throw a full on foot-stomping temper tantrum (hey it happens – you’ve told us.)

How can you please every single person all of the time?

The short answer? you can’t.

And actually in many ways you would like to think that your favourite ladies in the whole wide world would be flattered, honoured and frankly dead friggin’ chuffed to be tasked with being such a significant part of your day. I know I was.

So if the above were true then there would surely be room for compromise, meeting in the middle somewhere so that the bride and her maids can all feel comfortable and look fabulous for the big day….. well at least I’d like to think so.

I mean let’s be honest here, there must be some requests from brides which are just a wee bit unreasonable. When Vix and I were travelling back from the NWS in the big white transit (I know – being a W-day blogger is the height of glamour) and in-between singing along to 80′s power ballads (badly) we were discussing this very subject. I have yet to indulge but Vix informed me that apparently on My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding recently one of the brides had her friend dress up as a giant pineapple (or was it a palm tree?) admittedly not for the actual ceremony but still, I’m not sure no matter how much I love my best friend I would have been that stoked to be gracing the aisle as an over-sized tropical fruit. The truth be known though I probably would have – if that’s what she really wanted.

And there lies my next question, aforementioned foot-stomping tantrum throwing maid, erm…. why would anyone pick a lady with a penchant for that kind of behaviour anyways? or is it just a case of genuinely not having a scooby until said foot-stomper is already in the position of being your maid that they become well….kind of difficult?

On the RMW Facebook page and just from speaking to various lovelies that are getting wed in the not too distant future, it seems that amongst the endless bunting making and jam jar saving one of the subjects that seems to cause the most (for want of a better word) “grief” for W-day is the various actions of those very people who are supposed to be supporting you and making the whole planning experience extra lovely.

And this makes me a wee bit sad.

But being a place of positivity and escapism I thought we could do a one-eighty and throw a few words of wisdom and advice into the mix on how to potentially avoid anything less than a brilliant experience with your best girls.

Here’s my starter for ten:

Ask.

As in, ask your maids if there are certain hues they would never wear in a month of Sundays (me it’s mustard – makes me look jaundiced) or certain styles of dress that make them want to run away and hide. That way at least you can rule out what makes your girls feel really uncomfortable before you potentially waste endless hours trawling the shops and or/the inter web only for your cousin Hilda to announce she would rather never eat a bag of Minstrels again than be seen in tangerine taffeta.

Show Them Some Images.

Of the things you really like. Admittedly they may not love it all but at least there will be no unpleasant surprises when you exclaim excitedly that you have found them the “one” i.e. a striped metallic playsuit…. (this would be awesome by the way but I get how lots of ladies may not be keen on flashing so much leg/and or their derrière.)

Outline Who Is Responsible For What.

In terms of paying for stuff I mean. i.e. You may be willing to provide the dress and shoes but want your best girls to provide their own accessories, reasonable enough until you want them to have a certain type of accessory that they may not actually own. There is nothing wrong with this request in principal of course but making it clear from the start will hopefully remove a slightly embarrassing situation further down the line. And everyone has a budget, it’s one thing asking your maids to don a pink fabric flower they can pick up in Topshop for a fiver and quite another to expect them to invest in a very fancy necklace off of Links of London. (Seriously I’ve seen it happen.)

And that, before I bore the panties off you all with my ramble is all folks.

But what about you?

Any areas that you have become unstuck with regards your bridesmaids?

Anything that is worrying or bothering you?

Any advice you are willing to share with the community so we can all live happily ever after in peace and harmony….?

We would love to hear all about your experiences and adventures.

Big I may draw the line at dressing up as a giant mustard coloured banana Love

Charlotte xxx

64 comments »

Posted in Planning The RMW Way

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Gale Force Glamour.

February 24th, 2012

People I officially have a new girl crush. Her name is Danielle and she’s a RMW reader as well as some kind of winter fashion guru. I am not even joking.

I looked through these images like one might browse a very fancy catalogue “Oh that jumper! I must buy it right away… Those red patent shoes, divine!… They shall be mine immediately…” etc etc

And then I had me a second butchers, and then a third. And then well… Quite a few more. Because Danielle and her fiancé James caught on film by Aneta Mak are quite simply breathtaking.

This is not a fancy catalogue. This is a real life love story. And those, as you know, are my favourite kind…

Danielle: I am, perhaps too modestly, very excited to be sharing our fantastic engagement shots with the RMW community, from the shoot we had with the über talented Aneta Mak back in January. I must admit I was praying for a day of no rain (as I’m sure every bride does), but more importantly, no glaring sunshine either – being a bit into photography myself, I really wanted a ‘moody’ shoot; I didn’t quite get moodiness, but the seemingly gale force winds created just the right amount of atmosphere required. It was also a lot of fun trying to stand upright and keep my hair out of mine and James’s face, whilst trying to look vaguely glamorous for a couple of hours!

We are born and bred in Felixstowe, Suffolk and as we aren’t getting married there, really wanted to have our engagement shoot at home, so we chose the Ferry as it’s so quirky and provided a great, varied backdrop. Aneta Mak suggested we bring a change in clothes and some props and I think we might have gone a bit overboard, but I love the result – the photographs really make me giggle and are so representative of us.

James and I got engaged (after being together for seven whole years) back in December 2010. The whole engagement story is quite a lovely one – the boy did good! I got picked up from work one day as a surprise, expecting to see my Mum as we had a shopping trip planned, and was whisked (driven) over to Bruges for a couple of days as I’d been ranting about wanting to go to a Christmas Fair.

I must admit the whole surprise element (he had packed my case, hidden it and everything – I can be a bit too observant for my own good sometimes!) did have me a little suspicious…and I was a little disappointed when no ring was presented to me!

So with the ruse of needing to get back for Saturday football (describing me as being slightly perturbed at this revelation is probably an understatement), we left Bruges to head home. Or so I thought…

When we arrived back in the UK, instead of driving towards home we started heading West! At this point I was just very mad that the weekend away had been cut short because of a football game and really just wanted to get home and sort the washing out, one surprise was enough and I wasn’t really up for another (and half of me just thought he was winding me up to be honest!). At the end of a very long drive, we arrived in Bath, where we had our first weekend away together all those years ago. I was happy again!

We stayed in a beautiful 5* hotel, James surprised me by booking the same restaurant that we had eaten in the first time around and then got down on one knee, 1920′s engagement ring in hand and popped the question in the dimly lit hotel gardens when we got back.

Needless to say I said ‘Yes!’… The rest is history, the wedding preparations began, and I’m loving every, single, minute of it!

Boden? you ain’t got nothin’ on these pair I tell you.

So then, who votes Danielle sets up some kind of fashion blog so we can all copy her clothes?

Me me me!

Big Gale Force Love

Charlotte xxx

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Posted in Love Stories

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If Music Be The Food Of Love, Rock On.

February 22nd, 2012

Music is my life, outside of wedding blogging of course!

I listen to music all day long, usually alternating between Spotify and 6music. Sometimes I even play a bit myself (badly I might add).

So if it came to planning my own wedding day, you could guarantee that music would play a big, big part in the festivities.


Photography by Big Bouquet

I guess the first thing to say is that music is a very personal thing, so I’m not about to make any recommendations on whether you should be having a live music or a DJ or choosing this particular genre over that one. That is not what this post is about.

On a very generic “advice” level I would strongly advise you to see your potential wedding entertainment in action, if at all possible – going on a few minutes of MP3 played from a website could be a risky business. But that is where the advice ends.

Hey Mr DJ

It is becoming really popular to ask your guests to contribute to your wedding playlist – it’s a good way of ensuring you cater for everyone and a great way to get feet on the dancefloor.

You could make a little space for song suggestions on your Save The Date’s or if you are feeling particularly technically minded (and your guests are switched on) you could even set up collaborative playlist online. Online music applications like Spotify allow for your guests to simply drag and drop their favourite songs into your playlist at the click of a mouse.

Of course – this could lead to some dodgy suggestions and you may prefer to create your own playlist without compromise – don’t feel the need to try and please everyone. If the party is in full swing no-one is going to notice the lack of Aunty Maureen’s favourite Simply Red track.

If you are looking for some playlist inspiration you could always have a peek at Charlotte’s iPod Playlist.

Play It Again Sam

If you are the musically creative type, you could always get up and have a go yourself. Natalie joined her husband Jez and close friend Mike to perform a few songs for their family and friends on their wedding day.


Photography by McKinley-Rodgers Photography

If you want to avoid the limelight but you have a budding Ed Sheeran or Adele in the family then you could always give them a nudge and see if they will perform. Families do love that sort of thing. Nan’s especially!

At Chris and Joe’s Cotswold Wedding a young family member sang a few impromptu songs with an acoustic guitar and we heard via the photographers that it was one of the most moving parts of the day for everyone there.


Photography by Big Bouquet

Your musical entertainment can be as informal and relaxed as you like, Stephen and Julia decided to have a really chilled open mic set-up at their reception, in between sets by a hired musician, anyone was free to get up and have a go.

I love this idea, a little bit hippy and a little bit geeky but definitely very cool. And I imagine this sort of set-up could get rather more interesting as the ale starts flowing.


Photography by navyblur

Theme Tunes

You might let your musical tastes slip out subtly on your big day, or you could let them dictate the entire wedding theme. It’s up to you how far you go.

A really nice subtle concept that goes back (all those years!) to the O’Shea big day is the idea of incorporating music into your wedding stationery. You could name each table after your favourite bands or give every table it’s own musical genre. Or, as Charlotte did, you could name the tables after your favourite songs.


Photography by Source Images | Stationery by Bijou Woo
The Table naming did cause a little controversy…

Charlottes Nan: Charlotte! your father tells me you are naming your head table sex something or other! is he joking?!

Charlotte: It’s Sex on Fire Nan – after the song… You know, don’t worry though you won’t be sat on that one, you’ll be sat on Mr Brightside… Not literally obviously, I mean the table named Mr Brightside….

And if subtlety is not your bag then just flippin’ go for it! Stage the whole shebang around your musical interests if you want, Tom and Leila did. They wanted a Spanish Fiesta so, for their outdoor wedding with bright mismatched colour scheme, they choose to have a traditional Flamenco dancer, singer and guitarist who provided the perfect mix of passion and flair.


Photography by Andrew Squires

Similarly, George and Harriet embraced their passion for music and basically staged their own bonkers festival in place of a traditional reception. We are talking bands, welly boots and overnight camping!


Photography by RAW photographers

If you have hit the wedding planning brick wall, and you’re not sure which direction to go down for your theme or décor, your musical interests could provide some inspiration to get your thoughts off the ground again. You don’t have to turn your wedding into Glatonbury, it can be as simple or as all encompassing as you like.

The Finale

A final thought. If you are stuck for wedding favours, this idea could literally be music to your ears. It’s really easy and very cost effective to create your guests a mix-tape (or CD as it would probably be now, but tape sounds so much better). You could base the mix tape on your favourite songs or a selection from your wedding playlist.

With a bit of D.I.Y skill you can make your mix CD favours look pretty presentable. And if you personalise each one you have your table name cards sorted too.

If you haven’t seen my D.I.Y tutorial on how to make these with a single sheet of A4 paper, then check it out. And yes – these were made for the (currently) imaginary wedding of Adam and Kylie… I have held on to them though, just in case…

Big “I should be so Lucky” Love,

Adam.

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Posted in Planning The RMW Way

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