Love My Dress Wedding Blog - A UK Wedding Blog

Rigwood Manor ~ Vintage and Retro Inspired Wedding Reception Styling Ideas...

Afternoon ladies and gents ;) Hope you've had a a moment to enter this luxury giveaway, read a little something different here and take a peek at some beautiful laser-cut wedding stationery before arriving at this here post?  This afternoon is all about the pretty, thanks to the wonderful Vicky Trainor, purveyor of fabric wedding stationery and all manner of cute table-top delights and vintage inspired wedding favours. Everybody wants a sprinkling of Vicky Trainor magic in their lives, trust me!

Now I'm frankly pretty chuffed that these images are the result of a collaboration that came about following the first major wedding industry networking event that I hosted last year; The Love My Dress Soiree.  This kind of collaboration between suppliers is precisely what I was hoping would arise out of the networking opportunities on offer at the event, so this images really do but a huge smile on my face ;)

It was on that night back in August 2011 that designer Vicky Trainor met photographer Becky Mitchell. They chatted over many a cocktail about working on a project together where Vicky could style a reception table using products from her fabulous 'The Vintage Drawer' collection.  They talked about their own personal hoardings of treasures, their obsessions with collecting everything and anything that they find inspiring and quirky, their art college days, and the importance of working creatively.  Look what all those late night talks resulted in! This is the 'Rigwood Manor' photoshoot and is the result of a lot of hard work, new friendships and shared mutual appreciation for all things pretty...

Love My Dress Wedding Blog - Photography Copyright (c) 2012, Becky Mitchell

Vicky Trainor, by the way, is a Textile Designer by trade and has a natural obsession (some may call it an addiction) with colour and pattern and designed the shoot to be a wonderful layering of 1940's and 1950's inspired palettes as well as a wonderful eclectic mix of varied eras, from Victorian to household glass of the 1970's....

Vicky told me...

"For this photoshoot, we needed a venue that gave us the freedom to occupy a space for two days, a blank canvas, so we could even move our own furniture into the rooms.  We found the perfect place, a fabulous Victorian manor in Saltburn-by-the-Sea called Rigwood House {no website address available}.

  The house caters for all sorts of ventures and occasions such as re-enactment days, conferences and weddings all under the umbrella of ‘Be All You Can’.  They kindly allowed us to move into their premises for two days and we literally took over the whole of their ground floor and the styling commenced..."

"I adore the work of Bonnard and his use of colour and light and I study the details in his paintings for inspiration all the time.  We also looked at varied floral imagery such as the paintings of Vernon Ward and Victorian paintings as we wanted to introduce a much looser and natural approach to the reception styling.

We worked closely with Helen Mawson of Bels Flowers {ahem, another fabulous Summer Soiree supplier!} who arrived on the day of styling with a van full of the most beautiful collection of scented roses, berried eucalyptus, anemones and tulips.  It was an absolute delight to watch her be creative as she filled an array of beautiful coloured glass vases from the seventies, these were generously lent to us by Northern Lights Interiors..."

"Wendy from the company Peeling Paint delivered fabulous pieces of period furniture all specially hand painted to work with our palette and vintage specialist Margaret Garbut donated a wonderful mix of props and dresses for our boudoir set.

The bridal dresses and shoes were from Guisborough based bridal shop Truly Beautiful and their collection of Ian Stuart dresses (boudoir photographs) and a little vintage shop in Saltburn called Eliza’s (reception photographs).  We were thrilled when Bryony Richardson of Poppy sent through a pretty set of their adult bridesmaids dresses to use from their new collection for Spring/Summer, each dress decorated with linear seaside illustrations full of ice-cream vans and sun parasols.  The fabulous hair stylist Adrian Wray of Chocolate and make up artist Jo Leversuch (Make-up By Jo) worked so hard on the day to ensure all models, Steph Dale, Holly Tunner, Stef Tunner, Rachael Black, complimented the styled set..."

"The pretty single and two row pearl stranded necklaces and the beautiful Audrey Hepburn necklace were from Rose & Aster's new collection.

The intricate beaded hair accessories, that were used as part of the reception shoot, are from the fabulous designer DC Bouquets..."

"Our teeny bridesmaids were wearing something a little special.  Textile Designer Sarah Heseltine of Lillian’s House designed and hand printed a collection of t’s and sashes which we mixed with fabulous tutus from Bo & Bo.  We worked closely with another new designer to the wedding industry, Zoe Taylor of Designed By Zoe, who made this pretty collection of floral head garlands. It was important to us, as part of the photo shoot, to involve and support a small selection of new designers based here in the North East..."

A Theatre Wedding For A Bride Who Made Her Own Dress...

Morning guys n gals! The start of a new week, sunny, and definitely no snow where I'm sat - anyone else?

I like to open up the week with a wedding and this morning's was submitted recently by the Photographer Laura Babb, whose work I've not featured before now, so it brings me pleasure today to share the wedding day photographs of Andy and Lucy, who tied the knot on 21st January at the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds.

Lucy is rather a dab hand at the sewing machine and created her very own wedding dress based on a basic dress pattern from the 1950's...

"I made my own dress with some help from a dressmaker – Sarah Belinda. I have been sewing for a while now and can add this to my achievements!

I had a very simple 50s dress in mind but also wanted a top layer of lace with a scalloped edge. I also made a bolero but didn’t wear it in the end as it was quite warm on the day. 

I loved that my daughters saw me making the dress and hopefully it inspired them..."

Love My Dress Wedding Blog - Photography Copyright (c) 2012, Laura Babb

 "I love 1950s and '60s vintage -Andy does too, so our outfits reflected this.  Andy wore a 1960s style suit by Paul Smith..."

"We did most of the flowers ourselves bought from a florist in Bury St Edmunds..."

"We both have entertainment backgrounds – Andy in music and myself in acting and TV, Theatre and film so the venue was perfect and happened almost by chance, making it meant to be – it also made us feel very comfortable there as we were used to that kind of atmosphere. We wanted lots of music and made it all quite diverse..."

"Our love of the 1950s and '60s and theatre was also reflected in the decor - we gave out 50s style vinyl CD’s as favours and had retro style place cards and the old style theatre programs name plan with the theatre lights..."

"As favours, we gave away vinyl CD’s designed by Andy and made up by webs4cd.co.uk..."

"We used paper pom poms, a Royal Mail post box, sweetie bar cards bought from Ebay, my own teacups and love letters by Vowed and Amazed..."

Win £100 To Spend At The 'SoLovesVintage' Online Boutique ~ Plus All Competition Entrants Will Receive A 10% Discount Code...

 

** Click here to visit the Love My Dress Facebook promotions page to enter this competition - mobile device users - click here **

 

Afternoon my lovelies!   How do you fancy winning yourself a nice little voucher for £100 to spend at a beautiful online boutique that specailises in selling some really exquisite vintage dresses and jewellery?

I thought you might :)

Since launching in May 2009, SoLovesVintage has successfully established itself as one of the leading online vintage boutiques, offering amazing pieces with impeccable packaging and excellent customer service.  Owner Sofia Tourlakidou talks passionatly about helping women realise that they can develop their personal style to express their personality, not only from the high street, but also past decades...

"Once upon a time, while I was looking for a job in Fashion Industry, I stumbled upon a business idea that combined my two biggest loves: fashion and ladies vintage fashion. I see vintage dressing as an extension of my personality.  The hunt for the ‘perfect outfit’ is so strong that the rush of adrenaline it gives me each and every time is more intense than even a bungee jump or jumping out of a plane!"

Love My Dress Wedding Blog - Photography Copyright (c) 2012, SoLovesVintage

"I started wearing vintage clothing from very young age - I always preferred to wear pieces that nobody else would own. There is nothing worse than turning up to a Christmas party or black tie event in the same outfit as someone else, as vintage clothing removes that fear.

While I was conducting research for the site, I realised that there weren’t many vintage shops that would allow you to find that special item at the click of a mouse, instead they encouraged hours worth of searching to find that hidden treasure..."

"The craftsmanship of ladies vintage fashion is unquestionable, when compared to today’s standards and all of our vintage dresses are fully lined, the inside stitching is utterly refined and totally exquisite. All of our items are dry cleaned and you can even read our handy care guide to help you to prolong the life of your new vintage clothing purchase.

With well known celebrity vintage lovers including, Kate Moss, the Olsen sisters and Dita Von Teese, vintage shopping is becoming less intimidating and more enjoyable for many women. You don’t need to be a die-hard vintage expert or millionaires to buy from us, our blog will give you some handy hints and tips on creating looks from various decades, how to mix and match your outfits and what to look for from different designers..."

"Through SoLovesVintage.com - my vision is to create an online vintage boutique, which includes a selection of hand-picked, beautifully made affordable vintage clothing and accessories that are individual, unique, and will provide you with a piece of history that will complement your personality and body shape.

I source clothes according to my taste, craftsmanship, fabric and wearability. Even though contemporary designers are influenced by past decades, vintage fashion is about individuality and what works for you, rather than what comes down the runway...."

A Pretty Pastel Colour Vintage Inspired Wedding in Wales...

Happy lunch time folks ;) Did you see 'One Born Every Minute' last night? What wonderfully heart-warming stuff, I am still smiling about it today - best episode ever.  And congratulations are in order today too for Lucy Ledger who gave birth to a little baby boy yesterday! Well done Lucy! I'm looking forward to hearing more about your gorgeous new bundle of love.

This wedding is brought to you by possibly the sweetest couple in wedding land - Charis and Owen of o&c Photography, who were lucky enough to photograph the wedding of Carys & Michael on 4th August.

The couple chose the Coed-y-Mwstwr Hotel in Coychurch, Bridgend as their venue, and Carys wore the sensational 50’s inspired 'Bardot' wedding dress by Stephanie Allin, purchased from ‘White Bride’ in Narberth, Pembrokeshire...

"I adore the elegance of the 1950's, and Bardot was the first and only dress that I tried on. I immediately knew it was the one for me.

I loved the 50’s tea length to it and the sage green belt with the tea stained rose attached. It was so different, like nothing I had seen before..."

Love My Dress Wedding Blog - Photography Copyright (c) 2012 o&c Photography

 

"As soon as we met Claire from The Bee Orchid we knew we had exactly the same taste in so many things. Not only did she create stunning flowers, she also shared lots of hints and tips with regards to styling the whole day, above and beyond her duty! She was super fun to work with throughout the whole process and her passion for all things vintage was amazing.

I love David Austin roses for their ‘blousy’, large blooms and old fashioned look, which was in-keeping with the vintage style of the day. I also especially loved the pearls draping from the centrepiece candelabras, I felt it really added to the 50’s look..."

Original 1950s Vintage, Wrist Corsages, Love and Laughter...

Well hello, and top of the morning to you! I know that many of you will have already returned to work, but for most, today is the first working day back in the UK after the Christmas break.  Same here! I simply had to kick start the working with and 2012 with a wedding that epitomises the very essence of Love My Dress; glamorous, beautiful and elegant.   This wedding was submitted by the amazing Scottish wedding photography duo, Mirrorbox Photography. I love so much about these images, the colour that pops, those smiles, the way that Mirrorbox have captured all those perfect moments - laughter and smiles, not to mention those wrist corsages! 

Love My Dress Wedding Blog - Photography Copyright (c) 2011, Mirrorbox Photography 

Bride Gemma, who told me she spent many nights looking through Love My Dress for inspiration in the run up to her own wedding, tied the knot with Jon on 28th August last year, at The Kingshead Hotel in Richmond North Yorkshire - chosen because this was Jon's Gran's hometown.

Gemma's sassy, original 1950's vintage wedding dress - a purchase from La Rosa Vintage, Haight-Ashbury of San Francisco in the USA.

"I loved that it was an original 50’s dress that will have had many stories to tell. We also wanted a vintage theme wedding and didn’t want our attire to be too ‘stuffy’..."

Gemma wore flowers in her hair, provided by Amy Fairburn of Ripon North Yorkshire... 

"We both knew that we wanted colourful, country bouquet style flowers, made with flowers and herbs instead of your traditional roses or lilies and Amy made a great job of bringing our ideas to life..."

Gemma and her Bridesmaids were styled by the wonderful Le Keux Events Company, who specialise in original vintage pinup styles...

 

Gemma's Bridesmaids also wore original vintage (lucky girls!) - 1950's dresses purchased from a vintage wedding fair by Unforgettable Vintage.  They also wore clip-on pearl earrings  and a necklace that were purchase from a car-boot sale. 

"My shoes were designed by one of my best friends Poonam Burman, a shoe designer living in China , designing for Into Designs. I gave her ideas of what I wanted as she was fab in sending me many sketches. I was so happy when the UPS van delivered them. She even customised the shoe with ‘Gemma Loves Jon’ inside – how amazing!"

A 1950's Pink Cadillac and Pretty Pink Peonies...

 

"Make decisions together, your wedding day is the
start of your new life as a partnership..."

 

I wanted to make my final wedding of 2011 fun and colourful and of all the weddings I have to be blogged yet (you are in for some treats in January!), this one of Steven and Cara's stood out a little. Eagle eyed readers may recall their red and retro style engagement shoot with Photographer  Lisa Dawn. I just LOVE the pink-ness of this wedding! Pink proved to be the most popular colour to feature on Love My Dress this year - take a look here and see what I mean :)

Steven & Cara tied the knot on 23 June this year at The Larmer Tree Gardens in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Cara wore a statement making, fully sequined gown in ivory, called 'Monroe', by designer Katerine Scola Monroe - a purchase from Berketex Bride.  Cara wore a mini dress for the evening reception, a purchase from La Boutique in Brentwood, Essex...

"I tried on so many dresses and each time I was so disheartened because none of them felt right or had the wow factor for me.  When I saw my Monroe dress sparkling on the rails  I knew it was the one!"

Love My Dress Wedding Blog - Photography Copyright (c) 2010, Lisa Dawn Photography

A Sassi Holford Wedding Dress for a 1950s Inspired Somerset Wedding...

Good afternoon peoples :) Time to share another real wedding.  Well, it would be rude not to!

Inspired by Somerset, the 1950’s, the groom's love of music, Anna and Matt tied the knot on 3rd September 2011 at Rivervale Barn, Yately, Hampshire.

Anna grew up in Somerset and wanted a venue that hinted back to her Somerset roots so the new green oak barn located on the banks of the River Blackwater was a perfect location.

Anna's choice of gown for the day was a beautiful Sassi Holford design...

"The dress was called Beatrice and had a bateaux neck line with bow and diamante detail at the waist leading to a full skirt.  I loved the 1950’s style dresses and had watched breakfast at tiffany’s for the first time a few days before visiting the bridal shop. When I met Sassi and tried on Beatrice for the first time we all said it reminded us of something Audrey Hepburn would wear and i knew it was fate!

I also wore a Sassi Holford birdcage veil and a Dolecka flower headband, from the Florence colleciton, made in the same fabric as my shoes, from Ted Baker {the Kemina Rose peep toes}..."

Love My Dress Wedding Blog - Photography Coyprigh (c) 2011, Jacqui McSweeney

Red for Romance and a 1950s Inspired Bride...

Good morning lovers :) Now, I don't usually post weddings on a Saturday, but the thing is, I have so many beautiful weddings to share with you, and give it's the festive season and all, I thought it would be nice to give you a treat and do some nuptials today :)  So I'm going to start with this rather red and fabulous wedding of Emma & Richard, who tied the knot on Saturday 13th August 2011 with a ceremony at Leeds Town Hall followed by a reception at The Lounge Bar and Grill, on Merrion Street, Leeds.

I love red.  Have I ever told you that? Love it. Give me one lipstick for life and nothing else and it will be red. Bright bright red. And I really only ever wear red nail varnish too. It's my kinda colour.  And I love how Emma and Richard incoporated this beautiful berry shade into their wedding day.

Emma's fabulous 1950s inspired dress was a design by one of my favourite independent bridal wear designers, Linda Davey of No. 9 Bridal Couture... 

"I knew early on that a traditional wedding gown wasn’t for me. We didn’t want a formal feel to the wedding and a long strapless number didn’t feel like my style. I wanted something that would be fun and comfortable to wear, and short so I could show off my shoes and move about easily (I knew there would be a lot of stairs!)..." 

Love My Dress Wedding Blog - Photography Copyright (c) 2011, John Hope Photography

 

"I was unable to find what I wanted in the traditional shops and saw a lot more appealing designs on US sites such as Whirling Turban and Dolly Couture.  Through Money Saving Expert forums I contacted Linda at No. 9 Bridal Couture to discuss my options and ask her advice. I also entered a competition she was running and although I didn’t win, I came 3rd and got 10% off my dress. It was the spur I needed and I booked an appointment to see her.

It was nerve wracking having a dress made when you couldn’t try it on first, but Linda was wonderful and reassuring. She obviously knew her stuff and helped me formulate my thoughts into a real design.  I had several fittings at her studio in Keighley and came away with a beautiful 1950s style silk dress that was everything I wanted!"

"I wore Hush Puppies “Freya” in red patent leather {centre below}.  I saw these on the Amazon website and fell in love! They weren’t too high and when I gave them a test run at a friends wedding I was delighted to find that they were comfortable enough for me to wear all day. Comfy AND gorgeous - what more could a girl want!  My Bridesmaids picked their own red shoes so they’d match - I wanted them to be able to choose what was comfortable for them..."

 

"The colour scheme was chosen for several reasons. Richard is a Sunderland AFC supporter and their kit is red and white. I was born in Lancashire and Richard’s parents are both from old Yorkshire towns so the red and white roses were quite significant too. The ladybirds fitted this theme, but also reminded us of our first house together where we had lots of them hibernating every winter...."

"My rose fascinator was custom made by our friend Em Brulée of Rocket59 to match my flowers..."