I always get excited about real wedding features and think I always will. Being a Wedding Blogger is clearly what I was put on this earth to do! Absolutely no doubt about it! ;) There are, however, few wedding features that get me quite as excited as this one does. And that's for a number of reasons. Not least, because it's not very often that a Wedding Blogger get's to feature another Bloggers Wedding, but this Bride also happens to be quite a special lady - and in that sense, I mean one I consider a friend, and confidante and all-round good/fabulous/intelligent/witty/smart-cookie of an egg. If that makes sense :)
The Bride in this feature is someone I befriended via Love My Dress over a year ago now. We seemed to hit if off almost immediately and it wasn't long before I began to feel a real sense of trust and mutual respect. I loved her style of writing, her sharp wit, her ability to endear her readers with anecdotes of her days spent planning her November 2010 wedding and snapshots from her childhood years.
She has received many an email from me when I've been freaking out over something or other and always been the calming voice of reason at the other end. In a nutshell, she's helped me through some pretty major highs and lows - and they include serious pregnancy concerns and well, other things I won't mention here but that proved to me this woman has one beautiful heart.
Another reason I am chomping on the bit to share these image is because, well, between you and I, I know the Bride was a little bit worried that she'd 'pull off that look'. You know what I mean! As Brides to be, we all get anxious as the big day approaches, don't we? .... Have we done enough to ensure we look our ultimate best?!? As I browsed through this beautiful album of images for the first time, a face full of glee, I saw staring back at me a beautiful, confidant, women - a woman who had a pretty stressful final few weeks of wedding planning, only to be basking in that glorious glow that comes with being a 'newlywed'. And I felt so genuinely happy :)
I'm so delighted that our paths crossed this time a year ago. And I'm thrilled that the Bride and Groom have entrusted me to write this feature and share these wonderful images with you.
Which just leaves one question to be asked.
Who's that girl?
Could it be, Anna and the Ring?.....
Love My Dress Wedding Blog - Photography Copyright (c) 2010, Emma Case
Anna finally married her beloved Bean on 27 November 2010 - ten years after the couple had first met.
Ten years.
That's a good long time for a love between a couple to solidify into something really beautiful, and this couple celebrated that love with a fabulous snow white winter wedding in Northumberland...
"Bean grew up in Northumberland & Northumberland is truly beautiful. Whilst it is traditional to marry in the bride’s hometown and a London wedding was oh so tempting we decided on Northumberland because it offered sofas, log fires and prettiness. We knew we wanted a weekend of wedding festivities. We wanted everyone to join us and enjoy a relaxed weekend of fun..."
Anna chose the most beautiful silk charmeuse wedding dress, by bespoke and couture wedding and special occasion dress designer, Nikki J...
"I originally wanted a Jenny Packham dress but these dresses are not for the short. I looked for ages and tried to find something I wanted.
Conventional wisdom says I should have gone for a corset and meringue to suit my shape. They are just not my style. I wanted silk, I wanted flowing, I wanted to twirl and I wanted sleeves.
I found Nikki through the internet and at our first meeting she really just got my vision (sorry that sounds so cheesy!) She was open to my suggestions and changes and made me really enjoy the whole dress process - something I was really dreading. Every time I would see the fabric I would swoon. It is simply divine. It moved like mercury and made me feel like a bride and not just a girl dress up in a wedding dress..."
Anna has a bit of a thing for shoes - a girl after my own heart, it must be said...
"For the ceremony, I wore a pair of cream Louboutins - I know, naughty!
For cocktails, I wore some pink McQueen's - 5 inches of walking on air! I adore grey, pink (but only deep passionate pinks) and majestic purples and they would always be part our day (sorry Bean) but he is rather used to my obsession with pink!
For ceilidh dancing afterwards, I had a pair of Melissa flats..."
"My 'old' was my a locket attached to the bouquet. My 'new' was my dress.
My 'borrowed' was my engagement ring {see below}. I adore it and love being it’s current owner but love that one day I will be able to pass it on to a granddaughter or other lovely.
My 'blue' was a secret tiny crown brooch which I wore to pin my veil - and a sixpence which I forgot and left upstairs in my room!"
Don't worry, Anna's not your Bunny Boiler type - this weapon-wielding Bride has good intentions for her axe!
Anna hired Hair and make-up Artist Elbie Van Eeden - Elbie has THE most amazing portfolio of work which you must go see!
"I was always going to have my hair up. I wanted something modern but classic. (I looked at many a picture!) I love the way my hair looks like roses. A little nod to my roses and to the delicious explosion of huge curls in fashion at the moment which I love.
As for make-up, I am a make-up ignoramus. I hardly ever wear the stuff but knew that I wanted to try and look pretty for the day. Elbie made me feel flawless..."
Anna wore a piece or her Mothers own French netting wedding veil, combined with a piece of russian netting, from online haberdashery, MacCulloch & Wallis.
"I tried on my new mother’s veil a few months previously. Wow. It made me feel like a Bride! However her beautiful long cathedral length veil just would not have suited my style of dress.
I adore the birdcage look but wanted something slightly more dramatic. Her beautiful veil was far too long for her and she had to cut a piece off for her wedding which I could use.
So after an intense mother and daughter wrangle on the thursday before the wedding we managed to pin it to my head and make it look kinda cool...even if we do say so ourselves - contemporary, chic but different..."
Anna wore two pairs of earrings throughout the day - both from J. Crew...
"On my nails I wore Essie Merino Cool. I love this colour, grey with a lilac/purple tinge. It’s like a colour made for me!..."
I love Anna's choice of Bridesmaids dress, a fabulous find if ever there was one, from 'twobirds' Bridesmaids...
"I spent hour upon hour trying to find dresses for my girls. I love the mismatched look but without infinite time and funds it was impossible (If I had won the lottery we would have been set - oh Polyvore!)
I originally want grey but they were not so keen - I think my choices were a little too 'out there' for them. Also my girls wanted to look like Bridesmaids. So I then thought, yes black dresses - easy!
No. Not easy. Far too many ugly cheap looking black dresses out there. (Also to have a comrade pregnant and then for the wedding will be breast feeding was a challenge)
twobirds was always in the back of my mind - they offered the look I was after. Similar but different. The boutique is nestled by Portobello Road and was a wonderful afternoon of fun! The material is exquisite, it just flows beautifully. Simple, chic and elegant. (and I got the grey I wanted!)"
I adore Anna's simple and pretty bouquet. All the florals were provided by I Heart Flowers...
Anna explains her choice of flowers...
"Sophie of I Heart Flowers was a trooper, after getting stuck with us for the whole weekend!
Snapdragons remind me of being little and playing in the garden. Irises are just such a fabulous colour. Carnations - I love their smell and I happen to think they are lovely. Peonies - the end of November is one of those freaky times when you can (nearly) always get peonies. A little anniversary tradition. Roses - a fuschia pop please! Eucalyptus reminds me of Real Flower bouquets which always smell so incredible and Lamb’s Ear which always reminds of being little
I chose fuchsia pink anemones for the maids..."
A sneaky peek of the Groom getting ready...
Anna hired Harpist Lula Duggan to play before and during her wedding ceremony. As Anna took her steps down that aisle, Lula played the beautiful Pachabel Canon in D...
"Lula travelled all the way from London with her harp, Husband and crockery for us. I could not have asked for a more helpful, sweet musical companion to my day..."
I LOVE Bean's choice of tweed suit. The tweed was sourced by Bean from Dashing Tweeds and produced into a bespoke suit Graham Browne...
"As I was not going to show him my dress, we felt it was only fair for him not to show me his suit. I trust his sartorial taste. He is a dandy, but a good dandy. I had an inkling he would choose this tweed - we now have enough samples for a quilt - (ooo post wedding idea) but I really did not know until I walked down the aisle. Bean's tie was from Austin Reed and braces by Albert Thurston for Jay Kos (via eBay). I love that he wore braces!
His shoes were Russell and Bromley and shirt by Stephan Haroutunian. I also love he had his shirt made for the wedding!"
Pants were by Paul Smith and those splendid specs were by vintage inspried eyewear specialists, Warby Parker.
Final touches to the Bean's suit were added by way of a pair of vintage cufflings from Orange and Blossom, which Anna bought as a gift...
Did I mention how much I love the Groom's suit? What a beautiful moment captured on camera below - Bean reading to Anna during their wedding ceremony!
Anna's wedding ring was her Grandmother's own wedding ring. What a beautiful, personal touch!
Bean's ring was by Ivan Dvorak...
Anna was a very clever girl and invested in a fabulous pair of aubergine Hunters...
"...they were the best last minute purchase! Bought on Thursday arrived on Friday morning. A life saver!"
Bean, you are lovely...
When it came to styling their day, Anna and Bean focused 3 key watchwords; relaxed decadent and fun...
"I love old things but find it difficult to settle to one time period (although if pushed I would always choose the late 1920s, early 1930s).
I would never describe my wedding/life as vintage but I am fascinated by the prettiness of the past. The wedding was a nod to me and my Husband, not a nod to specific era.
Themes freak me out a little, I do enjoy a little eclecticism and I hope that will show in my photographs and in my future life..."
Anna and Bean hired the wonderful Golden Afternoon Tea Company to provide this pretty mismatched china...
I just love the whole eclectic table decor look!
Tables were decorated with mercury glass candlesticks from Cox and Cox, and glass candlesticks from Graham and Green...
"I supplied the bud vases and larger vases. As we had long banqueting tables I wanted lots of different heights and variety..."
Fabulous, Fabulous, Feather cape...
Anna wore THE most beautiful ostrich feather cape in the evening...
"To cut a long story short, I won the cape in an actual auction in New Zealand after sending a postal bid.
No other bidders = cheap = best wedding purchase!!!"
And does this girl know how to work those lashes, or WHAT?!?
Anna and Bean chose the most amazing croquembouche cake by Rainbow Sugarcraft...
"After sampling many “interesting” cake choices over the years we knew we didn’t want a bland fruitcake or sponge.
It looked amazing and I can’t thank the team enough for managing to bring the croquembouche from 70 miles away in Scotland, despite the inclement weather. Their creme patisserie was phenomenal. The choux pastry was a treat. We gorged ourselves and luckily had the foresight to put the rest in the fridge for the next day. Delicieux!
Bean was rather sad we never actually went cake tasting. Would it be so bad to go now in the name of research?"
I think not... ;)
There was nothing but a good old Ceilidh in order to entertain the newlywed's guests...
"Our magnificent Ceilidh Band 'Heads on the Block' were amazing! They don't have a website unfortunately (they are family friends). They travelled trough the dark and snow from the hills miles away to make it to the wedding. The were meant to finish at 10.30 but we were still flinging each other around at midnight. I cannot recommend them highly enough..."
I do believe that is Ms Elbie Van Eeden, Hair and Makeup Artist Extraordinaire....
Words of Wedded Wisdom...
"Plan but relax.
Our wedding was somewhat marred by the snow but for the problems it caused (and there were many) it did leave us with no choice but to battle on. The spirit of the Blitz lives on!
Because of snow troubles things were moved places, seemingly hidden from me and so were never used - sad but I can always use them again!
For me your wedding should be a reflection of your life at that moment. Not what you think it should look like, not what you’ve been told it should look like but the culmination of two paths becoming forever intertwined and if that mean light sabres and pink, then so be it."
Anna's Top Tips...
"Top tip 1 - whilst you know what is happening most people around you do not. Because we had to spend far more time moving cars than organising on the friday night I didn’t have time to brief everyone who needed to knows things. Next time(!) I would totally word document it up and distribute like a maniac! (not helped by my laptop being pinched by my groom so I couldn’t use it on the Friday night when I went to bed.)
Top tip 2 - I now understand why people leave their party to go straight on honeymoon....so they don’t have to help clear up!"
Anna, Bean, thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart for trusting me to share your wonderful wedding day with my readers. I know how much of your heart and soul you poured into the planning of your wedding Anna, and I know how hugely important the event itself was to you. I feel truly honoured.
Christmas sack loads of thanks too, to someone who has inspired me hugely throughout 2010; the 'born-talented' Photographic wonder that is Emma Case..
"Our original photographers had to cancel and so I cried. Emma hadn’t been on the scene when I first booked and so when I found her I basically begged her to be part of our day. (One of our very good choices!)
I cannot recommend her enough.
P.S. Thank you Pete for being so fabulous too!"
Pete by the way is Emma's other half who supports Emma on photographic assignments! ;)
Well apart from reminding you to go and visit Anna and the Ring, that just leaves me to say have a wonderful day everyone! I may pop back later with one final post of the day, but for now, I hope you have enjoyed reading about one of my favourite weddings of 2010.
CONGRATULATIONS ANNA AND BEAN!!! Have a glass on me this Christmas :)
Sooooooooo much love,
Annabel :) xXx
♥
