Love My Dress UK Wedding Blog

An Elizabeth Avey Tiered Wedding Dress and Kate Spade Glitter Heels For A Relaxed And Elegant Seaside Meets Countryside Wedding

I've been quite frankly chomping on the bit to share this latest wedding with you, from the incredibly talented photographer Sarah Falugo of Green Photographic (and Sarah Falugo - her new photographic company).

Tehya and Tom tied the knot on 29th September 2012 at Lyme Regis Guildhall - chosen because it overlooked the sea and had the beautiful cliffs for a backdrop, followed by a reception held at at the (yes the) River Cottage at Park Farm.

This pretty seaside meets countryside wedding features the most delightful tiered 1950s original vintage wedding dress - one amazing find thanks to Elizabeth Avey.

"I went to see Elizabeth Avey twice before finding 'the one' that just worked well with my body and looked a bit fun.  I loved the lacing at the top and its 50s-style femininity. It was so much fun to wear and twirling around in the dance floor with the bustling skirt was definitely a highlight. I wanted something that wasn’t fiddly or too delicate, to be as comfortable as possible so there was no adjustments during the day."

I also wore a bespoke petticoat from Annabella Designs Petticoats, and my veil was from Marisol Aparicio Weddings, Etsy store.  It was a 24 inch veil - she does do bespoke sizing."

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

"Our Florist was Haughty Culture.  Our brief to them was for seasonal, elegant country flowers that were bright but dainty with a vintage feel. I visited the florist once before and spoke to the lovely Clare. I also showed her some of my ideas from my Pinterest board. 

My bouquet was a hand-tied posy with cream, pale pink, lemon and blush peach flowers with some brighter tones and silver/grey eucalyptus foliage.  My bridemaids had hand tied posy of peach pink and lemony yellow incorporating mixed flowers and roses.  Tom’s button hole featured ranunculus and waxflower and the bridal party had coloured roses with jade green hypericum berries and leaf.

There was also a ‘nod’ to Australian cuisine (to reflect my roots) with Anzac biscuits served with tea and coffee in the outdoor yurt, and eucalyptus leaves in the bouquets." 

"Both Tom and I grew up loving going to the seaside.  We chose River Cottage at Park Farm as our reception venue because of its typical English countryside setting - it's actual working farm and provides the most fabulous food. 

Ultimately we were inspired by the season more than anything else – from the invitation and bridesmaid colours to the menu and flowers. Autumn is a really beautiful time of year to show off colour and enjoy the outdoors in the UK.

Country shows were also an inspiration. I used to ride ponies competitively in such shows in Australia and loved the fair-type atmosphere and camaraderie."

"We met at an art gallery after-party in Shoreditch. I was at home when a friend convinced me to go out mid-week. There was loads of bright young things partying away when I got there and soon struck a conversation with Tom, who was wearing a somewhat out of place tweed jacket. 

We were engaged on my birthday weekend in February 2012 in Scotland. We caught the ‘sleeper’ train through the stunning Scottish Highlands and stayed in extremely romantic queen’s suite at Inverlochy Castle. A lovely personal touch by the hotel was a kitchen tour by the Head Chef who gave us a few jars of the marmalade they were making, providing later inspiration for our wedding favours. While we were there we had a ball skiing and driving along Loch Ness.

We were engaged for seven months before the wedding day."

"I wore a pair of vintage clip on earrings - a gift from my good friend Kate from when I was her bridesmaid. Garter sent from Australia by my Grandmother as well as a handkerchief she wore on her wedding day. Small gold mesh bag from a vintage shop in Melbourne. Light pink feather cape by Biba (Ebay purchase)

"Our cake designer Claire came to the rescue at the last moment when we realised it would be tricky transporting the cakes from London to Devon!  The cupcakes were a mix of Neapolitan (chocolate layer, vanilla with pink frosting) and banoffie (Tom’s favourite). The top tier cake was red velvet with cream cheese frosting – still my favourite cake from when I first visited London on a university trip a few years ago. 

I also ordered two vanilla cakes with yellow frosting for each of the bridesmaids as their birthdays not long after the wedding."

"My shoes were ‘Charm’ by Kate Spade. from the Convent Garden store in London - purchased 3 days before the wedding.......!"

 "Favourite parts of the day were spending some time alone together in the car on the way to the venue. After such a busy morning and the ‘I do’s’ plus photos on the beach with everyone it was just nice to be by ourselves and chat about the day.

"My bridesmaids wore dresses from For Her & For Him in yellow and dusty rose colour..."

 

 
"Tom wore a classic black morning suit with silver waistcoat and ivory cravat – hired from Moss Bros black leather shoes by Russell and Bromley, along with a  Raymond Weil watch and silver cufflinks as a gift from his parents."

"Our photographers were Sarah Falugo and Bear from Green Photographic.  We were extremely lucky to book this very capable team who were cool, calm and collected throughout the day.

Being away from family and friends in Australia it was really important for us to get some fabulous shots to send home and for everyone who couldn’t make it, a good understanding of what the day was like. They did a great job."

A Bright, Rainbow Coloured 1950's Inspired Wedding

Good morning beautiful people, well, the week is moving along gently in the right direction - Christmas, of course. I can honestly sense a whole nation just dying to take a bit of time off and relax for a few days over some festive cheers! Talking of Chrimbo, did you get chance to view these gift list boards of yesterday? I can't believe the number of click-through's Franky sent to the Peacocks website for *that* red Pearl Lowe dress - (might have secretly ordered myself one this very morning!). 

This morning's rainbow coloured wedding is all about Helen and Sam, who  tied the knot on 18th August at Leatherhead registry office, followed by a reception at Sam’s Mum’s 'beautiful' garden.  Having met at a party through  mutual friends, the couple got engaged on Brighton beach, 11 months prior to their 1950's inspired wedding day and Alexa Loy was there to capture it all on camera.

"I was partly inspired by the 50's era, my dress from Elizabeth Avey was an original 50s dress, my bride’s maids wore swing dresses designed by Oh My Honey, and we had a Cadillac.

I chose the dress because it wasn’t long and I wanted something summery. I also liked the high neckline and the lace.  I made my own veil..."

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

Oh how i Love how Helen chose for her maids to be so colourful! I love these dresses by Oh My Honey...

"My ring was a Victorian Mizpah ring made into a wedding band by Frida in Brighton. My mum had given me the Mizpah ring and I wanted something that had belonged to someone else. My husband’s ring was from a jewellery shop in Stamford. He wanted rose gold."

"I made felt heart garlands, bunting and collected pressed glass vases for the flowers from charity shops..."

"Our photographer was Alexa Loy. We both really love our photos and received a fantastic service from Alexa. She was really friendly and helpful."

Sunshine and Corn Fields ~ A Charming, Old Fashioned and 'Eco Vintage' Somerset Farm Wedding...

My heart actually skipped a beat when I first saw these wedding photographs. And believe me when I say I say it also sang loudly as I sat preparing this feature to share with you...

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

This completely beautiful wedding bears all the hallmarks of a classic Love My Dress wedding; a divine original 1950’s wedding dress purchased from Elizabeth Avey teamed with an exquisite original vintage wedding veil restored back to its former glory, thanks to the incredibly talented Rachel at Heirloom Couture, elements of eco friendliness (biodegradable cutlery and plates made from leaves!) nestled alongside pretty vintage details - and a bride arriving to wed her groom via a vintage Austin 10, driven through a cornfield on their own farm. This is the type of wedding inspiration I dream about and defines the term 'eco-vintage'.

Lucy and Gregor's wedding took place on 27th July, at their home; West Wood, Park Farm in Somerset and photographer Mark Tattersall, whose work I just adore was there to capture it all on camera...

"I have always loved old things, reusing things from the past that have character rather than buying new, and together Gregor and I have learnt the value of taking care of the world we live in so with these two things combined it was natural for us to create a wedding that was ‘eco vintage’!

It is the way we live our lives anyway and wanted our wedding day to be a sort of declaration about the way we have chosen to live our lives; Practical, peaceful, ethical and happy. Choosing to wear second hand ‘vintage’ clothes too and longing for the simplicity of old fashioned living, we decided to ask our guests to join our world and have a bit of fun dressing ‘vintage’ too, which added to the gorgeousness of the day!"

 

"My dress was an original 1950’s wedding dress brought from Elizabeth Avey.  My maid of honour Ellie, pulled out several dresses to try on as I was overwhelmed with excitement of all the vintage dresses.

Having tried on several, when it came to this dress, I found myself almost dancing around the room and seeing Ellie’s face, I knew it was the one- I felt like Grace Kelly! There were a few tears of joy!"

"We found the veil on a bride and maid of honour weekend away in Harrogate at the Vintage Wedding Fair. I cried uncontrollably when I adorned the veil which although embarrassing was a clear sign I wasn’t leaving without it! I bought it from an amazingly inspiring young woman called Rachel at Heirloom Couture. 

Although Rachel makes the most beautiful veils, which she learnt to do in Paris, this one was an original 1950’s veil that needed some 'TLC'. She had sold the dress that went with it and due to a few holes in the tulle the veil got left behind, I loved it - and I wore it with a single corn flower in my hair and I also wore a pair of pearl drop earrings given to me on my 30th birthday by my late Mum".

"My bridemaids all wore original vintage 1950’s dresses, from Vintage Dress based in Bristol, except my daughters which I made. Our daughter Winifred's shoes came from Star Child, all made in England from British leather and perfect for little feet learning to walk."

"My maid of honours mum Janet supplied the beautiful flowers from her garden and together with my very talented friend Dorcas they made all the button holes, corsages and my bouquet in the kitchen downstairs while I was getting ready! All I really asked the girls is that there be Corn flower (because I love them), Rosemary in remembrance of my mummy and lavender, the rest they did themselves. I am very pleased they included gypsophila, and that they kept things beautifully simple."

"Our flowers to decorate the barn came from a culmination of Merrick’s organic farm Mericks Organic Farm, my friend Emily who grew them especially for the wedding in her garden, and my friend Jenny who filled all my terracotta pots with flowers she thought I would like."

"Every single part of the day was my favourite but certainly I shall never forget the feeling of holding my dads hand as we were driven through the streets of Langport with people waving and smiling, and through the county side I have grown up in, on my way to the man I love.

The Austin 10 belongs to Gregor's uncle and his one condition for having the wedding in his woodland was that I arrived in the Austin trough the corn fields, how could I refuse!"

"We met properly in 2004, both our families moved to Pitney in 1992 but it wasn’t until Gregor came to work at my family award winning pub ‘The Halfway House’, where I was managing the bar and we hit it off straight away! Being nearly Eight years my junior nobody thought it would last - but eight years and a beautiful daughter later we are still so much in love.

He proposed in our caravan bedroom in September 2011 standing next to our daughter's cot with her beautiful blue eyes staring up at us, it was very romantic."

"Shoes were a problem. I ordered a pair of vintage style gold latin dance shoes a couple of months before the wedding but Two weeks to go and they still hadn’t arrived. One emergency phone call later and I had bought a pair of very expensive designer shoes that although beautiful, I wore for 40 Minutes to the registry office the day before my wedding day, they gave me blisters and I had to wear my very comfortable Greek sandals instead!"

"I created all the invitations and place settings myself. For the invitation I made a lino cut of the barn and woodland setting which I printed onto hairy manilla 100% recycled card brought from Eco Craft. 

Having seen other home made invitations on the Natural Wedding Company website, and being an Art teacher myself I realised I had to make them. I wanted to create an invitation that would also be the ‘order of the day’ and a keep sake for my guests. There was no menu, just the gorgeous aroma on the day led our guests to the dish or dishes they desired!"

"All the plates and cutlery were biodegradable, plates being made of leaves we bought from a fair-trade company online and the cutlery from sustainable Birchwood which we wrapped in 100% recycled paper napkins and tied with vintage lace and blue trimming." 

"When I saw our photographer Mark Tattersall's photographs on the Natural Wedding Company website I knew instantly that he was my photographer. Mark Tattersall was the loveliest, unobtrusive, gentle, and generally amazing person. I cannot thank him enough for the incredible pictures I now have the joy of looking at for the rest of my life."

An Original Sixties Wedding Dress and an Heirloom Headpiece...

Well, how over the moon are we that you have all shown so much love for our blog re-design - thank you so very, very much, it's wonderful positive feedback like this that really does make a difference ;)  And so we head towards the first wedding of the week with a huge big cheshire cat grin on our faces.  Let's meet Love My Dress reader Katie and Fran, who tied the knot on  Saturday 11th August 2012, with a ceremony at St. Peter’s Church Harborne, Birmingham, followed by a reception at Hotel du Vin, Birmingham.  These photographers were submitted by Nicola of Daffodil Waves.

Love My Dress Wedding Blog - Photography Coypright (c) 2012, Daffodil Waves

As soon as I saw these images, I recognised Katie's dress to be a 1960’s original vintage gown.  The giveaway signs were the daisy motif embellishment, that empire line and the little bow on the front there - all classic hallmarks of a dress designed back in the sixties. And this one was apparently made in France.

Katie brought her dress from London based vintage wedding dress supplier, Elizabeth Avey - of whom i'm a *big* fan.

"I bought my dress from Elizabeth Avey’s vintage wedding dress shop in London over 18 months before the day. My sister Sarah lives over the road from her shop, and walks past the window every day - we decided that as part of a visit we would make an appointment and go try on some dresses to see what suited me, as I had never tried on a wedding dress before..."

"I never thought I’d get married in a vintage dress - I didn’t have an idea in my mind of what I’d look like on my wedding day, and certainly didn’t have it all mentally planned out from a young age. All I knew was that it couldn’t be strapless (as the idea of a strapless bra all day is for me, torture), and I didn’t want anything “too pouffy.”

"I was driven to church in my Dad’s Morris Minor, which he restored himself. It was so lovely to have this personal touch, and to spend a few minutes with him before the ceremony."

"My dress was the first one I tried on - when we walked in it was hanging up on a rail in between lots and lots of lace and chiffon, and the plain cotton leaped out at me. Elizabeth was amazing - she kept encouraging me to try different styles, and when it became clear that my heart was set, she even recommended that I go try on more in different shops first - the complete opposite of a hard-sell!
I still haven’t tried on a new wedding dress, and I love the idea that my wedding dress was handmade 50 years ago, and waited half a decade for me to wear it.

Elizabeth informed me that it is an original 1960’s wedding dress made in France - I took it for some minor alterations at my amazing local tailor, a menswear designer and he flipped it inside out and immediately said - 1960’s French - handmade seams."

"I love my dress - I’m an incredibly decisive person, and my sister joked that I found my dress like I found my husband - very early on I simply decided that that was the one for me!  I love that my dress was vintage - it’s a one-off, and the romantic in me imagines that it’s waited fifty years, unworn and unloved, to fill it’s wedding dress destiny in 2012.  And I love that the dress has sleeves ( I have terrible skin so was never going to wear something too revealing), and has a detachable train that hooks on at the waist.

The daisy motif in the lace was so pretty, and we carried this through to the flowers - my mother-in-law got married in a dress covered in daisies, so she was touched that they were similar dresses, forty years apart."

"Our flowers were by The Flower Centre in Birmingham - Joy, the owner did a wonderful job with only a very vague brief. I had one cut-out from a magazine, and said I wanted lots of “texture”  and beyond that I was happy with what she came up with.

When the flowers arrived on the morning of the wedding I was so happy - the colours were wonderful, the centrepieces so pretty and even though I still couldn’t tell you now what flowers were in my bouquet, it was just so perfect."

"I made my own headpiece using materials from my Mum’s Juliet cap that she wore when she married my Dad in 1975. We sewed the little flowers from the cap on to an Alice band, and added little pearls bought from Dunelm Mill.

I then attached a polka dot birdcage veil bought from Lily Bella. My Mum and I live a hundred miles apart, so it was lovely to get together and create something personal - it was a really special thing to do before the wedding, and I know she was so happy that I could wear something from her wedding, as well as spending time together."

"As favours, we gave everyone a book as a favour, from the Wordsworth Classics collection. I’m training to be a teacher and am a huge bookworm, and Fran has an MA in Writing, so we’re a fairly literary couple! Each guest had a different favourite of ours, which we tied with ribbon and tucked in a card with a handwritten poem inside.

I bought the little cards from Paperchase, and some stamps from Hobbycraft, and then started the epic task of creating sixty individual poems - it was a tough task, but by our guest’s reaction, I’m so glad I did it."

"As a surprise, Fran switched out my card for a handwritten poem of his own - I was so touched, as I’m usually the poet in our house!"

"The only drama in the planning of our wedding was deciding on the bridesmaid’s dresses - my girls live all over the country, and our work schedules made it very difficult to all meet up together. We chose about 4 dresses that suited everyone, for them to sell out in different sizes, or become unavailable altogether - it was becoming a bit of a saga and I thought we’d never find anything.

 I was browsing the internet one evening with a glass of wine, and spotted some dresses I loved in the Hobbs sale at the grand price of £42 each - I took a punt on the sizing, gulped down some wine and ordered them.  I then called my sister, who shrieked in horror - the whole way through the planning, I’d promised not to drunkenly order anything online, and I’d done exactly that.  Luckily they all fit, and even luckier, the girls loved them. One of them is being re-worn this weekend to another wedding so I was really pleased that the old adage 'something you can wear again' came true!"

"I bought the bridesmaid’s headbands in the January sales at Accessorize - one benefit of planning so far ahead was that so many of our purchases could be made at sale times. I was a fiend for bookmarking pages online and re-visiting them to buy items once they’d been reduced. Buying items at less than full-price allowed us to spend money in other areas - no one would know that my shoes cost less than half-price, but they would appreciate us spending a little more on a Pimms reception outside the church!"

"Of all of our wedding choices, booking Nicola, our wedding photographer was the easiest. She’s fabulous.  I’m so happy with our pictures - she really did do a wonderful job of capturing lots of moments that I wouldn’t otherwise have known about, as well as capturing people’s expressions when they didn’t know that they were bring shot! We knew that we wanted a reportage style photographer, and we booked Nicola very early on in the proceedings.

We both really hate having pictures taken, as soon as a camera is pointed in our direction we both somehow manage to turn into awkwardly-grinning goons, but Nicola was so relaxed and unobtrusive it was a pleasure to be photographed. I thoroughly recommend Daffodil Waves - I’m so proud of our wedding photographs, and will treasure them forever."