Love My Dress UK Wedding Blog

Bridal Inspiration Boards #48 ~ Hollywood Glamour

Its great to be back with another set of inspiration boards for you, this time I am focusing adding some Hollywood glamour to your day. I recently went to the see the Hollywood Costume exhibition at the V&A, which completely blew me away the gowns where so beautiful and intricate I left wanting to be a vintage filmstar!

Your wedding day is the one day where you have your “film star” moment, all eyes on you and your groom so make the most of it by adding some glamorous touches. With the evenings drawing in and sparkle season just warming up, make the most of the golden glow candle light brings with a shimmering gown and opulent gold and silver details...

1. Via Pintrest  2. Bride2be 3.  Bhldn 4. DustJacket Attic 5. Love My Dress  6. The Lifestyled Blog  7.  Love My Dress

I dream of attending a Black Tie wedding; wouldn’t it be incredible to sip champagne whilst walking through the rooms of a rambling country pile and dance in a ballroom underneath glittering chandeliers, whilst celebrating the love of your favourite people?

A black tie wedding is all about creating that dream day so keep all your touches as sumptuous as possible. Whilst black and white might be your key colours think about adding accents like champagne, oyster, a soft blush or a whisper of grey to soften the palette. Adding vintage crystal droplets (I have picked up quite a few in flea markets) to centre pieces or placing silver champagne buckets in your reception room to give an air of decadence. Arrangements of only white flowers are always luxurious, but if you want to add some depth and interest this beautiful bouquet of peonies and anemones would be a great alternative. A statement piece of jewellery like this detailed cuff or an amazing pair of jewelled shoes will add an extra dash of sparkle to your dress.

1. Style Me Pretty 2. Love My Dress 3. 100 Layer Cake 4. More Design Please  5. Style Me Pretty 6. Crate

There is so much amazing inspiration here on Love My Dress, I was completely wowed by this most fabulous wedding (http://www.lovemydress.net/blog/2012/10/aynhoe-park-wedding-bell-tent-village.html) it is a perfect take on modern vintage glamour, I love all the humorous details and touches the venue and couple have added. Black Tie doesn’t have to be serious, so make sure you try and add a few unexpected elements, you can really let your imagination run away with you.

For table details trying adding gold cutlery for a twist on the standard silver or add shimmering table runners, all white centre pieces and plenty of candles - the glow of candle light will make the room look luminous. This metallic striped cakes is a subtle and elegant way of adding a some glamour into your day, just make sure it has an ornate cake stand to sit on so it doesn’t get lost in the room. For stationery I love how intriguing these black and gold invites are  (I would definitely rsvp!) they look like a ticket to some magical destination. Or why not let your guess sprinkle their own magic around you with these confetti pockets.

1. Love My Dress  2. Via Pintrest  3. Via Pintrest 4.  The Lifestyled Blog 5.  Grey Like Weddings  6.  Bhldn  7.  Style Me Pretty

For a black tie wedding the bride and groom outfits must be at the crux of the whole day. For the Grooms, its bow ties all the way (it’s a known fact that boys look a hundred times better in black tie) if you want something a little more relaxed get the ushers in a variation of black suits and ties. I love how this bride have incorporated a white blazer into her outfit, it think it looks divine and so modern. If you are looking for something more old school Hollywood try a shimmering beaded fishtail dress or full skirted tulle number, don’t be shy this is your moment in the spot light. For accessories this soft up do with pretty hair combs is definitely red carpet worthy, a statement earring or jewel encrusted shoes will give any wedding ensemble star quality.

Planning your wedding is all about having fun and creating a lasting memory.  Whether you are having a huge affair with hundreds of guests or something smaller enjoy the process of organising the most incredible day of your life, don’t be afraid to free your imagination you and add once-in-a-lifetime details into your plans. Thanks as always to Annabel and Franky for having, I’ll be back soon with some more ideas for you.

Charlotte

 

Bridal Inspiration Boards #47 ~ Pom Poms, Pin Wheels and Paper Garlands

Morning! ;) It's been a little while since I feautured a beautiful set of inspiration boards on a Friday morning to kick start that weekend feeling.  The last set of boards I blogged was prepared by one of my new regular contributors lovely Charlotte (who's wedding I featured here).  Charlotte has prepared another set of boards for you today that are looking perfectly pom pom, pinwheel and paper garland pretty from where I'm sat.  Watch out for more from Charlotte over the coming weeks - she's got a bit of a talent for pulling together pretty and inspiring images. And she has lotts and lots of creative ideas...

I have been so inspired by Love My Dress these past few weeks; Annabel’s book sounds amazing, I for one can’t wait to have a read, and the weddings featured recently on Love My Dress have all been so stunning and individual. I have loved how the details in each one gives such an insight into each of the couples personalities you can’t help but smile and enjoy happiness that radiates from each and every one of the photos.

For this weeks boards I have concentrated on décor ideas that can make the day feel more ‘you’. I have gathered some of my favourite Pom Poms, Pin wheels and Paper Garlands, that will of course look fabulous incorporated into your wedding day, but would also give any hen party, anniversary or birthday celebration that special touch too.

The worst piece of advice I was given when planning my wedding was “don’t worry about the details, no-one notices” I couldn’t have disagreed more, I am a firm believer that investing time, love and effort to the little details takes anything ordinary to extraordinary...

1. Via Pintrest  2. BHLDN  3. Pom Pom Factory 4. Angel Lifestyle 5. 100 Layer Cake 6. A Wedding Cake Blog

Poms Poms are so much fun and the combinations are endless. I love how they have been used to create a central chandelier in a canopy of strung lights but equally they are fabulous piled high on top of the old dresser creating a slightly surreal scale. You can have them hung individually around your venue, like this  wedding, creating a really fun look.

**** Hello it's Annabel here, I'm interrupting this
blog feature to highly recommended Paper Poms.
I worked with them on my book and they are absolutely fabulous! ***

If you are short on space group different sizes and colours together over a desert or gift table to make a real impact.  Try playing around with size too, tiny pom poms look so cute on top of this cake, but don’t stop there add a few extra to the centre of tables, attach to name cards or even table plans to take the theme right through your day.

If the thought of making a hundred pom poms fills you with dread, there are so many places to buy, try the Pom Pom Factory for an endless colour range, or Etsy to buy from crafty individuals. If like me you love to get creative make them yourself, my friends and I use this tutorial and we’re always delighted with the results.1

1.  Ruffled Blog 2. HipHostess 3. 100LayerCake 4.  Bumpsmitten 5. Via Pintrest 6. Wedding Chicks

Pin wheels can come in many forms; large fan styles look amazing en masse as a back drop in a mix of different prints or tonal shades.  I love how they have been added to the backs of chairs, just a few here and there is enough to keep the décor interesting without overwhelming a venue.  Smaller more traditional pin wheels look great gathered on tables, they have such a nostalgic feel to them so would be ideal if you are going for vintage styling.

The beauty of these is you can really go all out with the paper you use to create something unique, use this fab DIY as your starting point and then let your imagination lead you to create something really unique.

1.  Party Ideas by a Pro  2. Confetti System  3. Nice Party  4  Ruffled Blog  5. Via Flickr  6. Confetti System

Simple steamers require minimal effort and look great when hung together in a group, Pearl and Earl have a really extensive selection of colour and styles. For something more detailed what about origami swans, I think they look stunning lined up. A simple string of circles would be really easy to make, use a large circle punch and either stick or sew onto a string or for something more eclectic use a mix of items, you could include a few photos or objects that have a special meaning to you, creating a really original banner.

If you are thinking of using paper tassels or fringing, make sure you take a look at Confetti System they take paper to a whole new level! It would be my dream to spend a day in their studio, inspired by them I have a tassel garland DIY on my blog, which is really easy to do and would look great in any colourway you choose. I can’t go without leaving you all with two more sites that are an absolute must visit; Oh Happy Day! and A Subtle Revelry are my personal favourites, they are brimming with the most incredible ideas that make any celebration unforgettable.

I hope some of these ideas have inspired you, the beauty is that you don’t have to use them just for a wedding, I fully intend to make a few pieces to put around the house! Thanks as always to Annabel and Franky for having me, it’s always pleasure and I hope to be back soon with some more ideas for you.

Charlotte

 

Bridal Inspiration Boards #46 ~ Wild Flower Wonder...

Hey everyone! OK, first of all, so sorryyyyy this is a little late. It's mayhem here! It's my youngest daughter Leanora's 2nd birthday today and er, things are a litle messy already {to say the least. She has had a bag of Maltesers and a Tunnocks Tea Cake for breakfast already.....!}.

I'd like to introduce you this morning to a new name you'll be seeing more of on Love My Dress in the coming weeks. Her name is Charlotte, and her wedding featured on Love My Dress right here - it was such a gogeously colourful affiar, captured beautifully on camera by Mckinley Rodgers .  Turns out Charlotte is a bit of a talented creative and crafty type of lady {she made her own bridal headpiece for example}.  And she really really wanted to share some of her creativity wtih you all. How could I say no? ;)

      

Wild Flower Wonder reminds me of the first flush of love when nothing else matters apart from you and your beloved, spending hours together in each other’s company talking about everything under the sun. I lived with my husband for four years before we got married, and for the first few months of marriage we’ve been able to relive our early days of falling in love.

Your wedding day is the start of an exciting new life; so whether you have been together for six months or sixteen years why not recreate those simple days when there is nothing else in the world apart from you and your sweetheart.

(1) Love My Dress (2) Minna, shot by Marianne Taylor, on Love My Dress (3) Junqaholique  (4) Tinywaterblog (5) 100layercake   (6) Greenweddingshoes

The light is so beautiful at this time of year, it gives everything such a wonderful glow, a palette of lush raspberry, apricot and golden tones suits that hint of autumn in the air but keeps the warm summer glow alive. I adore the innocence and carefree spirit that these flower crowns evoke, either make them yourself (this is a great tutorial that I have seen recently) or ask your florist to make something up for you just make sure it’s not too neat and looks freshly picked.

Flowing ribbons will give any room an outdoor rustic feel, try to mix up similar shades to create interest; my tip for if you can’t find the exact ribbon colour you are after is try looking in the fabric department and then cut or tear your cloth into strips.

(1)  Snippetandink  (2)  Via Pintrest (3) Snippetandink (4) Junqaholique  (5) Tinywaterblog  (6) Snippetandink

Dessert tables always make my mouth water but why not try adding in some fresh fruit and home-baked goodies into the mix, these bowls of peaches and cherries look delightful and will give that “just picked’ element to your day. The same goes for this cake I love the idea of friends and family each baking a batch of cupcakes and adding them to a tower, don’t forget to mix in some fresh flowers to keep it looking natural. If your venue is on the formal side but you still want to add some wild flowers, use hand tied style centre pieces to soften it up.

Hand drawn details are perfect for keeping a spontaneous summer vibe to your wedding. If you’re an arty type why not hand drawn your own? If not use a company that has a hand – drawn style like Artcadia, you can never go wrong with anything letter pressed and their selection is just fantastic.

I couldn’t resist adding these beautiful rings from Rust Jewellery (I look on their site at least once a month) I love how each one of their pieces is individual and hand carved, the first stages of love maybe fleeting but these will make a wonderful reminder.

(1)  Greenweddingshoes  (2 ) Greenweddingshoes  (3) Greenweddingshoes  (4)  MagnoliaRouge  (5)  MagnoliaRouge  (6)  Love My Dress

For the bride go for anything with a bohemian vintage edge, I’m thinking heavy lace, smocking and nothing too structured. The Vintage Wedding Dress Company has a fantastic selection and you can choose your era to suit your style. For the bridesmaids, I love how each of the girls have different dresses to suit their personalities with the colours all in similar shades for unity.

Flower girls always steal the show at a wedding as you can’t buy that wide eyed wonder they have at being part of the ceremony, simple lace dresses will always look so pretty and if you can, fresh flower crowns will finish off the look completely. And not to forget the boys, if they go for a tweedy suit or something more formal keep the button holes suitably relaxed by adding country treasures like feathers all hand-tied with ribbon or a good bit of brown string.

I hope you have enjoyed these images as much as I enjoyed putting them together, remember what ever you decide to do on your day make sure it’s a reflection of you both as a couple and what you love. Thanks so much to Annabel and Franky for having me it’s been a joy!

Charlotte

 

Charlotte is a newlywed whose wedding featured on Love My Dress - photographed by the very talented Mckinley Rodgers .  Charlotte also runs her own blog; Lotts and Lots.

Charlotte is one of a few new names you'll be seeing on Love My Dress - watch out for a little post explaining more over the next few weeks.  This little team is expanding