The UK Wedding show

So yesterday i took the boy to his first ever wedding show. We went to the UK Wedding show at Manchester Central, where on the same day coincidentally the Britain's got talent auditons were being held. At the UK wedding show brides get a complimentary ticket with a paying guest so the tickets were only half price which was good. I did have to drag the boy along a little bit with the promise that there would be free cakes and sweets (there always is!).

My lovely groom!

Quite a rank picture of me actually!

On arrival we got given 'Bride' and 'Groom' stickers to wear. The boy was a bit resistant to wear his but i forced him haha. I have to say while walking around we got given the heaviest goody bags i have EVER received. They contained free issues of about 5 thick wedding magazines and while appreciated kinda made me a bit grumpy haha. The goody bags also contained some Dermalogica and Nivia samples, some treats from Shreddies and Kellogs, some Colgate toothpaste, a pen, some Nescafe, a Blinc mascara and lots of Bodyform goodies which the boy had no idea what to do with but it was funny watching him try to figure out what the hell they were. When arriving we were also greeted by 2 drag queens from Birdcage, a local club, that does drag cabaret. I could just see the boy thinking 'what have you got me involved in?'.

The Augustus Gloop chocolate fountain which contained the largest amount of dipping options ever! There were marshmallows and fruit but also fudge, chocolate brownies, gingerbread men, coconut cakes, just loads!

While walking around i managed to eat my weight in sweets however the boy, a novice at these things, managed to steer us away from 2 super freebies! First off there was the Epernay champagne bar which offered us some free champagne but the boy declined stating that 11.45 was a 'bit early'. It's NEVER too early for free champagne! Secondly when we approached the Augustus Gloop chocolate fountain in absolute awe he told the man that was about to offer us whatever we wanted dipped in chocolate that as we were getting married down South we wouldn't be able to have the chocolate fountain so not to worry. He's lucky he escaped the situation alive to be honest.

Some goodies from Ice cream dub

The Yorkshire heritage bus

We scoffed some super yummy macarons from The English Rose Bakery and i really loved the vintage buses from the Yorkshire heritage bus company. I'm a huge fan of 'On the Buses' (for those who don't know it was a British sitcom from the early 70's set in a bus depot) so if we needed any transport a vintage bus would be such a strong consideration for me! We were also a big fan of the sweets available on the Ice cream dub stand which is a VW camper ice cream van, what a great idea!

Floral design

Floral design

The formula 1 simulator

The floral displays were from Red floral architecture, that's right architecture, no florists here! They had a very pretty stand and a stationer that really impressed me was Desired designs which take pictures of the bride and groom and create cartoons from them onto stationary, it all looked really good. There was a formula one car that seemed to be some kind of simulation, people could sit inside it and the boy wanted to wait but i was getting a bit weighed down by the bags so i dragged him away.

We didn't watch the catwalk show because we would have had to wait around for it and as i've brought my dress there wasn't really any point but we entered lots of competitions, as always with these wedding shows. I think the show was really good if you are interested in local suppliers however because we are getting married down south it didn't really help us but i enjoy those days out anyway!

Happy Halloween!

Real life weddings of the week!

When I've seen airplanes used within engagement shoots i always think it adds a really romantic, magical twist to it. It reminds me of a past golden age and there is something really whimsical about it. When i saw this wedding on Green wedding shoes (part one and two) i fell in love. They had their reception in an airplane hanger while their ceremony was enjoyed outside with the planes. What a backdrop! Aside from the amazing location this wedding is full of adorable DIY details, the bride is one seriously talented lady!

I love rainbow weddings, they are just instantly fun and vibrant. Other things i love: Bicycles (check), funky glasses (check) and pirates (ok so they fell down there but still 2 out of 3 aint bad!). This gorgeous wedding can be found at Love and lavender.

I think its amazing how the couple have tried to bring a living room vibe into the decor of their outside space and it works so well. The colour palette of this wedding is fantastic and how frikkin creative are those jewellery stand hands?! There are just so many details in this wedding to fall in love with so head over to 100 layer cake now.

I love this rockabilly wedding, another offering from Green wedding shoes. Its bright, fun, sweet and looks like it totally represents the couple. The bride looks so beautiful in her dress when she's dancing as well!

Etsy shop of the week: One Garnet Girl

Seafaring blue aquamarine ring $398/ £256.87

One garnet girl does some absolutely gorgeous handmade jewellery. I love gemstones so when i stumble across shops like this i really fall in love, makes me wish i had more fingers! The shop ships worldwide and there is a really varied range to choose from. Anything from plain bands to huge gems and there really is something for every budget as well. When i'm buying my wedding band i'm definitely going to have a pop back!

Quartz crystal silver necklace $318/ £205.24

Palladium white gold ring $1048/ £676.39

Ametrine cocktail ring $348/ £224.60

The Luxury Wedding Show @ The Saatchi Gallery

It was a gorgeous day in London on Sunday and thank god, because it allowed me to arrive at The Saatchi Gallery looking half decent! I was a bit hesitant about what to expect at the Luxury wedding show, i mean this is described as 'London's premiere wedding event' and packs quite an entrance fee so i was half expecting a bit of snobbiness. As a 22 year old bride in stripy hotpants (i did wear them with a silk jacket and opaque tights though!) i didn't feel I exactly screamed 'luxury'. However i felt there was a really warm feeling to the show and that the exhibitors were willing to talk to you in a way that i had experienced at many other shows, friendly and welcoming.

Me and the Mother!

 

The goodie bag was fab! There was a little mix up when we only got given one ticket for a bag so we went back to the reception desk and informed them and they gave us two more so we ended up with three bags! It contained lots of toiletry goodies from L'Oreal, Pearl drops, Dermalogica, Elemis and some lovely Opi Nail varnish. There were also some yummy treats from Gu that we enjoyed while sitting outside the venue in the sun. 

Posh Graffiti

One of my favourite suppliers of the exhibition was 'Maids to measure'. You can get your bridal party together, head to their studio where you can design a bespoke dress in whatever style or colour you want, for under £200. I also loved Posh Graffiti that had some really adorable hand painted vintage lettering. My mum fell in love with a Temperley dress for her to wear at the wedding, not sure how she feels about the £1350 price tag though.

There was no photography without a press pass at the Catwalk show so these photos are from Lisa Devlin via the Rock n Roll bride blog and also Rock my wedding.

Rock my wedding

The catwalk show was all rather exciting. Thanks to my Mums eagerness for the (free) champagne we got there early enough for front row seats. Looking around the exhibition it was packed with the most stunning dresses, vintage inspired silks, gorgeous lace, there were none of the tulle monstrosities that had turned me against the idea of a modern wedding dress. As an owner of quite a few of her shoes and hopeful that i will, one day, own a dress (or five) it was definitely Vivienne Westwood that i was looking forward too the most.

When the lights went down and there was loud dramatic music i knew we were in for a good show. The dresses were just gorgeous, there was classic options, some that were more dramatic but all just stunning. It was so clear to see why these are some of the most sought after wedding designers with some of their stunning detailing and embellishing.

Lisa Devlin at Rock n Roll Bride

When Vivienne Westwood came in with her red wedding dress jaws hit the floor. Maybe not for everyone but you have to admit its breathtaking! The model also wore a stunning red veil and some killer red heels, i was so jealous! Imagine being paid to wear this stuff!!

Candy Anthony dress- Rock my wedding

Vivienne Westwood- Lisa Devlin for Rock n Roll Bride

For myself my favourite gowns would have been the Candy Anthony dress, i love the vintage 50's styling and the polka dot tulle is just beautiful! The Vivienne Westwood dress was also incredibly beautiful, i loved the shade and the hem was edgy but soft at the same time. 

Overall the fact that i couldn't afford these designers did nothing to stop my enjoyment of the day and i would recommend it for any bride to be, its a lovely day out!

My first (and last) wedding dress trip!

Vivien of Holloway

So I've brought the wedding dress. Yes 17 months in advance so that's some motivation to stay exactly this size! So where do i start? 

Well it all started a few weeks ago when Alia and I went to a wedding fair. Alia is a bridesmaid and is also getting married and we were left pretty unimpressed by the wedding dress collection so decided to head out for a day trip in London where the plan was to search for our 'style' while NOT actually buying anything. We just wanted to see what was out there and if what we had in our heads actually suited us.

Vivien Of Holloway- check out the petticoats!

We actually started our day at Vivien of Holloway because i wanted to check the shop out as a possible bridesmaid option. They seem really popular but they are also the exact type of dresses i really like and see my bridesmaids in.

I got Alia in some dresses and they were just absolutely gorgeous, incredibly flattering and came in such a great range of fabrics. The first photo i kinda surprised her a bit with haha. Check out her proportions though! You'd never even guess she weighed 40 stone ;). What i liked about it as well is due to the range of fabrics i could get my bridesmaids in the same style but they could choose the fabric they like the best or the same fabric but different styles to suit their shape.

I couldn't resist getting into a few of the dresses myself, especially when i saw that they had pirate fabric! The dresses make you feel amazing, they make you feel skinny and curvy in all the right places. The staff were really helpful and the only negative was the sizes are quite small, you're going to be a size bigger than you actually are. Your ego might be a bit dented until you actually get into the dress, look in the mirror and think 'damn i'm hot!'. I need to drag the boy here soonish to get me a Christmas present i think!

Elizabeth Avey showroom

We then took a trip to Elizabeth Avey, a vintage bridal specialist. I wasn't allowed to take any pictures so the above photo is from their site. The boutique was very fancy, the sales lady so helpful and the dresses were stunning. What surprised me is that i went straight for the short dresses because that's what i thought i loved but my favourite dress of the session was a 1920's long satin and lace number, very slinky. It showed me that you need to approach wedding dress shopping with an open mind because you might find something that surprises you! Even though there were lots of gorgeous dresses there was nothing that made me fall in love. It was around this time that i started to question the whole idea of 'the one'. Was it a movie thing that didn't really exist? I had tried on some gorgeous dresses that looked great on but had dismissed them because they didn't 'feel like the one'. Was i right to do this?

'Nadine' dress

'Pippa' dress

Minna was our next stop, a brand i had come across after reading about it on Beyond Beyond. They offered more casual but still very pretty wedding dresses and at great prices. As much as i adored the dresses they didn't feel bridal enough and even though i didn't see myself as a 'traditional' bride i realised i did have some paradigm in my head of what i wanted to look like as a bride. However i would totally consider Minna for bridesmaids or a party dress. I forgot to take pictures so the above photos are from their site.

Zeleb

Zeleb

After refuelling at lunch we went to Zeleb. Zeleb offers formal wear and while they have no bridal range they make to measure their dresses so can offer them in any colour. I thought it could be a good option because the dresses could be made in ivory and it would offer a lot more styles than a traditional bridal shop. We walked in and seriously were blown away by the gorgeousness of the dresses. I SO want to be a celeb so i have excuses to wear every one of the dresses. Unfortunately they only had one changing room and the lady whose appointment was before was running over. I had scheduled an hour there (which would have been too short anyway) but as we couldn't get into the changing room for 45 minutes it meant we only had time for one dress. Knowing i could only try on one i went straight for my favourite, a black lace number. This was one of the only dresses in the shop that they wouldn't be able to make in any other colour but it was a totally stunning dress. I really loved it but i think its more 'red carpet' than 'bridal'. Now i just need to find an occasion to buy it!

How 'Chanel' is this?

How innocent Alia looks. How looks can decieve!

Our final destination was Heavenly Vintage Brides. Due to overrunning at Zeleb and a total underestimation on my behalf about how long it would take to get to West London in rush hour we arrived just over half an hour late and because of the underground being...well... underground i wasn't able to communicate to Helena, the lady who owns the dresses, that we would be late but she was so welcoming and lovely when we arrived. We had run to her house from the tube and she went and got us some water and then we were led to a room full of lovely dresses. She left us alone and told us to pick out which ones we liked and she would come back in after. When she came back she was really helpful at offering advice on the sizing of the dresses and which ones would actually suit us and then she dressed us. I haven't been dressed in about 2 decades but i found it rather enjoyable!

Helena owned a gorgeous range of dresses so i liked every one i tried on and then it happened...i tried on the one. I knew it straight away. I was a bit lost for words, i just kept saying 'i love it'. I took my mum to see it yesterday and it was purchased! I am absolutely delighted! It fits perfectly so no alterations will be needed but Helena is adding a few hook and eyes along the zip for us so its not in my possession yet. It worked out totally affordable as well and includes a vintage petticoat. I'm not posting any pictures of the dress, you will just have to wait and see, but i will tell you its from the 1950s and its not white!

DIY DIVA: Garlands

My real wedding catch up yesterday featured a fab shot of this amazing fabric tassels and i instantly had to search out a DIY. There are some with tissue paper if you are interested however i like the fabric ones, i'm so thinking ahead of moving them into the home after! Plus they are no sew! That's always my worry with anything fabric. This fab DIY can be found at prudent baby.

Isn't this a great idea?! Its a seating chart garland. Seating charts are where couples are allowing themselves to be really creative now and i love seeing all the different ideas and when something individual comes along its tres exciting. This can be found at ruffled.

 

This is so fancy looking it doesn't even look like a DIY project. In my head those are the projects that seem to be the hardest! Nope not this one. Just good old simple paper and glue (and a Martha Stewart paper punch). See this tutorial at Style me pretty.

Multicoloured hearts! That's me sold. Cute and simple and perfect for wedding or home. That's all the criteria checked. These can be found at Sparkle and Hay.

Can you believe this is paper cups?? Hey gorgeous have some serious creativity going on here! So pretty and again quite simple (i only say quite because i'm an idiot).