Thursday Treats: Photo Shoots, Countdowns & Going to Real Life Weddings

Kat

May 2, 2013

This week has been a pretty exciting one. Gareth and I kicked it off by shooting with the wonderful babes at Things & Ink magazine who are running a feature on us. It was such a fun day and I can't wait to see - and share - the results with you. We're going to be in the next issue which is out in May so there's really not too long to wait either! It was so lovely doing a shoot with Gareth (he's never usually included in such things!) and to revisit some of the old haunts that we used to hang out when we first started dating.

Steampunk Wedding in the Colorado Mountains: Meghann & Nathan

Kat

Dreamtime Images

May 2, 2013

Spring has very much sprung over here in the UK. And as the daffodils start to line streets and parkways, I usually forgo featuring any obviously winter weddings. After all, who want to be reminded of the cold and bleak mid-winter when it's so glorious outside?! Well Meghann & Nathan's wedding was different. They were married in the Colorado Mountains, where snow is a pretty regular feature. They also had a steampunk theme and only spent $2000 on the day, making it a wedding that I just knew you guys would flip out about. So, yet again, my self-imposed rules are being broken today. Oh well!

Keep Portland Weird: The Blogcademy Recap

Kat

Made U Look Studio

May 1, 2013

After a solo long haul flight, an epic Q&A livestream and a whistle stop tour around Portland's least reputable establishments, I barely had time to catch my breath and it was time for the next leg of The Blogcademy World Tour. Portland is a weird little town, but one I felt an instant affinity with. I loved all the independent stores selling all manner of crazy creations, and the candy-coloured houses and walls obviously made my little heart sing!

Abandoned Warehouse & Tattooed Couple Shoot: Maria & Chris

Kat

Smitten & Hooked

May 1, 2013

I think by now, we're all aware of my feelings about styled shoots in general. But rules are nothing if meant to be broken, and when I clapped eyes on this stunning tattooed couple and their quirky yet attainable wedding styling ideas, I couldn't help but want to blog it - so shoot me!

Copycat

Kat

Milou and Olin

April 30, 2013

Hi Kat, I hope your well. I really need some help and don't know who else to ask that will give me a straight answer. I have huge respect for you, your morals and your attitude. I hope you'll be able to find the time to reply. I launched a wedding blog less that 2 months ago. Without going into too much detail (and using up more of your time) a lot of blood, sweat, tears and money has been put into it. I've created a team of contributors as well as showcasing local wedding businesses. It was a huge risk but since it launched its hit 23k views already and we've been getting enquiries for advertising! I'm really excited about where it's going.

Intimate Georgia Elopement: Zack & Laura

Kat

Stephanie Cobb

April 30, 2013

This laid back couple met online and spent their first dates huddled on Laura's sofa, watching movies and eating food that she'd cooked. So needless to say when it came to their wedding they wanted to keep it as low key as possible too. "We have always been such an easy couple, lots of love and not much hassle of going overboard with things", Laura explained. "His proposal a year after we met was perfect. We were in the mall and he pulled me into a photo booth and he proposed while the photos were being taken inside. It was perfect!"

Casual Auckland Wedding with a Stunning Ocean View: Simon & Amonné

Kat

Rik Pennington

April 29, 2013

Simon & Amonné were married in Auckland, New Zealand in December. They chose Bethells Beach Cottages as their venue, with it's stunning views and perfectly unassuming laid back vibe. "After looking at several venues on Waiheke Island, we found a beautiful venue. But the day before we went to formalise the booking it was snapped up", explained the bride. "Heartbroken, we came home, I went to sulk and Simon jumped online and found this little slice of heaven. Not only was it breathtaking, but it also looked out over the beach where we had our first kiss. The venue became the canvas on which an unforgettable day was painted. The wildness of the Auckland West coast and the black sand beaches made for a memorable sunset and was our view from where we said 'I do'. The venue had three cottages and we stayed on before and after along with close family."

Music Themed Backyard Wedding: Bernadette & Peter

Kat

Shutter + Lace

April 29, 2013

Bernadette & Peter decided they wanted to host their wedding in their own back garden. Having built their own home from the ground up, having the celebration there was really important to them both. "We're no spring chickens!" the bride laughed. "We had a slightly unusual wedding because we first built our home, then had three children and only then got married.

Music-Inspired ‘Trash the Dress’ in Brick Lane

Kat

Photographic Blonde

April 27, 2013

When wedding photographer Emily Johnson ran a trash the dress competition on Rock n Roll Bride, she hoped she might find some cool babes to shoot. And, oh boy, did she! One of the first winners was Ruth Power, a musician from New Zealand. Ruth wanted a shoot that reflected her love of music, showcased her personal style and took place in and around Brick Lane, London, which she now calls home.

Klingon & Star Trek Wedding: Christine & Charles

Kat

Garrett Frandsen

April 26, 2013

Have I got something to end this week with a bang or what? Have you ever seen a wedding quite like this?! Themed weddings can get a bit of a bad rep, but when done well, and as an authentic representation of the couple, I don't think there's anything quite as fun. Who's with me? Christine & Charles met at a Star Trek convention at Altamonte Hilton, which they then chose as their wedding venue too. "Our wedding was a traditional Klingon wedding", began the bride. "All of our guests used the opportunity to dress any way they wanted. Others may have thought this to be like a Halloween party but the celebration was a party of real friends to be as they wished. I made nearly everything myself including both of our outfits."

Business Bites: Striving to Improve

Kat

April 26, 2013

I know it's geeky, but I really love reading anything and everything I can get my hands on about blogging or running a small business. I mean, if we're not constantly striving to improve or better ourselves, how do we ever expect our businesses to flourish and grow? So do yourself a favour, take a break, and spend some time reading up on how you can make some positive changes. Today.

Casual Desert Engagement: Casey & Haylie

Kat

Amy Martell

April 26, 2013

Sometimes it's really nice to forget all the stresses, strains and 'stuff' surrounding a wedding, a focus on the really important things. The love. The relationship. The reason you're doing all this at all...

Thursday Treats: Grand Summer Plans

Kat

April 25, 2013

Can you believe it?! It's finally starting to warm in the usually dreary UK! This week has been a scorcher and I've been looooving it! I know it's terribly boring to talk about the weather but when you've been freezing your ass off for literally three months straight, it's a welcome bloody change. I'm already planning my summer wardrobe and making grand plans for Summer holiday fun - and you?

Sri Lankan Jungle Wedding: Sarah & Craig

Kat

Chris Roe

April 25, 2013

Sarah & Craig decided the cold, sleet and snow of the UK just wanted going to cut it for their February wedding so they upped sticks and flew out to the Sri Lankan jungle instead! "Within those first few exciting days of engagement we came to the conclusion we would get married in Sri Lanka because we quite fancied going there, we could legally get married there and our parents/family/friends could backpack/5*resort/travel/package holiday there to their wishes", explained the bride. "We then picked the area we wanted to go to which was Unawatuna. It has a bit of a laid back, backpacker, beach-ey vibe and Galle, a historic fort with boutique hotels. I spent hours researching accommodation in the area until I found Illuketia, a colonial tea plantation house set in a tropical garden. So we arranged to have the whole wedding there by email which could've been a bit risky! I did have a Bridezilla moment imagining we had booked an imaginary mozzie infested straw hut, but when we arrived to our wedding paradise it was all worth it."

1920s Flapper Wedding: John & JoJo

Kat

Kaelyn Elizabeth

April 24, 2013

There’s been a lot of speculation around vintage weddings of late. In fact sometimes it feels like a debate that will never end. Are they over-done? Have they gone mainstream? Are we all bored of seeing the same ideas published here, there and everywhere? I'm not going to lie, vintage weddings usually aren't my bag. I'm much more of a colourful, over-the-top and quirky wedding kinda gal. So why do I publish them at all?

Victorian Goth Wedding on a Deserted Beach: Katie & Eric

Kat

Amanda Summerlin

April 24, 2013

Katie & Eric didn't have the wedding they'd originally planned, but when circumstances changed, so did their wedding. However being able to have the people there that meant a the most to them was more important than waiting for a big wedding. "When we got engaged last summer, we started to plan a big wedding for October 2013 that we could invite all of our friends and family to", began Katie. "A few months after we became engaged we found out that my Dad had liver cancer, and everything changed. The most important thing was to have our family members at the wedding, and have them all attend in comfort. With that in mind, we changed almost every aspect of the wedding and planned it in four months."

How Couples in the UK Plan Their Weddings & Pick Their Suppliers

Kat

April 23, 2013

Last June, Liene Stevens of Splendid Communications kindly allowed me to publish some of the hugely insightful findings of her annual wedding & lifestyle market research. Each year she interviews thousands of engaged and newly-married couples to find out exactly what matters when it comes to their weddings, how much they're really spending and which factors actually determine how they select their suppliers. The results went down a storm, with many of you commenting that after reading the findings that you had plans to make some serious improvements on certain areas of your businesses.

Creative Destination Wedding in Verona: Caroline & Ben

Kat

Assassynation

April 23, 2013

Caroline & Ben, who live in Shanghai, had a destination wedding in Verona, Italy. The bride's father is from Northern Italy and so they wanted to have a wedding that reflected that heritage. "The idea of getting married close to my roots really appealed", began the bride, "especially for the fact we could make a holiday out of it for our guests (and for ourselves!). Living abroad, we don’t get to see our friends and families as much as we would like, and this way we got to spend a few days with everyone. We had our ‘stag’ and ‘hen’ parties the night before for all our guests, and after the wedding a group of about 20 of us went up to the Dolomites for some skiing over New Year."

Intimate Wedding in the Middle of the Ocean: Thomas & Kimberly

Kat

Leonardo Melendez

April 22, 2013

Have you ever heard of a couple deciding to get married and do so within 12 short hours? And, no, a couple in a movie don't count! Well that's exactly what Thomas & Kimberly did whilst on holiday in Belize. They were married, just the two of them, in the middle of the ocean, on a sandbar in Ambergris Caye.

Blogworthy

Kat

Eliza Claire

April 22, 2013

It’s a funny old world we live in. One where nothing is private, where photos are uploaded to Facebook and Instagram with frightening ease, and where the inner musing of our minds are shared, 140 characters at a time, without a second thought. The likelihood is that you’ll still be at your own wedding while photos are uploaded and the comments from Facebook well-wishers have started to come in.