Rock n Roll Bride - The ultimate guide for alternative brides

Kat

The Inspirations: Do Not Work for Free…

Kat

August 15, 2012

Personally, and particularly in the wedding industry, I think there are times when 'working for free' is worthwhile. Mainly when it comes to collaborations with other suppliers for mutual gain or publicity (styled shoots etc), when it comes to building your portfolio (everyone has to start from somewhere) or when it comes to networking and building industry connections and allies. However I don't believe in discounting for customers or clients who just want to try their luck. I am a strong believer in thinking "what's in this for me?" if there is no money exchanging hands. That may make me sound hard-nosed and selfish but if I said yes to every project I'd have no money to eat (and erm... shop!) and no time for any paid work.
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A Simple Bridal Shoot on the Barcelona Hills

Kat

August 15, 2012

April in Barcelona. Teresa and film photographer Miguel Varona headed away from the city and up the hills to Montseny natural park to shoot a set of simple bridal portraits. "It wasn't the perfect day", wrote Miquel. "The sun didn't shine, but the atmosphere we had was perfect to recreate the special moments for a bride on her wedding day." "Teresa wore a leather jacket a boots with her simple dress. 'Why not mix tradition and simplicity?' I thought. 'Why not show that tradition is compatible with personality?'"
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Looking Back, Moving Forward

Kat

August 14, 2012

Did you ever wish you could go back in time and experience things they way they used to be? The genius thing about living online is that you can - all your favourite blogs are there, archived forever. And they don't just hang around for future humiliation ("OMG I can't believe I wore/thought/said/wrote that?!") Oh no, I really do think there's a lot to be learnt from looking backwards at how other people have improved - particularly if you are struggling with how to to take your own blog to the next level.
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A Laid Back Vintage Inspired East London Wedding: Jo & Dan

Kat

August 14, 2012

Jo & Dan's laid back East London wedding was a mishmash of everything they love with a dash of vintage style. Don't you just love the effortlessly cool vibe of the whole thing? "We didn’t go out of our way to do things differently, we just wanted a day that was a mix of everything we love", explained the bride. "From East London to pub grub and The Beatles to Art Deco and butterflies. We wanted it to reflect us as both individuals and as a couple and for our guests to have a great party."
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Buttons, Belles & Polaroids: Angela & Paul

Kat

August 13, 2012

Paul proposed to Angela on an idyllic deserted beach in Galicia, Spain. This set the tone for their wedding day. Firstly a map of Galicia became the backdrop of their seating plan. They also had a polaroid theme with the table names, place names, cake toppers and invitations. They used images of their favourite places in Galician on the polaroids including palaces, fortresses and monasteries, and used them throughout the wedding.
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A Black & White Rocker Wedding: Bodie & Beck

Kat

August 13, 2012

I have to say when I first laid eyes on Bodie & Beck's wedding I went all girlish and excited and started thinking very naughty thought about that party of groomsmen... I'm sorry, I'm sorry... but come on! How sexy are these boys? I even sneak peeked a shot of them on my facebook page (to share their beauty you understand) and... well... I've never seen so many smitten girls all in one place. It was pretty funny! So just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I saw the rest of the wedding! How gorgeous is the bride (hello tattoo envy anyone?!) In fact I just about cried with jealousy over how damn cool the whole thing is... and they are. I'm very professional indeed. I love this wedding more than life itself. Who's with me?
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A Rockabilly Las Vegas Wedding: John & Marnie

Kat

August 13, 2012

Australian John & Marnie spent six weeks travelling around the US for their honeymoon after their wedding in Las Vegas. They were in town for the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Festival and they loved the idea of getting married there. The ceremony was held at Little Church of the West, a quaint little 'mini church' looking chapel, right at the south end of the strip and the after party was at Level 107 Cocktail lounge in the Stratosphere hotel - right at the north end!
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Go Wild with A Most Curious Party

Kat

August 11, 2012

I'm obsessed with this shoot, set up by Becky Hoh-Hale to promote her new breed of vintage wedding fair, A Most Curious Party. If you've been reading Rock n Roll Bride for a while you might recognise that name - I've been lucky enough to feature two of their shoots to promote previous events (as well as Rebecca's own gorgeous wedding). Alongside the amazing Joanna Millington Photography and some of the other suppliers exhibiting at the shows, Becky wanted to showcase a unique twist on the vintage wedding trend - it's not all tea length 50s dresses and mismatched crockery here! "We had big plans for this shoot", explained Becky. "Originally we wanted to shoot in the Norfolk Woods, where much of the flat landscape looks like the set of Spike Jones’s 'Where the Wild Things Are' but on the day we were strewn with drizzle, which eventually turned into full blown rain, which eventually turned into hail. So onto plan B!"
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An Elegant Fashion-Inspired South African Wedding: Matt & Sarah

Kat

August 10, 2012

Dear South Africa, you have the most wonderful weddings, Love Kat. Seriously... seriously... Look at these guys! Matt & Sarah were married at Rain Farm Game & Lodge. The ceremony was held by the picturesque infinity pool with the reception inside, in the venue's 'boma', an enclosure traditionally used for livestock. To decorate the space the couple hung a Swarovski crystal chandelier. The table settings were simple and elegant. "We hung a 3 metre long Swarovski crystal chandelier over an elevated central fire", explained Sarah. "Instead of flowers I chose to decorate each table with over 40 pillar candles, some were floating in water, as a contrast to the fire theme. Each candle was set in a unique clear glass vessel. Some as tall as 40 cm down to small votives. I was inspired by the alter in a cathedral. I chose fire and candle light to be the focal point of the wedding to create drama and almost a gothic type of feel. This is why I decided to do the bridesmaid's gowns and neck pieces in metallic bronze as it carried the heat
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A Sweet Sussex Barn Wedding: Fiona & Ben

Kat

August 10, 2012

"We didn't want a run of the mill wedding", explained newlywed Fiona. "Ben's a bit of a control freak and likes things done his own way. We both love anything vintage so enjoyed lots of weekends trawling through flea markets and car boots collecting bits and bobs to decorate the barn. We really wanted a party atmosphere with all of our family and friends. We collected/ borrowed lots of hats, sunglasses and various other items of fancy dress for the evening and encouraged people to be a silly a possible – our guests fully embraced the dressing up and pretty much everyone was wearing some kind of fancy dress at the end of the night."
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A French Garden Wedding: Elodie & Alexis

Kat

August 9, 2012

Welcome to Elodie & Alexis' gorgeous French wedding. If you loved their engagement shoot this morning, then their nuptials are gonna blow your socks off! The wedding ceremony was held in the bride's parent's back garden which they decorated themselves. Alexis picked all the flowers and pulled together a bouquet of wheat for Elodie to carry down the aisle. As I said in this morning's post, the couple are both deaf and found their film-loving deaf photographer Ashton Jean-Pierre at World Deaf Art Festival in Reims, near Paris, last Summer.
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A Garden Engagement with Giant Animal Heads: Elodie & Alexis

Kat

August 9, 2012

I've got a double dose of the gorgeous Elodie & Alexis today, starting with their incredible engagement shoot. Shot by film-loving photographer Ashton Jean-Pierre, this stylish couple flew him from London to Normandy, France to shoot their engagement and wedding. Ashton is deaf as are both Elodie & Alexis. They found Ashton at World Deaf Art Festival in Reims, near Paris, last Summer. Elodie also happens to be a Rock n Roll Bride fan, hurrah! As soon as they met, they knew Ashton was the perfect wedding photographer for them. After 10 months of communicating via email it was finally time to shoot!
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A New York Wedding with an Explosion of Colour: Ali & Jason

Kat

August 8, 2012

What could be better to bright up your morning than this incredibly colourful wedding which was held in the Vanderbilt Museum and Mansion in Centerport, New York? "Our wedding was a kaleidoscope of all our favorite things in life: each other, colors, friends, family, booze, and good times", began Ali, the bride. "The inspiration was simple. For my husband and I, love is about accepting our separate lives as one, and building new memories within us. We wanted to be sure this day was not just about us, but our whole family. My friends had a really tough year - my best friend's dad fell off a roof and we weren't sure he'd make it (he did, and we thank our lucky stars), my other best friend battled cancer (and won!) and other bridesmaid lost her cousin. I myself lost two friendships during the planning process and dealt with a bout of shingles from the stress. It made me realize how important this day was for everyone and a chance to forget about the troubles that so often weigh us down. So I dreamt up the ultimate day, hoping we could all remember what it was like to witness love grow and beauty surround us. I wanted absolute peace and serenity for myself and for the many people we love. Moreover, I planned this day with our friends and family very, very close to my heart. I could not have wished for anything more."
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The Inspirations: I’m not Telling you it’s Gonna be Easy

Kat

August 8, 2012

Over the past 7 months I've interviewed some of the most amazing and incredible people. It's been one hell of a trip! I've loved delving deeper into what makes these critters tick and sharing their wonderousness with you. I hope you've enjoyed the ride too. But from now on, I'm going to morph the Inspirations feature into sharing some of the most inspiring business/life realated titbits that I find on my travels around the interwebz. I hope you enjoy them. I'd personally like to print every single one of these things out and stick them up around my office. Who's with me?
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