Talking of Inspiration…
February 10, 2012
Wow. This girl is 14 years old and she's more intelligent and articulate than I can ever dream of being. Inspirational as hell.Read more...
Kat
A Classic Retro Wedding: Adrienne & Nic
February 10, 2012
Adrienne & Nic's retro wedding was held at Greystone Hall, Ohio "My Mom and I wanted to have the wedding and reception all in one place for convenience's sake," the bride told me. "I wanted to have the wedding in downtown Akron for nostalgia's sake. The building is historic and very important to the city, plus they have great food! Nic and I loved the subtle eerie goth vibe from the preserved masonic imagery."Read more...
Thursday Treats – 9th February 2012: Vegas Countdown & Headshot Outtakes
February 9, 2012
Isn't the photo at the top of this post beautiful? It's one of my best friends, Katie, who got engaged at Christmas and is getting married in March (they're doing it so quickly and it's well exiting!) Photographer Lisa Jane came to Reading last week to do their engagement shoot and after seeing just this one frame on her blog I can't wait for the rest! I also asked Lisa if she could do some new headshots for me. I'm keeping most of them offline for now, but some of the outtakes were so funny I had to share them...Read more...
The Wedding Circus…Epic Sneak Peek!
February 9, 2012
It's gonna be ace...but that's all I'm saying for now. Oh I am a huge tease I know! If you keep those peepers peeled to twitter I might have a few more clues for you throughout the day.Read more...
A Colourful DIY Wedding: Rhian & Toan
February 8, 2012
My favourite wedding photographs are those with happy smiling faces in them. The ones that when I look at them, I hazard a guess that people's faces were aching at the end of the day from grinning so much. Now obviously most weddings are full of joy and smiles, but I think Rhian & Toan might win the 'most smiley' prize. Big cheesy grins all round! "We absolutely love our wedding photos, and genuinely couldn’t be happier with them," begin Rhian. "We had a very tight budget for everything, but photography was the one thing I wouldn't skimp on the quality. I love it so much in my day to day life I knew the value of getting good ones done for the big day. When I saw Shell de Mar’s portfolio I could see straight away that she has a beautiful eye for detail and lots of talent. We like to think that we found an excellent photographer who happened to do weddings, rather than a ‘wedding photographer’."Read more...
The Inspirations: La Carmina
February 8, 2012
Reading the work of other bloggers is so important to me. I spend at least an hour a day (and often more!) catching up with my favourite non-wedding bloggers. I find they really help me stay inspired and not get trapped in the 'wedding industry bubble'. It's nice to feel a part of the 'real world' (however wacky!) too...otherwise I'd go mental. These other bloggers help me to keep what I do fresh and therefore enables my blogging to be more rounded - so thank you non-wedding bloggers!Read more...
A Help Yourself, Village Fete Wedding in Cornwall: Rosalie & Fergus
February 8, 2012
Rosalie & Fergus had a sweet homespun wedding in Cornwall. "The whole ethos was to get all our creative friends and family together for a two week holiday in Cornwall," the bride explained. "The deal was, that they spent the first week, sewing, making, cooking, baking and generally doing anything and everything - then we had a massive great wedding/party which continued for the rest of the week. I don't think they feel used, it was a great vibe and a really chilled way to organise a wedding."Read more...
Table Top Treats from Mateus
February 7, 2012
Pinterest has a lot to answer for. I've spent many an hour gushing over my 'Pinterest house' whilst ignoring the pile of washing up/my extensive floordrobe/the DIY jobs in my 'real-life house'. Well haven't we all? A little word of warning, if you've been trying to curb your additction I'm afraid today's spotlight post isn't going to help you on your road to recovery AT ALL (sorry about that). I've just been introduced to the work of Swedish design company Mateus. These cereamics and table top treats would be perfect in my Pinterest house. Let me illustrate...Read more...
Stack ’em High, Sell ’em Cheap
February 7, 2012
If you're anything like me, walking into your favourite store with the notion of treating oneself is a regular occurrence. The feeling of excitement is even more heightened when it's a store I can't really afford, but I know I can get one tiny little thing which will make me feel extravagant (my favourite is Vivienne Westwood on Conduit St by the way, what's yours?) Invariably its not the designer frocks and overpriced couture selection I'm, drawn to, its the more disposable and affordable items - I'm talking perfume (£40), costume jewellery (£100) and if you're a Vivienne Westwood fiend like me the Melissa shoes (£120). Doesn't it feel great to be handed over that fancy designer carrier bag knowing that the item inside (no matter now small) is yours!?Read more...
A ‘Make Do & Mend’ Wedding: Rosie & James
February 7, 2012
I actually saw Rosie & James' wedding in the archives of Adam, of Viva Wedding Photography's, own blog. I dropped him a line to say I was sure another wedding blogger must have featured it when he first published the photos, but just on the off-chance...and to my utter surprise he said they hadn't! I have to say, I was thrilled. This wedding has a serious amount of cuteness. The wedding may have taken place in 2009, but it's still hella inspirational!Read more...
Something Borrowed Something Roo: When it all Goes Wrong…
February 6, 2012
When I got a text from Roo just before Christmas saying "erm...I think we might have to cancel our wedding...our wedding venue is being shut down" my heart skipped a beat. You know when people say "oh I know exactly how you feel..." but actually, really, they don't? Well in this case I could reply those words with utmost sincerity. Our wedding venue pulled out of our wedding just three months before our day. That's a story for another time, but I did have 100% confidence in my reply "Roo, everything with be OKAY. You won't have to cancel your wedding"...Read more...
A Colourful Barn Wedding: Paul & Hayley
February 6, 2012
Paul & Hayley planned their wedding in just four months! They were engaged in July and wanted a winter wedding but the didn't want to have to wait a whole year...so a speedy engagement it was! They were married in November at Vauxhall Farm in Suffolk. "We decided that we wanted to decorate the reception ourselves and bring in caterers so Vauxhall Farm was perfect, " Hayley told me. "It was essentially a big empty barn in the middle of some fields! Our thoughts for the venue styling was lots of colour and lots and lots of fairy lights!! We found lots of vases and lanterns and filled them with fairy lights and strung more lights across the ceiling as well. Our table names were pubs that we love. So we painted the inside of photo frames with chalkboard paint and wrote the names on there, we then gave our guests chalk so that they could wipe off the table name and have some fun!! Someone said that our tables looked like children's party!"Read more...
A Sunday Kind of Love: Kids on Marriage
February 5, 2012
♥ Overcoming my Skype phobia ♥ plans plans plans! ♥ shoots shoots shoots! ♥ having a full week at home - I didn't have to go to London ONCE! Bliss... ♥ kitties crazy on catnip ♥ slanket snuggles & cuteness ♥ having my hair all cute again - beautified by Elbie ♥ all you can eat sushi!! ♥ blog love ♥ thinking about feminism & business...and missing Megan (but getting excited that I'm going to see her again SOON!) ♥Read more...
DIY Tutorial: Seriously Cute Fabric Bow-Tie
February 4, 2012
I love this super adorbs fabric bow-tie tutorial from Chloe Adlington of Adore by Chloe. I think they would be perfect for your fiance, his groomsmen... or even your pets to wear at your wedding (check out the sweet doggie photo at the end of the post!) Plus, once you've mastered the making the bow, why not use them to make something for yourself? You could add it to a headband, attach them to a belt, make it into a brooch... The bow-y possibilities are endless! Have fun! Over to you Chloe...Read more...
Wedding Traditions & Deciding What’s Important
February 3, 2012
I put a shout out on my Facebook page to ask if any of you we're struggling with anything wedding planning-wise and if I could help. A couple of you mentioned wedding traditions, namely how to decide which to include and which to scrap altogether. I have a few ideas on the subject... Remember, it's your wedding There is a recurring theme throughout nearly all of the weddings I feature - that the couples wanted to have a wedding that was a true reflection of themselves...their likes and dislikes, their relationship, their personal style, their life influences. I believe that deciding which wedding traditions to include or ignore should also be totally dependent on you and what you value as being important to your wedding day.Read more...
How to Avoid Burn-Out: A Guest Post by Chanelle Segerius-Bruce
February 3, 2012
I arrived at the party, having had my hair blow dried and a coral pink ruffled dress picked out especially for the occasion. The doorman walked up to my black cab, opened the door and welcomed me to The Dorchester. I made my way up to the very top floor in the opulently decorated elevator and, after having my coat taken care of, was offered a glass of bubbly. I was to brush shoulders with the 'Best of British' that evening. This was a party hosted by none other than Mark Niemeirko, the UK's top wedding planner, in honor of Darcy Miller the editor of Martha Stewart Weddings. A selection of the best UK bloggers where there too, including the lovely Kat of course, as well as florists, hair & make-up artists and best of all the big name bridal designers. This is networking at it's finest ladies and gentlemen!Read more...
A Casual & Intimate Outdoor Wedding: Michael & Mariko
February 3, 2012
Michael asked Mariko to marry him at a festival, "in a trashed tent with some beers, talking with some friends about relationships and life," he told me. "You know… those most profound things you talk about at festivals. It was just the right moment." So then they had their wedding theme - a festival style, party wedding! "We wanted our wedding to be intimate, nothing big, loud or expensive," Micheal continued. "The most important thing was that we were getting married and be together forever, to share our love with the people we love, all our friends and family."Read more...
Thursday Treats – 2nd February 2012: Viva Las Vegas!
February 2, 2012
Happy February! I have a feeling this month is going to be more than amazing because in 13 days I'm going to Las Vegas baby!! I'll be there for WPPI - Wedding & Portrait Photographers International - i.e. a kick ass event in which 15,000 wedding photographers descend on Vegas for a week of learning and partying! Some of the most amazing wedding photographers are speaking... Jasmine Star, Jose Villa, Elizabeth Messina, Becker, The Greys... and so many photographers that I've only 'met' online are going to be there too (any of you reading this right now? Let me know in the comments and we'll try and meet!)Read more...
A Laid Back, New Age, Irish Wedding: Britta & Oscar
February 2, 2012
When I grow up I want to be as cool as Britta & Oscar please. They not only got married at their own home in Dunmanway, Ireland but they put the whole wedding together themselves including building their own marquee! "We built the structure with ash poles and tied tarpaulin to the poles with zip ties and lots of rope," Britta explained." It would not have been possible without the help of our friends especially Will Dukes who pretty much did most of the hard work as Oscar had broken his leg a few weeks before the wedding.... convenient you might say!"Read more...
A Relaxed Wedding Under Canvas: Gwen & Ali
February 2, 2012
Without wanting to start off this blog post by sounding inappropriate...How smokin' hot does Gwen look her her Fairy Goth Mother corset and skirt combo? VERY is the answer to that. Have you seen her teeny tiny little waist!? Anyway, enough perving...let's get along with the formalities shall we? Gwen & Ali wanted a unique and personal wedding, and to achieve this they chose to hire tents from Beautiful World Tents which they erected on the grounds of Knepp Castle in West Grinstead. "After looking online at lots of venues and land hire this place looked perfect," Gwen told me. "This was actually the only venue we went to see and the decision was made! Woodland, a lake, less than an hour from Brighton where we live, full kitchen facilities and more importantly stunning! The other added benefit was free roaming animal, pigs, deer and much more besides. It was incredibly beautiful and also very reasonable on costs. We found the location through the tent company and added bonus this being their headquarters which meant no delivery costs to get the tents to the venue. On the land we had 2 giant hat tents joined together facing down to the lake. You hire the land and facilities for the whole weekend, really handy for set-up and take down."Read more...