Rock n Roll Bride - The ultimate guide for alternative brides

Kat

Sugabilly Bridal

Kat

February 24, 2010

There's a little bit of a story behind the finding of this fabulous shoot and I thought in sharing it's gorgeousness I could also explain how it came to land in my inbox. As many of you know, my husband Gareth is an IT wizz and works from home. As sad as it may be, we love to watch Working Lunch together when I'm not at 'the day job'. One such afternoon there was a feature on Emma Jones of Enterprise Nation who works with 5-9 ers - ie people who are mad like me, work a full time job and run their own business from home too. So Gareth turns to me and says "You should drop her an email" and so I did. Making this connection has been fabulous for me as not only have I been featured on her site, am being used a case study in her upcoming book (hell to the yeah!) but she sends me regular updates on awesome other 5-9 ers that she thinks I need to know. LeKeux Events was one of these companies. As soon as I landed on their website I knew we'd be a perfect match and after speaking to Lyndsey over email it turned out that she already reads my blog! Aaaaanyway, to cut a very long story short (er) I saw this amazing Sugabily bridal shoot on their site and just had to feature it....you're going to go nuts for it! The dress and petticoat were ebay finds, but Lyndsey tells me she swooned over similar things on Vivienne of Holloway (who I ADORE by the way). Enjoy! Thanks to Emma for putting myself and LeKeux Events together and thanks to Lyndsey for sharing these wonderful shots with us today
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Floral Punk Rocker Bride

Kat

February 24, 2010

Lizz & Will tied the knot at Houston Mill House in Atlanta, GA. The wedding had a great floral, spring-like feel but with touches of punk rock throughout - just the way I like it! Lizz found her dress at Bridals by Elena in Glen Burnie MD. isn't it beautiful? Lizz told me "I had done some dress shopping for about a month, and nothing seemed to STAND OUT. Until I walked into Elena's. I had about 4 dresses I wanted to try on and was on my way to the fitting room when I saw my dress on a Mannequin. I instantly knew that was my dress. It was the first one I tried on and it was the last. Later that day I found the perfect shoes I was looking for, and when Elena saw them she thought it would be a spunky idea to die them the color of the purple sash on my dress. I was a great experience, and Elena and her daughter are amazing seamstresses" Thanks to Lemar, Lizz & Will for sharing this awesome wedding with us today
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Under the Spotlight – JoAnne Dunn

Kat

February 23, 2010

Oh yeah baby, I am excited about this post! As I'm sure most of you will have seen and loved, I blogged this amazing punk-rock inspired shoot last week photographed my the amazing Italian photographer JoAnne Dunn. Not only am I the luckiest blogger in the whole of blog-land to have been able to share them with you (can you tell - I really really loved them!?) but JoAnne has also been lovely enough to let me interview her for your reading pleasure. OK enough gushing now, let's get on with the show... Who are you and what do you do? JoAnne Dunn – personal photographer and part time match maker Where are you based and what cities/countries are you available to for work in? The globe
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Jules & Leighton’s Vintage, Rock n Roll Beautiful Homespun English Wedding

Kat

February 23, 2010

I'm going all out with the fantastic British weddings this week...and loving it I might add. Jules & Leighton's self confessed "oh-so-English-and-slightly-Rock-and-Roll wedding." Living in Kenilworth, Warwickshire they wanted to keep the day locally sourced and so enlisted the help and expertise of some of their favourite local vendors. Jules wore a Pronovias Huella dress and hand made accessories from super talented Etsy sellers Lili Swan and Lulu Splendor. The flowers were supplied by Cindy at Pure Botanics who created vintage perfection with her soft bouquets of ranunculus, roses and freesia that looked liked they could have been picked from an English garden, hand tied and finished off with gorgeous fat ribbons. For the centrepieces Jules scoured charity and thrift stores for mis-matched vintage glassware. The bunting was hired by Hired from Beautiful Bunting. The wonderfully mis-matched vintage china, cake stands and glass trifle bowls all hired from Vintage Teas & RSVPs. "We got married at Kenilworth Castle." Jules wrote, "No, it's not completely a ruin! Luckily the Gatehouse is still standing and it's stunning and as wedding venues go, it's possibly the best kept secret in Warwickshire. It might sound quite grand, getting married in a castle, but actually at Kenilworth it's a really cosy affair. We just had 40 guests and it meant we could keep things really relaxed and informal. We had the speeches there while everyone stood around with glasses of champers, rather than doing them the traditional way during the meal." They held their reception at Parochial Hall, 5 minutes walk away. "It's a really old church hall with a scrubbed wooden floor and a stage and a hatch into the kitchen." Jules told me "It's the sort of place that brings back memories of childhood for everyone who was ever in the Brownies or the Scouts. We loved it as soon as we saw it and it became our whole inspiration for what turned out to be our dream reception - an old fashioned family style get together. It was all very DIY - we had lots of help from friends and family who were fabulously keen to get involved and set about arranging tables and chairs and shinning up ladders. Our caterers Farmers Fayre really got into the spirit of things. Rather than have a formal style dinner we had joints of lamb brought to the tables and one person per table was then nominated carver - complete with chef's hat and apron. Even Leighton was up out of his seat handing round the vegetables - it felt like Sunday lunch with the family. As the evening guests started to arrive we had a cocktail hour complete with big band classics playing and Farmers Fayre bar staff serving up Cosmopolitans and Mojito's." Thanks to Jules & Leighton for sharing their "little-but-vintage-little-bit-Rock- n-Roll' darling British wedding today
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Quirky & Stunning, British Wedding

Kat

February 22, 2010

Forgive me, but I literally almost wet myself when I saw these shots from the hottest, newest photographer on the block, Emma Case - and can you believe it, this is only her first official 'Emma Case wedding'! (I've featured a wedding she shot for a friend before she decided to pursue it full time.) I got a very excitable email from the lady herself this morning and I couldn't wait to get home to share these right away. "Well, here it is, my very first, official, didn't know the couple before, professional, as 'Emma Case Photography' wedding!" She began. "Christie contacted me back in November and straight away I knew just how ace she was. Not only did she mention fake moustaches and knee-sliding as part of the wedding plan but she was funny and honest and completely on my wavelength. We emailed back and forth in a 'know each other already' type of way and by the time me and Pete were driving up to Devon on the 30th January I was a little nervous but so excited to finally meet her (we didn't get the chance beforehand) and her soon to be husband... the Berninator! The wedding was held at the most amazing Huntsham Court... oh man the bathroom in the bridal suite was AMAZING, oh and the library... and the... well you can see for yourselves, the whole house is stunning! The ceremony (that I wasn't allowed to photograph.. grumble, grumble) was beautiful with a really heartfelt speech from both Christie and Bernie's sisters (I'm gonna have to man up in this profession as I could feel myself going) and then food was served followed by a wonderfully proud speech from the Father of the Bride and a particularly funny song by the Best Man and his guitar! Instead of a wedding cake they had a 'pig'nata (pinata) and for the evening entertainment 'Gabby Young & Other Animals' played their socks off (you need to check this band out) and EVERYONE was dancing! Finish it all off with about 3 hours of The Photo Booth which had me literally in pain through laughing too much and you have all the ingredients for one hot wedding." Thanks to the lovely Emma for sharing these, and I KNOW we'll be seeing a lot more greatness from this girlie (and I can't wait to finally meet her soon!)
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A Nerdy, Geeky & Darling Wedding

Kat

February 22, 2010

Dana & Patrick's wedding is certainly Rock n Roll to the max! I adore her cute shoes that show off her gorgeous foot tattoos (I'm so shallow) and that fabulous dress which was Madison by Priscilla of Boston "It had a belt and pockets!" Dana told me " so I just HAD to have it! I even kept my iphone in my pocket and snapped photos with it during the day" The bridesmaids matched the yellow and grey theme by wearing various grey dresses from Alfred Angelo. The pair were married in the oldest catholic church in Philadelphia (Old St. Joseph's) and had their reception at an old bank that was the Philadelphia Real World House which has now been turned into an art gallery called Trust House. My favourite part of Dana's email to me was her 'wedding highlights' so I wanted to share them with you ♥ Taking my bridal portraits in the burial ground where Ben Franklin and several other founding fathers are buried. It is traditionally good luck for brides to throw a penny on Ben's grave for prosperity! ♥ Taking a taxi to the church which was 4 blocks from the hotel where i got ready and mom freaking out ♥ The art in the gallery. It was a total surprise because they had just hung a brand new show that week. ♥ There was an amazing portraits of a nude Kim Kardasian upstairs and a painted version of Lindsay Lohan's mug shot. Our family both young and old loved it and thought it was so us! ♥ Also being a bride who rocks glasses! ♥ Ending the night with a group singalong to queen!!
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Beautiful Brides

Kat

February 22, 2010

Not only have I been lucky enough to be sent a whole lot of amazing same sex weddings recently, but I've received emails from readers who have been loving the posts, so it is with great pleasure that I present Erin & Lauren's beautiful wedding today. I really love the simple, clean lines of their dresses and all the emotion behind these images. Be sure to also check out their slideshow after the 'jump'. Thanks to Daniel for sharing these today Credit: Daniel Krieger Photography
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The Cutest Rock n Roll Picnic

Kat

February 20, 2010

Yes, yes yes this post is heeeuge. Photographer Shannon sent me a little sneaky peak of Josiah & Dana's engagement session and I swooned as soon as I saw the shot with the silver glittery curtain behind them...but then I saw the coffee shop they started in, the photo booth shots and the cutest Rock n Roll picnic ever and I was smitten. "This couple is sooooooooooooo cool." Shannon told me. "Like, truly, I went away from the session thinking "Man, I have to start being cooler" because they were literally too cool. Oh, and they have great style."
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Ashley & Hunter’s Brightly Coloured Wedding

Kat

February 19, 2010

Ashley & Hunter's wedding had me smitten as soon as I saw it. They went for a fun fair theme with brightly coloured and fun pinwheels, noise makers, rock candy, pumpkins and a BBQ from Buz n Neds Barbecue. This pair both have a self-confessed obsession with shoes so Ashley wore an amazing pair from Betsey Johnson with a Marylin Monroe portrait on the sole and Hunter wore red, black and white high top Vans that matched their brightly colored wedding...the bridesmaids even wore red pumps to match. Ashley dress and veil were XX and teamed it with an amazing antique brooch which she found at Ant Hill Antiques in Carytown in Richmond, Va. Their flowers were vibrant and sunny to match the theme and the bridesmaids all wore their own purple mis-matched dresses.
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Urban, Girtty, Hearts & Love

Kat

February 19, 2010

Emma & Mattias' urban & gritty engagement session in Hackney Wick (the East End of London) have inspired me no end. I not only love the rough 'n ready, graffiti style shots (which are fast becoming a bit of a McNeil signature) but the wonderful heart shots send my heart a-flutter. I asked David how this images came about and he told me that as they were wondering down the street, looking for locations, they came across a hall where a Valentines night was being set up. They asked nicely if they would use their heart covered wall as a backdrop and the lovely people said yes. Aren't the results fabulous? Another photographic win for my friend David I feel! Thanks to David for sending these over today Credit: David McNeil
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Thursday Treats – 18th Feb 2010

Kat

February 18, 2010

What have you been loving this week? Here's my top picks from blog land, the interweb and everywhere in between ♥ Unbridaled - I would imagine that every Rock n Roll Bride can recognise this situation! ♥ Top 10 wedding trends for 2010 ♥ The uber popular Paloma's Nest have relaunched their website and are offering free worldwide shipping on all orders placed before 1st March! ♥ I've been seeing Catbird NYC all over blog land this week. I can see why. This is my persoanl pick. LOVE ♥ Katie & Josh's Eco-Chic wedding ♥ Remember the lesbians ♥ Stripes & tulle ♥ Check out Gingerlily's amazing images and comment on her blog for the chance to win your own print ♥ Heart-shaped - darling vintage valentines decor
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Italian Style – The Punk of Wedding Photography

Kat

February 18, 2010

I was sent a collection of bridal fashion shoots from Italian photographer Joanne Dunn the other day and I have to say I fell in love immediately. She describes her work as “personal fusion photography—the punk of wedding photography", and boy can I see why. These chicks are certainly Rock n Roll baby! The Italians are notoriously painfully stylish and ahead of the game and these shots definitely prove that to me - the black and white palate, the crimped hair, the tiered dress - all scream high fashion bridal style for 2010. Thanks to Joanne for sharing these with me. I look forward to seeing more of you in future!
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Under the Spotlight – Dylan McBurney

Kat

February 17, 2010

Who are you and what do you do? I'm Dylan McBurney and I'm a photographer. Where are you based and what cities/countries are you available to work in? I live in Carrickfergus just outside Belfast, Northern Ireland with my wife Caroline and daughter Corrina and I photograph weddings across Ireland, France and elsewhere in Europe. You’re the first person I’ve interviewed from Northern Ireland? What is the wedding industry like over there? Northern Ireland is a pretty cool place to get married. The people are renowned for their friendliness. That's what I love most about working here. Do you get to work with a lot of great clients? Fortunately the type of clients we attract are very much into photography and they can understand why my pictures look different to other people’s pictures. A lot of our clients have a relationship with the visual and creative arts - we seem to cover a lot of architects and musician’s weddings. How would you describe your photography? Unobtrusive, journalistic and moment-oriented. I shoot with my emotions - I like to capture the feeling between people and that’s generally not something you can pose or stage. Who/what are your biggest influences? Whose work do you really admire? Henri Cartier-Bresson for his sense of composition and timing. Garry Winogrand for his ability to make pictures out of the chaos of the street. And Joel Meyerowitz, again for his street pictures, but also for his fine art colour work of which I'm a big fan. Do you have an ethos to which you stand by in regards to your photography? I like photographs that tell stories. To do that, you have to be in the background, quietly observing and then reacting to what's happening in front of you. What about formal group photographs? My formals are quick to do and my clients appreciate that. I usually cover about six to seven groups if required - often in a session lasting less than fifteen minutes. Most of my coverage is documentary. At a wedding I'm a reactive soul and I see my role as one of documenting what's going on rather than trying to direct things. How many weddings do you average per year? I shoot about 40 weddings each year. What or who made you get into photography? Seeing Lance Mercer's black and white documentary pictures of the band Pearl Jam in the 1990's inspired me to pick up a camera. Great pictures of a great band! Did you go to school to study photography? Only a part time City and Guilds course at my local college. My tutor was great though - he was a big fan of Cartier-Bresson, Don McCullin and others. I’ve found that that grounding in social documentary photography has served me well. I learned a lot about photographic theory and black and white darkroom work. Apart from photography, what drives you? What are you passionate about? Are you able to bring this into your wedding photography? I'm completely in love with Caroline. We married in her hometown in Brittany, France in September, 2003. Every week when I photograph my client’s weddings I’m reminded of our own wedding that day - all of the friends and family gathered together, all of the emotions, joy and happiness. And I think of all the precious moments that came and went in the blink of an eye. Who or what are your perfect clients? My clients all seem to be really good at living in the moment. Fortunately that's what's important to them and to me also. What do you love about weddings? No two weddings are the same because the dynamics of the relationships are always unique and I just love that. What do you think makes a great Rock n Roll wedding? Didn't John Lennon say the essence of rock and roll was to 'be here now'? I've always thought that that was a great declaration for having a great wedding! What would you say your greatest achievement has been to date? Hands down - meeting Caroline and getting her to marry me. Any real Rock and Roll moments that you can share with us? Going to check out of our hotel room in Rotterdam last year Caroline and I actually bumped into all of the members of Pearl Jam in the corridor (who unknown to us, were also checking out of the very same hotel at the very same time!). We got to chat about their tour, their new album and managed to successfully invite them back to Belfast to play a show later this year - something I’m really looking forward to! How important is an awesome website to your business? It's the single most important part of any photography business. In my opinion it's your shop window. I'm amazed at how many photographers have such poor sites. How important is Photoshop to your final images? It's absolutely essential. Every single image out of the camera goes through Photoshop at some stage, although I don't do anything that I couldn't do in the darkroom.
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1920s Stylee Speakeasy Wedding

Kat

February 17, 2010

I've got a second British post for your today - and this time it's Miriam & Bruce's art deco/speakeasy/1920s-30s inspired wedding. The event took place at The Brickhouse, Brick Lane, London which is in the heart of the city's uber cool East End and was complete with monochromatic colour scheme, gambling tables and cheeky burlesque entertainment. Miriam & Bruce had a humanist ceremony in front of their guests before kicking off a night of unashamed debauchery! Female guests were treated to a black or white feather fan on arrival, and the gents mini bottles of Jack Daniels and chocolate cigars. Miriam wore a dress and ostrich feather shrug from the fabulous Joanna Fleming Design and birdcage veil from Jane Taylor Millinery. Credit: Eye Imagine Wedding Planners: Grant-Riley Weddings
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