A Simple & Beautiful Irish Wedding: Anna & Mirko

Kat

November 3, 2012

Anna & Mirko wanted a simple wedding with tons of personality. The day was held at Fallon & Byrne, a restaurant in the heart of Dublin. "We met 12 years ago and we never talked much about marriage until two years ago", wrote the bride. "I was getting dressed one Sunday morning and we were chatting away when he just came and out and said 'Do you want to marry me?' I didn't realise it was a genuine question and replied 'Ah yeah why not'. He grabbed me and we start jumping around in a circle laughing. Mirko was shouting 'We are getting married!' and I was like 'Oh Really? Yay!!' It was so funny and this situation sums us up really."

A Mountaintop Homespun Wedding: Allison & Scott

Kat

October 30, 2012

Allison & Scott were married at 4,629 ft, at their favourite place - the top of Max Patch Bald, NC. They hosted their reception in their own home. "The décor of the ceremony was the panoramic view of the Smokey/blue Ridge Mountains and the wild buttercup flowers", they began. "At the reception, drinks were served in mason jars, farm tables were used for dining, and the flowers were roses and hydrangeas mixed with sunflowers in mason jars. Vintage plates and napkins were used and little jars of local Tennessee wildflower honey and dippers were at each table setting as favors. Our home was built in the 1800s and we wrapped the columns in garlands and roses."

Morris Dancing Wedding: Bev & Ed

Kat

October 26, 2012

What could be more 'quirky-Brit' than Morris Dancing? For my foreign friends, Morris Dancing is a traditional form of English folk dance dating back to the 15th Century. Dancers adorn their bodies with bells and whistles whilst wielding handkerchiefs, sticks and even swords... It's certainly a niche form of fun, but one that that initially brought Bev & Ed together.

A DIY Wedding in Downtown Santa Ana: Candice & Nathaniel

Kat

October 17, 2012

One of the things that bums be out about living in the UK is that we can't get married anywhere we like - of course many couples these days opt for a humanist ceremony at the spot of their choice with the 'legal bit' taking place a few days before or after, but it's not really the same. And when I see ceremonies as gorgeous as Candice & Nathaniel right in the heart of Downtown Santa Ana, I'm even more envious! The wedding took place on June 3rd. The couple organised everything themselves and did so for less than $5000. The ceremony was held on 2nd Street Promenade, and the reception was at Memphis at the Santora, just round the corner. The couple met online and had their first date in the area, and Nathaniel proposed on New Years Eve at Memphis at the Santora,. Basically it was the obvious location for them to have their wedding too!

DIY Farm Wedding & the Wedding Photographer who Captured the Milky Way: Shirley & Waz

Kat

October 9, 2012

You've probably seen one of Shirley & Waz' wedding photographs before, because it went kinda viral. Remember the wedding photograph that captured the actual milky way!? Yeah that one... (and if you didn't - and where have you been? - it's at the bottom of this post). Anyway after wedding photographer Lakshal Perera published that image and everyone calmed down and people stopped squealing "PhotoShop!" (it wasn't by the way) every single wedding blogger on the planet (probably) waited with baited breath to see the rest of the images. And jeez I nearly fell off my chair when Lakshal emailed me to ask if I'd like to be the blog to share it... erm... let me think about that for like 2 seconds... HELL YES PLEASE!

A DIY Wedding at a Safari Park: Jodi & Dave

Kat

October 5, 2012

I'm not gonna lie, where was something in particular that swayed me when it came to featuring this wedding... Stan, the ever so slightly disgruntled looking cat. Of course when I saw the rest of the photos, I just happened to fall in love with Stan's owners, Jodi & Dave as well, but if I'm going to be 100% truthful, Stan did help their cause. This couple didn't want to spend a fortune on the wedding and so by DIYing as much as they could the day came in at under £9000. The ceremony was held at Swiss Gardens, Shuttleworth with the reception taking place in the Safari Lodge at Woburn Safari Park. "We looked at about 12 venues from a marquee where I keep my horses to a vintage factory ballroom but nothing quite ticked all the boxes", wrote Jodi. "But when we found Swiss Gardens we knew instantly this was the one. We originally booked it for August 2013, but then were told the venue would be shutting down for 18 months for a lottery funded renovation so we could only postpone, cancel or move it forward! So we moved it forward giving us only 6 months to plan and make everything!" "We were married in the tiny thatched house in the centre

A DIY Farm Wedding Planned in Four Months for £5000: Sophie & Tom

Kat

October 3, 2012

With a budget of just £5000, Sophie & Tom planned their perfect wedding for 1st September this year. Hosting it themselves on the farm where they live, they were able to save money and make things super personal by getting creative. Sophie wore a second hand Ian Stuart wedding dress and Tom wore a Vivienne Westwood suit which he bought on sale.

A Colourful Country Garden Fete Wedding: Tom & Jenny

Kat

September 27, 2012

The DIY wedding of Tom & Jenny took place in Kent in July. After a church ceremony, their low key reception was held in Tom's parent's back garden. The bride wore a short wedding dress from Yours Truly Bridal Shop in Maidstone which cost her just £180 with a gorgeous headpiece was by a Rock n Roll Bride favourite, Crown & Glory. Alongside her lucky bridesmaids, she wore Vivienne Westwood/Melissa Lady Dragon shoes and instead of bouquets they all carried a single giant faux flower stem, bought from Hobbycraft costing just £2 each!

A DIY Village Hall Wedding & A Bride Who Designed her own Dress: Laura & Mike

Kat

September 25, 2012

A village hall reception venue, a bride who designed her own dress and a groom who found his entire outfit in charity shops - oh I am so excited about Laura & Mike's amazing wedding! Is it just me or are the low key, budget friendly and full of love weddings winning over the high-maintenance, super detail heavy weddings right now? "I am a huge geek and one of the things I am most geeky about is design, craft and making things", wrote newlywed Laura. " So when Mike proposed at a picnic in Kensington Gardens just after our 6 year anniversary, the mother of all craft projects was born!

A DIY Lakeside Wedding: Michael & Sheena

Kat

September 22, 2012

Michael & Sheena were married in July on a shoestring budget. With just $5000 to spend they were able to pull together a truly personal and totally beautiful wedding. The day took place at Independence Lake Park by Whitmore Lake in Michigan.

DIY Tutorial: Ombre Rainbow Paper Pom Poms

Kat

September 20, 2012

So firstly a little apology. I'm away this week at The Photography Farm so there's no Thursday Treats. "Waaaah" I hear you cry, but fret not, I have something even better! Who fancies making rainbow pom poms?! OH GOD YES! You might remmeber Jen & Ben's epic rainbow wedding... oh yes, it's one of my all time faves too. So it's taken a while but I've finally bartered Jen enough and she's created a DIY tutorial of just how she made those fabulous rainbow pom poms... and if that's not enough for you, she's even done a step by step video!(scroll down to the end of this post). Over to you Jen...

A Wedding on a Budget with Portraits in IKEA: Janet & Dave

Kat

September 17, 2012

I'm rather partial to IKEA... I know it's not the fanciest of home stores, but whenever I persuade Gareth that we need a trip there (I'm sure we're due another one soon) I feel like a proper grown up. I can actually afford the stuff (like who decided £2000 was standard for a table and chairs? pah John Lewis, PAH!) and it makes me feel all educated buying things with Swedish names. Plus their items are always pretty... even if not always functional - "why yes Gareth I do need that cardboard deer head to put on my office wall..." And don't even get me started on the kids department. I just wish the pink chest of drawers came in adult size... So when wedding photographer and all round cool dude Chris Barber sent me Janet & Dave's wedding I was excited. Not just because of Dave's Rock n Roll stylings but because they chose the Coventry Ikea as the location for their wedding day portrait sesh. GENIUS! Oh and they spent just £4000 on their day. I'm IN AWE.

An Industrial Warehouse Wedding in Sweden: Kari & Torkel

Kat

September 14, 2012

A warehouse might just be one of my all time favourite wedding venue ideas. Maybe it's a throwback from my teenage rave phase or maybe it's the fact that it's so raw and grimy - a fabulous antithesis to the over-saturation of pretty-pretty wedding fluff that I'm subjected to by working in this crazy little industry. But either way I flippin' LOVE Kari & Torkel's wedding. They had their legal ceremony 9 month's earlier but wanted a big party in August to celebrate with their friends & family. "We both have demanding work and work long hours as well as travelling extensively," began the bride. "We met through internet dating, both sharing a strong interest for physical outdoor training like running, cycling and canoeing. Since we had cheated everyone by having a small 5-minute ceremony the November before, my parent's decided to reenact this part of the day with my father taking the role of the officiator. We used flower wreaths as a symbol instead of exchanging rings."

A Backyard Beach Wedding Planned in Three Weeks: Nellie & Matt

Kat

September 13, 2012

Nellie & Matt planned their Whistable wedding in just three short weeks. They wanted something small, something personal and something relaxed. They found the amazing Beacon House, right on the beach, for their ceremony and were able to use the back garden of the bride's brother's holiday cottage for the reception. "Serendipity and our amazingly supportive family and friends brought our wedding together in just 3 weeks," the bride began. "Matt and I had been engaged for 3 years, neither of us are planners but we had a clear idea of the kind of wedding we wanted, a relaxed, seaside celebration centred around our close friends, family, good food and drink. But every option we explored in Cambridge and Brighton, our two home cities, in one way or another tied us into expensive packages, so we put off the wedding and skipped to the baby."

A Backyard Rainbow Wedding: Jason & Gwen

Kat

I Love that Glove

September 9, 2012

Honestly? I struggled with what to write about today. Usually on a Sunday I'll post something non-wedding related that's caught my eye or I'll share something exciting that I've done in the week. But I shared my Photography Farm retreat escapades in this week's Thursday Treats and since then I've basically been chained to my computer replying to the squillions of emails that came in whilst I was away and writing as many blog posts as physically possible. I also spent rather a lot of time on the phone to Cosmopolitan Magazine. NO BIG DEAL (more on this soon!) And then this wedding pinged into my inbox and it all became clear.

A Private Hiking Wedding: Jordan & Michael

Kat

September 8, 2012

Jordan & Michael wanted a wedding that truely reflected them and the things they love, so they grabbed their children and were married in private on top of a mountain in Canada. "Our inspiration was definitely nature and our love of hiking", explained the bride. "We chose Gros Morne National Park in the beautiful province of Newfoundland and Labrador known for its mountainous terrain and unbelievable views. This in our minds made the perfect backdrop for our quiet intimate ceremony. We knew that hiking boots were a must so why not include them on our special day? We kept our attire simple and clean and focused on more important details like the photography and the food!"

A Homemade Glaswegian Wedding: Eileen & Peter

Kat

September 7, 2012

Eileen & Peter were married at Glasgow University Union. They had a tiny budget, but with the help of wedding blogs sharing affordable and DIY options, they were able to plan the wedding of their dreams. "We really just wanted to have a fun wedding that meant something to us personally rather than just doing things because you are supposed to", explained Eileen. "I was really inspired by blogs like Rock n Roll Bride that showed how you can have a wedding anyway you want. We had to explain our decisions a bit more than most to some people who didn't get it but I knew it would all come together in the end. Things like not having a religious ceremony. This upset our families to begin with but they later realised that they had pestered us for so long to get married that any way we wanted was fine just as long as we did it! So we had a small intimate ceremony filled with songs and poetry we love and lovely romantic things we had said about each other. Then we just wanted to have a big fun party to celebrate with all our extended friends and family. We didn't set out to be 'Rock n Roll' but we definitely ended up that way. Ha ha!"

A Tiny Homespun Wedding with a Wedding Cake Made of Steel: Taylor & James

Kat

September 6, 2012

Taylor & James kept things small... tiny in fact. They were married at home, the bride's father officiated, and their only guests were their immediate family - 6 adults in total, with one extra, Taylor's sister, who watched the ceremony over Skype.

An After Show Party Themed Rock n Roll Wedding: Brett & Vicky

Kat

August 29, 2012

Brett & Vicky planned their Rock n Roll wedding for just £3,000. Yes, this pair crafted and saved their way to the perfect alternative music themed day for less than some brides spend on their dress! The couple were married in July in Darlington. "To look at our wedding you might say it was very obviously 'Rock n Roll', what with the rock music themed stuff everywhere, but to us our wedding was just us", explained Vicky. "It was the easiest and best party we have pulled off as we have some fabulous parties for any occasions! Our day was awesome, very laid back... it just went so fast! Brett was fabulous in front of the camera and Jade, our wedding photographer, made him feel so at ease. I love him so much for doing the photos, and love Jade for capturing my heart in the shots!"

An Independence Day Picnic Wedding: Sarah & Mike

Kat

August 27, 2012

Sarah & Mike were married on the weekend after Independence Day. They wanted a relaxed wedding that was a celebration, and one that all their family and friends would enjoy. "I would describe our wedding theme as a 'rural, homemade, Independence Day picnic'," began the bride. "We first looked at historic mansions in the area but quickly realized they would be out of our price range and we wouldn’t have much flexibility customizing our wedding. They would pick the DJ, and we’d have to select a meal from their menu for example. Then, when driving home from Baltimore one night, we drove past a park in Carroll County that was covered with beautiful flowers and several 18th century buildings, including a working gristmill. We stopped and walked around and discussed how perfect this place would be to get married and we decided to look into it. Luckily, they did allow weddings and after all the quotes we had from the mansions we were shocked at how affordable this place was!"