Indoor Forest Wedding Shoot

Kat

June Cochran

March 2, 2013

Wanting to do something different to the vintage-loving crowd, wedding photographer June Cochran opted to have her latest project shot inside, at night and with a warm cosy vibe. This idea but juxtaposed nicely with bright pops of colour and daring and edgy flower arrangements. "Pretty much every single stylized wedding shoot I've seen is at magic hour, outdoors in a field, and as vintage and pastel as it gets", she writes. "That's beautiful, but I wanted to shake it up and push it out it the box."

Eccentric, Whimsical & Eclectic Homespun Wedding: Erik & Caitlin

Kat

Sharalee Prang

February 11, 2013

I didn't think people like this existed in real life. When I first laid eyes on Erik & Caitlin's wedding images I was convinced it was a styled shoot with models. This couldn't be an actual wedding, surely? But I was wrong and my heart whooped with joy. The wedding took place in September at the bride's parent's home. The entire wedding cost less than $5000. (I know! As if it wasn't amazing enough already, right?!) Caitlin designed her own dress (which was made by the mother of the groom and ended up costing only $190, including the veil!), wore $20 shoes (which she customised) and her floral headpiece was made by one of her bridesmaids an hour before the ceremony. The cakes were homemade, the flowers were grown and collected by friends and family and the invitations were hand painted and wax sealed by the bride. All the catering was done by the mother of the bride and the bride's brother Matt acted as bartender. As you can probably imagine the couple also decorated the entire space themselves.

Simple & Cozy London Knees Up: Lee & Lauren

Kat

Emma Case

February 6, 2013

Red flowing locks, a faux fur coat, deep red flowers in her hair... as soon as I spied the beautiful Lauren on photographer Emma Case's blog I knew she was definitely a Rock n Roll bride. And then I saw the entire wedding and I literally couldn't wait to get it up on these pages - as soon as possible! Lee & Lauren were married in November at Stoke Newington Town Hall. They has their reception at The Artisan of Clerkenwell, a pub/restaurant in North East London. They did things their own way. They picked a non-traditional venue, they homemade as much as possible and only invited people that they really wanted to be there. This wedding was every bit the modern fairytale.

Lakeside Polish Wedding: Martyna & Piotr

Kat

WhiteSmoke Studio

January 24, 2013

I can't say I ever remember featuring a Polish wedding on my blog before, but if this is the kind of standards they're setting, then I seriously should be posting more of them! There's so much wedding gorgeousness in these images I can hardly contain myself. Martyna & Piotr were married in Warsaw. The ceremony was held at Jablonna Palace and the reception was at U Różyca, a private farm just outside of the city and right by Lake Zegrzynski. The reception was basically one big party! Laid back, unpretentious and with everyone pitching in to help.

Multicultural DIY Pub Wedding: Karolina & Juan

Kat

Catwalk Weddings

January 17, 2013

Karolina & Juan's London wedding was informal and laid back but also reflected their multicultural heritage. The ceremony was held at Camden Town Hall, with the reception taking place at The Prince Albert pub, also in Camden. Karolina wore her Mother's wedding dress from the 1970s and a floral wreath in her hair.

Neutral & Neon Bridal Style

Kat

Readyluck

January 11, 2013

Inspiration can hit you anywhere, and for wedding photographer Lindsay Hite, it came while flicking through a fashion magazine. "The trend neutral colors paired with neon in fashion really spoke to me", she told me. "I love the almost surprising contrast between subtlety and outspokenness and was curious about how it would work in a bridal setting. I drew inspiration from far flung corners - from Lana del Rey's flower crowns, to bright bold colors of childhood celebrations and vintage circuses."

Bohemian Family Cookout Wedding: Tyler & Kristen

Kat

October 24, 2012

Tyler & Kristen were married at Camp Sky Ranch in Boone, NC. The inspiration for their day was a 'bohemian family cookout' with nods to the 'flower power' and 'peace & love' vibes of the 1960s. The barefoot bride wore a simple dress from Rosa Clara with vintage jewellery and a flower garland in her hair.

Two Ceremonies, Afternoon Tea & A Music Festival: Tam & Rob

Kat

September 18, 2012

"We really wanted a fun wedding which guests would enjoy", began Tam when I asked her about her vintage-inspired festival wedding. "Rob & I decided we would split the day into three, so we had the ceremony, the afternoon tea with games then an evening party. I think having three different venues with lots of entertainment was fun for the guests and us!" In fact after the afternoon tea part of the wedding, the couple had a second ceremony - a traditional Indian wedding ceremony. "My dad is Indian so after the wedding ceremony everyone had a glass of Pimms and then gathered round for a traditional Parsee ceremony called a 'Mado Soro'. The ceremony is a blessing for the couple to wish them good fertility and a fruitful marriage. My dad explained what was going on to all the guests and what the ceremony meant. We were presented with the most amazing fresh flower garlands that my cousins had bought over from Thailand. A fruit tree was planted by my brother while prayers were said by other relatives. An egg was passed round Rob's head three times then thrown to the ground and broken. A coconut was then smashed on the floor. Everyone then threw rice and confetti."

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 DIY Maryland Wedding: Natalie & Brynn

Kat

September 10, 2012

"Our family and friends MADE this wedding happen," explained Natalie when I asked her about her wedding. "Brynn & I didn't want to have a wedding designer, but I think my mother now holds that title. She spent the eight months of our engagement collecting wine glasses and silverware from thrift stores. Her and my aunt accumulated all the décor and oversaw virtually every design detail. My grandmother sewed all of the napkins and a family friend arranged the flowers for the centerpieces. My father created and made the cocktails and roasted coffee beans for the wedding favors (Brynn’s mother sewed the favor bags). My super-talented friend, the visual manager of an Anthropologie in DC, built the ceremony backdrop & platform and made all the signs. We asked a family friend to bartend. My best friend’s father and my cousins hung all the lights for the reception. One of my friends recently started an event-planning business and she handled all of the insane day-of coordination. Our friend is in a band and graciously offered to DJ the entire wedding." The couple were married in Maryland in July. With a laid back approach, and as much help as their friends & family could muster, they planned the wedding of their dreams with little to no stress. "Our inspiration for the ceremony was a combination of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Lord of The Rings", she continued. "Obviously having the ceremony in a forest was a must. I envisioned my bridesmaids looking like little wood nymphs or fairies. They all picked out a white dress of their choosing and everyone looked smashing. We wanted our reception to be like a party Jay Gatsby would throw. There were lights strung everywhere, non-stop music, endless drinks, and next-level dance moves. Brynn's brother and best man even secretly got a limo to take us away."

A Rainy Brazilian Wedding with DIY Details: Cecilia & Luciano

Kat

August 16, 2012

Cecilia & Luciano wanted a simple wedding inspired by their choice of venue, Pousada Estrela D'água, in Trancoso, Brazil. "My inspiration was the wedding venue", explained the bride. "The village of Trancoso, Bahia, is beautiful and simple at the same time. That's what I sought in all my wedding decisions. I did not want anything too pretentious. For the decorations we used photos of family and tablecloths that belonged to our great grandmothers. The decor had a bit of our history and showed a lot of our personality." Cecilia made her own dress from the lace of the veil that her mother-in-law wore when she married. She also designed and made the bridesmaid's dresses. "There was no specific theme to anything really", she continued. "We just tried to do everything as simple as possible."

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?'"

A Maryland Farm Wedding: Jamie & McKenzie

Kat

July 6, 2012

Too gorgeous for words...like literally. I just stared and stared at these amazing photos for (what seemed like) hours before I found the words to start writing this article. There really is something utterly breathtaking about this wedding and Lydia Jane's images that captured it. I'm thrilled to be able to share it with you today so please forgive my gushing... Jamie & McKenzie were married at home. They love their lifestyle on their farm, living alongside the sheep and chickens, so a homespun wedding was really the only option. The couple have a hugely supportive family who all helped out to make the wedding what it was.

A Spaghetti Western, Day of the Dead & Frida Kahlo Inspired Wedding: Jess & Martin

Kat

June 28, 2012

Jess & Martin's quirky wedding fills my heart with glee. It seems that these days, it's not the wedding details I'm falling in love with (although seeing the pretty/cute/alternative/awesome ideas that people come up with is ace) but the people behind them. How can you not fall in love with these two? "We wanted a relaxed, quirky and easy going wedding that was easy for most people to get to, so set it close to where we lived in Stoke Newington", Jess told me. "We love the funky yet friendly atmosphere of this area and are passionate about where we live."

A Bohemian Garden Party Fairytale: Mark & Jolina

Kat

December 19, 2011

After seeing Mark & Jolina's incredible engagement shoot, there was no doubt in my mind that their wedding would be AMAZING. However in my wildest wedding dreams even I didn't imagine this. The theme for the day was similar to their engagement shoot - a bohemian/hippy chic, garden party fairytale. "Mark & I have been active in the Philippines entertainment industry for quite some time now," Jolina told me. "He plays drums and guitar for his band Rivermaya and they’ve been around for over 17 years. I’ve been a full-time actress, singer and recording artist for the past 22 years. Most of our lives have been spent on stage or in front of cameras, with the whole country watching and listening. Therefore we wanted our special day to be as relaxed as possible, no press, no TV cameras, no interviews, and all the 'formalities' were made as simple and meaningful as possible. We wanted to ignore tradition as much as possible to the day was 100% for us."

A Footloose Meets Vintage Romance Wedding: Jessie & Mark

Kat

November 2, 2011

You might mistakenly think that Jessie & Mark's wedding is a little on the pretty and elegant side for me, but you'd be wrong. On the odd occasion (in between all the tattooed chicks and badassery) I do like to swoon over a genuinely beautiful wedding like this one. The outdoor ceremony wedding and rustic barn reception were held at Fischer Hall, Texas. The bride wore a Priscilla of Boston gown which she found on preownedweddingdresses.com and real flowers in her hair.

A Reclaimed, Relaxed & Fun London Wedding: Caroline & Lewis

Kat

September 14, 2011

Caroline & Lewis wanted a relaxed and fun London wedding which would reflect their loves and inspirations - reclaimed items, Caroline's love of fashion and vintage and quirky DIY elements all played a massive part in their wedding. "The whole day felt so perfect, not in the sense that everything went to plan, but it felt good that all our hard work was finally coming to fruition," Caroline told me. "Amazingly we didn’t feel nervous at all, we just felt excited. It gave me a huge sense of achievement knowing that I made my own wedding dress, made the bouquets, the cake, the invitations and all the decorations. I’m not saying that I did a better job than the professionals, but it was fun to have a go and it keeps costs down. You don’t need a massive budget to have a London wedding. There are lots of pubs, bars and restaurants that would jump at the chance to host a wedding and don’t charge a hire fee."

A Brightly Coloured Floral Explosion of a Wedding: Sam & Dave

Kat

August 25, 2011

OK so don't hate me...but there's no Thursday Treats or Post it Notes this week or next week as I'm off galavanting in the US of A. However I hope I can make it up to you with today's beautiful wedding (and the promise of a MASSIVE bumper edition of Treats and some extra special wedding and business tips on my return!) Sam & Dave were married in London in July. After a church ceremony the couple and their guests all walked down the road to Wanstead Golf Club. "I wouldn't say we were that Rock n Roll really. We just did what we wanted and tried not to think about what we 'should' be doing and people's expectations," the bride explained. "We tried to do it on the cheap and make what we could ourselves. I even just called a cab to take me to the church as I didn't see the need to waste money on something that was just dropping me up the road!"

An Informal Bohemian British Summertime Wedding: Laurence & Gi

Kat

July 28, 2011

Laurence & Gi's low-key and informal wedding had me smitten as soon as I laid eyes on those flower head garlands! To me, they totally sum up what I adore about this wedding - leaving your stresses behind you, having fun and creating something personal and beautiful. They had a very small wedding with only a few guests and the really put their all into creating something wonderful. "I didn't have a focused inspiration in mind to be honest, but I did have a clear vision on how I envisaged the vibe of the wedding, so I wrote down in my notebook 'Young, Easy, Relaxed with a little bit of Attitude!'" explained Gi. "I wasn't quite sure on what I wanted, I was very open-minded with my imaginations. I didn't want a cliche wedding with too many guests and too many formalities, there wouldn't be enough for intimacy."

Jill & Justin’s Nature-Inspired Music Lovers Wedding

Kat

July 11, 2011

Jill & Justin are both huge music lovers and so they wanted this to be a big part of their day. "We love anything from jazz to punk to french new wave, and we knew we wanted music to be the theme in our wedding," Jill explained. "This was reflected in our wedding invitations, our table numbers, our choice in the amazing jazz band we got, our favorite DJs and the favors for our guests, which featured lyrics by the Beach Boys."