If, like me, you live in a rural area or outside of the major cities, you might find it difficult to make it to the big wedding fairs and catwalk shows. Local wedding fairs are a world apart from the big shows in London and the bridal catwalks around the country can be very different from each other, often depending on the organisers of the wedding fair. Today we have a front row seat from one of London’s busiest wedding shows at Bluewater — all images are by London wedding photographer Louise Bjorling.

Beautiful jewel necklines, lace, dreamy textures, soft layering and vintage inspired details can all be found in this year’s bridal fashion — next to styles that have a more fitted, ladylike Grace Kelly / Jackie Kennedy reminiscence to them. All kinds of hues are right for this season — rich and vibrant colours as well as more subdued shades.

The massive wedding fair and bridal fashion show at Bluewater — which brings together some of the best suppliers from London and the Southeast — is on twice yearly, with the next date set for 20 — 22 of September 2013.

Bluewater wedding fair (http://weddingfairatbluewater.com/)

With Love ( http://www.withlovebridals.com )
Maids to measure ( http://www.maidstomeasure.com )
La Belle Femme ( http://www.labellefemme.co.uk )
Moss Bros Hire (http://www.moss.co.uk/pws/hire )
Victoria Allinson ( http://www.victoriaallinsoncouture.co.uk )
Marianne Jessica ( http://www.mariannejessica.co.uk )
The Bespoke Wardrobe ( http://www.thebespokewardrobe.co.uk )
Cutting Edge Brides ( http://www.cuttingedgebrides.com )
The Pantiles Bride ( http://www.pantilesbride.com/pantilesbride )
Bell Amore ( http://www.bellamore.co.uk )

Bridal fashion show by:

Excite CM ( http://www.xcitecm.co.uk )
with choreographer Vickie Jackson ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u1gezIrvbE )

Photography: Louise Bjorling ( www.louisebjorling.com )

The post A front row view of this year’s bridal catwalk by Louise Bjorling appeared first on English Wedding Blog.

I can’t stop smiling. Seeing Hayley don her wedding wellies and climb into her special little seat on the trailer, while Joe drives his blue tractor along Cornish country lanes… it’s pretty much made my day! You’ll love this — today’s wedding blog has ideas aplenty for any countryside-inspired wedding and is guaranteed to lighten up your pretty face with a grin as well.

It’s really pretty special, this wedding. Hayley and Joe kept things simple, didn’t spend the earth, called on family and friends to help out and styled their day in a very personal way. Inspired by the countryside and the sea, they created a gorgeous wedding which was very, very ‘them’. And that’s all you need, right? So congratulations and thanks to a fabulous couple for sharing their day with us. All images are by the very lovely Mark from Evolve Photography. Do read Hayley and Joe’s wedding report at the end of the post for those supplier links if you’re planning your own wedding in Cornwall too!

Enjoy! Claire x

Hayley and Joe — a beautiful countryside wedding in Cornwall

The bride and groom:

Joe and Hayley (Now Mr and Mrs Christopher!!)

Wedding venue:

St Just In Roseland Church followed by reception at a Friend’s Barn (Newton Farm near St Mawes)

Wedding photographer:

Mark Gawthorne from Evolve Photography www.evolvephoto.co.uk

How would you describe your wedding style?

Inspired by the countryside and the sea. We wanted to keep it simple and down to earth and for it to reflect the people we are and the lives we lead. We kept it very close to home throughout, pulling on favours from family and friends. This way everyone was included, we had a fabulous day and it didn’t cost us the Earth.

A little about the wedding ceremony:

Set in a beautiful church, the ceremony was simple and enjoyed by all. The small church was filled to the brim.

Which readings did you choose?

A Poem called ‘Love’ By Roy Croft and a bible reading from ‘Songs of Solomon 8:6 – 7’

Tell us a little about your wedding venue styling and details:

We wanted to keep the barn look and feel about the venue, after all this is where we were and what we had chosen but also wanted to add a look of elegance. The barn where the guests ate was dressed with white drapes and blue fairy lights and each table individually dressed to carry on the nautical theme with sand and shells.

The other barn where the bar and band were was a little more relaxed and had hay bales around the edge for seats with fairy lights and bunting hanging from the ceiling. We had a hot selection of curries and paellas for main food served with naans and popadoms followed by a cake buffet which, other than the main wedding cake, had been made by either myself or close family and friends a few days prior to the wedding.

Invitations and reception stationery:

These were both designed by a close friend of ours, Catie Brownlow, who was unable to be at the wedding but wanted to be part of the special day. Everybody loved them as they were so personal to us.

Wedding music and entertainment:

We had a band called ‘Strawdogs’ who kept our guests entertained for hours with both live band music and then a disco to finish off. They were great and really got everybody up and moving and enjoying themselves.

What did you wear?

Bride (dress, shoes, accessories): Fishtail style dress from in2connections in Truro with lace, pearls and diamanté. Lace shoes with ribbon laces from Jenjenhouse.com and Weddington boots for some of the photo-shoot. Fur jacket made by GOLD and pearl/diamanté necklace/earrings/bracelet all from Accessorize.

Groom: wore a suit and shoes he already owned and the rest of his accessories (tie/waistcoat/shirt) all from Marks and Spencers

Memorable wedding day moments:

Leaving the church in the back of a tractor! The rainbow over the church as we arrived.

Wedding day advice:

Make sure someone is taking lots of photos as it is all a big blur to the bride and groom and is lovely to look through photos after the day is over.

Recommended wedding suppliers:

• Food: Cornish Curry Company (They were absolutely fabulous – friendly, accommodating, organised and the food was superb!)
• Bride’s dress: in2connections, Truro. (Only a smallish collection but given 100% attention in a friendly and helpful environment. I tried on plenty of dresses which were all beautiful and was never rushed.)
• Cake: Brownmouse bakehouse Although she is a close friend of ours, Lucy Wyatt is a super choice for the wedding cake. We wanted to keep as much of our wedding close to home and therefore asked friends and family to help wherever possible but I would most certainly recommend Lucy’s cake to anyone else. Ours, a 4 tier chocolate cake, was so delicious and everyone commented on how wonderful it looked and how amazing it tasted.
• Photographer: Mark Gawthorne from Evolve Photography (easy to contact, understanding and friendly, he really helped the day go smoothly and took fantastic pictures that we will treasure forever. Most of the time we didn’t even notice he was there which was great as guest were able to totally relax.) www.evolvephoto.co.uk
• Barn Dressing: Richard Greenslade from Your Top Table (relaxed and easy going and made the main eating barn look outstanding. He supplied us with tables, chairs etc too which made it easy)
• St Just In Roseland Church: A most beautiful spot to be married with a friendly vicar.
• Toilets: Cornwall Conveniences (very important aspect to think about when at a barn in a field and everyone has posh frocks on. These toilets were lovely, with warm water, flowers and music. There was plenty of space and was all very clean.)
• Flowers: Amanda Taffinder Flowers (another friend but an amazing florist. Our bouquet’s were simple and elegant. Amanda listened to exactly what I wanted and made it a reality.)
• Crockery and other bits: Western Event Hire

The post A beautiful countryside wedding in Cornwall with Joe and Hayley and their blue tractor! appeared first on English Wedding Blog.

Hello everyone! Who’s got sunshine this afternoon? I’m going to quickly share a couple of highlights from a Warwickshire wedding with you — do click through to read more and see how beautiful bride Rachel and her groom Nick combined vintage touches with elegant English wedding styling.

by Alix Marina-Chouhan, Lumiere Photography

Nick and Rachel got married at Bosworth Hall last year– I know I am behind with my blogs!- and time went so fast that we didn’t have time for all the shots we had planned. I offered to come back in the morning but they were happy to leave it as their day actually went. They oozed happiness and I know they have kept as happy as they were, we have kept in touch and Nick ordered a huge multi frame of their wedding photos for their first anniversary– paper.

Here are a few photos. To see more go to http://www.lumiere-photography.co.uk/weddings/bosworth-hall-wedding/

The post Bosworth Hall Wedding appeared first on English Wedding Blog.

Morning everyone! I hope you’re having a lovely day. While it’s quiet here (anyone got sunshine today?!) I thought I could share my very honest thoughts on an infographic I was sent recently. Basically I think the wedding industry tries to feed this kind of tat to brides and grooms — long lists of all the things you might possibly need for a wedding… but 90% of them at least are things you can avoid, with a little creative thinking. So rather than reading a list like this and rushing to fill in every box with a budget figure, grab a big fat pen and start crossing things out! There you go — liberating isn’t it! Enjoy. Claire x

All the things I don’t love about wedding budget checklists!

I should also mention I have a bit of a ‘thing’ about any kind of loans company which is why I’m not going to worry about upsetting Aussie Personal Loans with this blog post. But do you really need a bridesmaids’ luncheon? Or a ring pillow? Scratch a few of these off your list and you might not need a loan either… now there’s a nice outcome from this little checklist!

Oh… it never hurts to have a calligrapher though. Nod, wink… only kidding. Hire me if you have spare pennies; but like everything else, base your budget around the money you already have saved up for your wedding and never, ever take out a loan to pay for your big day.

Image credit for the infographic is http://blog.aussie.com.au/wedding-planning-checklist/

Feel free to share any thoughts on this article or infographic below

The post The wonderful world of wedding checklists according to Claire appeared first on English Wedding Blog.

Good morning! Another gorgeous real wedding for you to enjoy today, and I hope you’ll love it. Today’s relaxed wedding with Greek inspiration comes from Friern Manor in Essex with images by David Walker Photography.

I love Lois and Gary’s approach to their big day: more personal than conventional, no stuffy rules or etiquette, just fun and laughter and love. That’s how a wedding should be! The couple were married at a registry office the day before, and the celebration you’re about to share is all about celebrating their love with friends and family. Perfect!

Congratulations to such a fab couple — Lois and Gary I wish you all the very best and many happy years together. You’re stars for sharing your wedding on the blog today! My thanks also to lovely David Walker Photography. Everyone — enjoy! Claire x

A relaxed wedding blog — Lois and Gary at Friern Manor, Essex

Wedding venue:

Friern Manor

Wedding photographer:

David Walker and Nick Austin (David Walker Photography)

How would you describe your wedding style?

Very relaxed with a Greek inspiration. Our colour pallet was duck egg blue, white and black.

Invitations and reception stationery:

We designed our own wedding invitations and had them printed. They were classic but modern.

What did you both wear?

Lois wore a dress that was designed by herself and made by a close friend. Her shoes were from Zara and she carried a simple bouquet of pale roses.

Gary wore a three piece suit from Moss.

The wedding ceremony was a blessing given by a family friend. We were married the day before in a registry office so our wedding day was more relaxed and personal. We had a reading that I wrote myself.

Wedding venue styling and details:

The venue decorations were already set up but we had a movie theme with table names and characters for each of our guests.

Wedding music and entertainment:

We had a Frank Sinatra style singer at first and a DJ with our chosen songs to finish off the day.

Memorable wedding day moments:

The whole day was just perfect.

Wedding day advice:

Do your own thing and don’t be swayed by anyone..

Recommended wedding suppliers:

• Singer — http://www.allsortsevents.net/
• Cupcakes — http://www.cuteasacupcakeltd.co.uk/
• DJ — http://www.a1discos.com/
• and of course the photographers were great too! www.davidwalker-photography.co.uk

The post Lois and Gary — a beautiful blue dress and a relaxed wedding blog appeared first on English Wedding Blog.

One of the number one wedding worries is the best man’s speech. It’s not just the best man who’ll be trembling at the thought though — I’ve heard from brides and grooms who worry about it too! Most best men are understandably nervous about speaking to so many people; and even those few who are brimming with confidence can make the rest of us pretty scared of the speech itself. So here’s some advice from guest blogger Lawrence to share with your best man — the sooner the better!

Lloyd and Lydia on the English Wedding Blog! Photo credit http://www.amandabalmain.com/

Let’s face it. The best man’s speech is the toughest wedding speech of all. Whilst the father of the bride can fall back on pride and sentiment, and the groom on gratitude and love, it’s the best man who has to entertain. And more importantly, entertain WITHOUT causing offense. Which is difficult when your audience comprises of four generations of friends and relations from at least two families. The key is to be original, relevant and appropriate. And not to be a crude, abusive, self centred mate! Here are some best man speech spoilers to be avoided at all costs:

Stag do stories:

Remember that not all of the guests attended the stag do. Whilst some of your mates may be in stitches by you recounting the story of the groom’s stint in a Hungarian strip club, the rest of the guests may feel uncomfortable and excluded, and you won’t get the laughs you’re hoping for.

Hintlesham Hall wedding by http://www.kerrydiamondphotography.com/

Stand-alone jokes:

This may sound odd; after all, this is the one wedding speech where people expect jokes. But punch lines that fall flat can be a nightmare for any speaker, and there are plenty of examples of when people laugh without one.

Crudity:

Don’t include any joke that might insult guests and in particular the bride! Best man’s speeches have a reputation for being a bit saucy, but there have been many examples where they’ve gone too far. Don’t judge a potential story or joke on whether you find it funny, but on whether your audience will be offended by it. You won’t impress those single bridesmaids with smutty anecdotes!

A beautiful Fawsley Hall wedding — photo credit http://www.benjamintomsphotography.co.uk/

Cheap laughs:

Contact friends and family who knew him when he was a toddler for funny stories. The audience will find his bed wetting exploits at five years old funny. The same story told of a 25 year old will get a less rapturous response.

Ex-girlfriends:

However easy-going the bride is, she doesn’t want to be reminded of any ex’s on her wedding day, even if they were a psycho, a weirdo or an obsessive.

Talking about yours truly:

It’s tempting to focus your wedding speech on your own relationship with the groom. But if you labour the point too heavily, it can start to sound like narcissism and be very boring for everyone else.

A character assassination of the groom:

Whilst there’s room for some gentle, good-natured abuse of the groom, don’t take it too far. No one wants to feel sorry for him at the end of the speech and you don’t want to come across as heartless. The key is how you phrase things. You need to tease rather than insult. Be amusing rather than nasty. A good way of doing this is to work with contradictions and opposites. If the groom is lazy then highlight his proactive moments. If he’s particularly camp, send him up as being macho. You don’t have to give him an easy ride, but remember your job as best man includes reminding everyone (albeit in a teasing way) what a great bloke he is.

In-jokes and slang:

If people don’t understand your joke, they won’t find it funny. So don’t use a long word when a short one will do. Don’t use a clever pun if many of the guests have travelled from overseas. And don’t use slang that only a small group of your friends will understand.

Long stories:

You should limit specific anecdotes to a maximum of two or three sentences each. Keeping it snappy will hold people’s attention, and if a story isn’t working, you can move swiftly on.
Following these tips will help ensure your wedding speech is remembered for all the right reasons. Remember the best way to judge whether your speech is appropriate or not is to try it out on others. Whether that’s asking a mutual friend or contacting a professional speech writer.

Camilla and Luke’s classic Kent wedding — photo credit http://www.lorna-elizabeth.co.uk/

Lawrence Bernstein is the founder of www.greatspeechwriting.co.uk and is always happy to give free advice, act as a sounding board, or indeed help, edit or write the wedding speech for you.

The post 9 things not to mention in a best man’s speech appeared first on English Wedding Blog.

My boyfriend called me Bookworm once just after we’d met… and I secretly love the nickname! Nothing beats the smell of a book, the design of a cover, the nostalgia of old literary treasures or the excitement of new editions. So when two weddings with Penguin books influencing their styling come along all at once, I’m over the moon!

Today I’m sharing Lucy and Dimitri’s wedding with you all. They married at the Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel in Bath and were keen to have a fun and relaxed wedding day. The conventional white wedding dress was nowhere to be seen with Lucy looking absolutely amazing in a stunning blue 1950s style cocktail dress. Dimitri makes a gorgeous groom in Hugo Boss — and together with friends and family today’s couple created a lovely celebration I’m proud to share with you today!

Congratulations to Lucy and Dimitri, and thank you for sharing your wedding report with me and my readers. You’re fantastic! Thank you to Becky Male Photography for submitting all the lovely images — I hope you love the feature and get tons of ideas from all the pics! Enjoy! Claire x

A wedding inspired by Penguin Classics — Lucy and Dimitri

Wedding venue:

Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel, Bath

Wedding photographer:

Becky Male Photography

Invitations and reception stationery:

Penguin Classic Literature book cover, Penguin logo table numbers and Penguin Classic cookbooks as wedding favours

What did you both wear?

Lucy wore a blue 1950s style cocktail dress

Dimitri wore a blue suit, white shirt, blue tie and brown shoes – all Hugo Boss

The wedding ceremony:

My Mum read a poem about ‘Who Wears the Trousers’ and my brother wrote a very entertaining piece about the two of us and marriage, including an off the cuff introduction about how he had decided against performing a rap, noting that Dimitri has 99 problems but Lucy isn’t one! Much laughter had throughout.

Wedding music and entertainment:

I walked down the aisle to Etta James ‘At Last’, signed the register to Stevie Wonder ‘Signed Sealed Delivered’ and The Turtles ‘Happy Together’. A Spanish guitarist joined us outside for drinks and canapés, and a band called Hat Box Mines played a live and then a DJ set in the evening.

Memorable wedding day moments:

Some of my favourites are:

• running around a 5 star hotel in our PJs as we went to see how the wedding breakfast room was being set up
• feeling totally absorbed in the ceremony and both of us slightly fluffing the vows
• my brother’s reading and the speeches
• the relaxed vibe in the sunshine
• my 18 month old dancing to the Spanish guitarist
• totally random evening on the dance floor with parents and friends dancing to the same music we all listened to at Uni!

We wanted a very personal wedding and nearly all our suppliers were people we knew and mostly setting out in the business world, so we wanted to help give them an opportunity to shine. It meant we had a really lovely feel to everything as everyone put their all in and the results were tangible. This aspect will always be a fond memory in itself.

Wedding day advice:

Just relax and let yourself participate, don’t focus on all the things you organised/arranged, what will be will be. Get into the spirit and go with the flow.

Everyone said to us ‘it’ll go in a flash’ but I think because we took this approach it really didn’t. At no point did I feel it was all happening to someone else which I know some brides get.

Recommended wedding suppliers

• Ivory Flowers
• Becky Male Photography
• Rebecca Stanford Designs
• Aiden Garlington Hair Salon
• Rookery Manor (Make Up)
• 5 Star Celebrations Chair Covers
• James Daubney (Spanish Guitar)
• Cherrycaketoppers.co.uk

The post Lucy and Dimitri’s fun and relaxed wedding with Penguin Classic styling! appeared first on English Wedding Blog.

Here’s a date for your diaries, girls! In a couple of weeks you will have the perfect opportunity to find your dream dress from Sassi Holford — top UK bridal designer and wedding blog favourite! Sample dresses are being sold with price reductions of up to 70%… how amazing would it be to get your dream dress at such a fabulous price?!

From 6th to 20th July 2013 double award winning designer Sassi Holford will be offering huge reductions of up to 70% on selected sample gowns from her classic English bridal collections.

The London boutique sale will have a selection of stunning sample gowns from Sassi’s Couture Collection which is an opportunity not to be missed to acquire a Sassi Holford couture design at an unbelievable price!

Sassi’s Taunton boutique has a wide range of sample gowns at greatly reduced prices from the Sassi Holford Signature Collection, So Sassi and Enzoani.

Nicola wears Sassi Holford — click to see the full wedding on the blog, Photo credit Kirsten Mavric www.kirstenmavric.co.uk

On the morning of the first day of the sale, in both stores, it is ‘first come, first served’ but from 12 noon the sale will be by appointment only. If you can’t make it on the first day of the sales, try and get an early appointment! Contact details are here for you

74 Fulham Road, London – 020 7584 1532 – London@sassiholford.com
6 The Bridge, Taunton, Somerset – 01823 256308 – Taunton@sassiholford.com

www.sassiholford.com

The post Fabulous savings on Sassi Holford English bridal collections this July appeared first on English Wedding Blog.