A guest article by Jon Beck at RedLine DJs and Entertainment Photo credit: York Place Studios You’ve said your vows, the wine’s flowing and the speeches have been a success… step up the all-important first dance. At Redline DJs and Entertainment I spend…
My top tip for you today, lovelies, is to find a place you love and get married there. It can be that simple… and you don’t have to go out of your way to find a place you love, if there’s already a place! You might have a favourite country pub, or a local beach with amazing views, or a city centre restaurant. Beautiful bride Laura & her gorgeous husband Rick found their perfect venue at the East Quay in Whitstable – with sea views and glorious natural decor inside (plus all the sparkly wonderfulness) it’s sooo perfect for a modern wedding! Images are by lovely English Wedding Directory member Michelle Cordner Photography.
Claire xx
Our wedding was happy, fun, relaxed, the most marvellous day of our lives, set by the sea with a very relaxed style. The venue is unique with its own style with fantastic views of the sea. We added additional lighting with lanterns on the dance floor and the eating area.
Two words I’ve been hearing quite often as we approach 2019 are ‘heirloom’ and ‘heritage’ – brides and grooms are looking more to our culture and history than ever before, for inspiration for wedding styling. ‘Vintage’ as a source of wedding ideas is still hugely popular, with couples now looking for venues with their own character and unique history. So this inspirational feature from Doxford Hall has to be one of my favourite shoots of ALL TIME! It’s a perfect fit for English Wedding too of course, with a nod to Jane Austen and such delightful styling touches! The calligraphy is mine – I’m so proud to have been a part of such a beautiful photoshoot (and my paper goodies get to visit such wonderful places!)
Claire xx
Crafted from mellow stone, with its formal gardens and manicured lawns, featuring Europe’s largest yew tree maze, Doxford Hall is a dreamy, romantic and photogenic venue, and Northumbria’s only four red star wedding venue. To celebrate its bicentenary, a creative team channelled their love of beautiful things and shared passion for the finer things in life, to create a Jane Austen-inspired styled bridal shoot to capture the elegance and romance of this beautiful country wedding venue.
I am totally in denial of any gales blowing a hoolie outside my window right now!! Come and join me because it’s SPRING here on English Wedding and we’re filling our eyes with sunshine and flowers… and the stunning wedding of Milly and Nick. They married at Little Glemham Church in Suffolk, and celebrated with a beautiful reception at Glemham Hall in May. Their day was traditional and relaxed, with wild white English flowers and luscious greenery in keeping with the Suffolk hedgerows and pebble greys as they were so close to the sea!
I very nearly went for a wedding dress that was entirely different, the first dress had pockets so instantly I loved it but when I went to try it on a second time with a view to putting down the deposit it was 30 degrees outside and I was so uncomfortable, all I wanted to do was get out of it!
A LOT goes on at weddings. They’re magical, romantic… and the busiest days of our lives! With everyone we know all in one place, a schedule to be kept and plans to be followed, it’s no wonder the day goes by in a blur. The top piece of advice couples give in their English Wedding interviews is to take a moment to stop and take it all in, because everything happens in such a rush!
And that’s where photographers come in. The best will capture the moments you missed as well as those you’ll want to cherish forever. York Place Studios get this – and they are uniquely talented in the way they do it. I love how every image tells not just one story, but many. Grab a cuppa and scroll through Sara and Sam’s day slowly, because I promise you’ll chuckle at times, love the romance and all of those precious little interactions between guests which are what really make a wedding.
Happy Monday everyone! How was your weekend? I’ve had a 4 day extravaganza of a weekend with a concert on Thursday, shopping day Friday, calligraphy class on Saturday and 2 mountains climbed on Sunday! I barely know what day it is with all that going on, so it’s nice to be sat at my desk now with Bertie cat, where we have a fabulous wedding up our sleeves to share with you lovely folks out there in internet land.
Katie and Martin are gorgeous, their pics are divine, and they were kind enough to tell us all about their big day – the highlight of their interview for me being when I asked what’s the best thing about being married…
“Being part of a team. Knowing that they have seen you at you worst, weirdest, moodiest not to mention seeing you in the morning with messy hair, morning breath old PJ’s that they have chosen you out of the billions of people in the world to spend the rest of their life with.”
If there was another job I wish I could do – if I’d trained, had talent and wasn’t freaked out by spiders(!) or really early wake ups – I’d be a florist. I’d grow my own flowers and style beautiful, modern weddings in a wildflowery, informal and breathtaking boho style. I’m lucky to have gotten to know some amazing folks in the wedding flowers game since I started the English Wedding Blog, and Claire from Wild Spirit is one of the very best – her eye for styling is just spot on, every single time.
So when Claire got in touch to tell me about the Somerset Flower School I was absolutely thrilled for her. Alongside Jodie from Walled Garden Weddings, whose work I also adore, she’s teaching workshops so folks like you & me can learn their craft. Claire and Jodie put together this fabulous shoot to show you how to style that sought after floral look for a beautiful barn – and Claire’s tips are absolutely invaluable if you’re hiring a barn for your wedding day.
How is your weekend going so far? I’m about to start teaching my calligraphy workshop in just under two hours, and super excited – but I had to share this lovely collection which landed in my inbox just recently. Ellis Bridals specialise in wedding dresses with classic shapes and detailing – think modern princess and you’re there! If your dream is to walk down the aisle and take his breath away with a stunning, classic wedding gown then you will adore this new collection.
Billed as ‘an ode to the silhouette’, Ellis Bridals 2019 wedding dress collection is designed to perfectly sculpt the female form.
Dramatic fishtails and exaggerated mermaid shapes, corset bodice details and contemporary lace up backs promise a divine fit. Ballgown shapes are updated with off-the-shoulder detailing and dramatic pleating. Crafted in unique laces, harmonious crepes and sweeping chiffons, the Belgravia Collection is softly sensual.
Hey lovely! Happy FRIDAY!!! I’m totally feeling Friday vibes today – last night we were partying until the early hours in Manchester; this morning we’ve had a little shop in the big city, ready for my sister in law’s WEDDING at the end of the month. SOOOO exciting!!! So every wedding I see on my screen right now is totally capturing my heart. Tomorrow afternoon I’m teaching a modern calligraphy class in the Lakes – tickets are still available here if you can join us! – but first, I have an absolute gem of a wedding for you – you’re going to adore this.
Beautiful bride Katie & James got married on the 7th July in an outdoor ceremony in the stunning grounds of Askham Hall. These two met through a mutual friend, however not long after Katie moved to Australia, and in James’ words, it was the ULTIMATE hard to get move he’s ever seen! After being in touch for the year she was over there, she moved back to the UK, and the rest is history! Katie & James’ wedding was definitely a family affair, with Katie’s mum doing the flowers, and Katie’s sister, (who lives in TEXAS and came over for the wedding!), organised the decorations and style of the day – she definitely wins an ‘amazing sister’ award!
Hey lovelies! I would LOVE to know if you’d be interested in a wedding calligraphy workshop in 2019 – aimed at absolute beginners, and where I can teach you to design your own wedding invites and monograms for stamps, stickers and branding your wedding! I’ll be booking dates in the next week, so please add a little comment here if you’d be interested in coming along! I’d love to see you there.
I have a little news for you as well, especially crafty brides and grooms who would love to learn calligraphy before the end of 2018. I’ve a few lettering workshops with tickets left, and I’ll be thrilled if you can join me!
I’m going to brighten up my calligraphy workshops from now with a little more variation in the styles we learn and the tools we use on the day – so here’s our exciting schedule of modern calligraphy classes for the rest of the year!
at Swallows & Artisans, Lanehead, Coniston, Cumbria from 2 o’clock until 5.
If you love flowers, designer gowns and wedding pics that tell a real story, you’ve come to the right wedding blog today! I absolutely loe everything about Claire & Mike’s wedding at Nancarrow Farm. They are such a lovely couple – and they’ve styled everything with so much personality, I love it. The portraits are gorgeous, the story of their day comes across wonderfully in the images by lovely Alexa Poppe Photography. Claire’s Catherine Deane gown is exquisite, matched only by the fabulous style of Mike’s Beggar’s Run bespoke suit! All the love for this beautiful day – enjoy!
Claire xx
We loved the venue for its natural rustic charm and decided to leave it as simple as possible to speak for itself. Mike’s mum bought all the flowers to be used in the bouquets and tables from a wholesale flower warehouse. She (with the help of bridesmaids and Claire’s mum) assembled all the table arrangements the day before. We also had a florist come and put white flowers around the arch to the big barn doorway where our ceremony took place. And she also did big, bright, colourful arrangements in the big milk urns in front of the barn doors – George Mackay.
Hey there, beautiful! May I interrupt your Tuesday with something all kinds of brilliant which could quite easily save you a bundle of time and energy planning your best day ever? If you’re in Hampshire (or Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey or Sussex) you will ESPECIALLY love this. The Hampshire Wedding Club is a place you can go, online and in person, to find all your wedding suppliers and get everything you need to plan your big day. It’s new, it’s hugely exciting for the wedding industry and I’m excited to see more from these lovely people! I’m even more thrilled to announce that The Hampshire Wedding Club is joining English Wedding as our newest sponsor – so we’ll be sharing much more from them in the coming months! I’ll let lovely Tasha, who is the founder of the Hampshire Wedding Club, tell you all about it.
Claire xx
Photo credit: Angela Ward Brown
“At the Hampshire Wedding Club we apply 10 years of industry experience to a new, exciting concept. We are very proud to support unique, extraordinary wedding specialists across our county.
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