Modern calligraphy wedding table plan project – get your craft on!

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I loved featuring June’s series of wedding craft projects and they seem to have gone down a treat – so here is another one… and something a little more involved for craftier types!

make your own modern calligraphy table plan (9)

As I’m sure you’ll have noticed I’m running modern calligraphy workshops in Manchester (and loving every second!) so I wanted to share some ideas to do with calligraphy. It’s super easy to try your hand at modern calligraphy, and once you’ve mastered the pen you’ll be itching to write on everything you see… so how about making your own wedding table plan?

make your own modern calligraphy table plan (8)

Make your own suspended flower wedding table plan

This modern calligraphy table plan project is quirky, beautiful and only takes a couple of hours to make at home. Its selling point is the gorgeous antique frame; by adding your own hand lettering you’ll give it a personal touch, and the flowers add romance and colour – simply perfect for a rustic, handcrafted wedding!

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A beautiful homemade wedding in Hertfordshire, with Nicola Casey Photography

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Morning lovely! It’s time for a real wedding… and I promise you this one’s a diamond! We have the most beautiful English bride and gorgeous groom – their happiness is infectious. There are the prettiest details, the most romantic moments and the sweetest glances exchanged… my heart might just melt this morning!

Homemade wedding in Hertfordshire images by Nicola Casey Photography (37)

All of today’s fabulous images are by Nicola Casey Photography, who is based in Cambridgeshire and photographs weddings all around the UK. Find out more about Nicola here:

Homemade wedding in Hertfordshire images by Nicola Casey Photography (46)
Deborah’s interview at the end of today’s feature is a classic. It’s full of brilliant advice and tips, with lots of helpful stories especially for DIY brides. I laughed out loud at Deborah’s comment that her big box of gypsophila “smelled like feet” – it soooo does! I’ve always wondered if florists know something about gypsophila that the rest of us don’t!

Homemade wedding in Hertfordshire images by Nicola Casey Photography (24)

Grab a cuppa, hang on to your mouse and prepare to smile your way through the next ten minutes with a truly wonderful couple. Enjoy. Oh! And when you see who caught the bouquet you will giggle… promise. 😉
Homemade wedding in Hertfordshire images by Nicola Casey Photography (1)

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New sponsor welcome! Jennifer Sinclair Photography, Hampshire

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This summer is flying by isn’t it?! It hardly seems like a week since I was featuring spring weddings full of cherry blossom and watery sunshine. Soon autumn colours will hit our screens and we’ll all be looking forward to our 2016 weddings… and for those of you who haven’t yet found a photographer, it’s definitely time to make enquiries before your date is booked! Today I’m thrilled to be welcoming a brand new sponsor to the English Wedding Blog. Jennifer Sinclair is a lovely wedding photographer who wrote to me in June and won me over with images from one of her beautiful Hampshire weddings.

JenniferSinclair.co.uk

I love Jennifer’s passion for pretty details (she fell in love with vintage bicycles in Amsterdam and now has a gorgeous bike of her own, complete with basket!) and love of the romance and charm of English weddings. She told me, “for me wedding photography is a lifestyle choice as well as a profession!”

Trust your wedding photographer – don’t stifle their creativity

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Hiring a wedding photographer isn’t the same as booking a car service or buying a loaf of bread. You’re hiring a creative person whose own style will shape the wedding photos you receive. So how much direction should you give your photographer? It’s a tricky subject, and I was pleased when Mark at Evolve Photography got in touch to share his advice.

Understanding wedding photography styles and ways of working

spring outdoor wedding devon Evolve Photography Dartington Hall (11)

All wedding photographers have individual styles, some (like me) are more documentary and their skills are observational: seeing and capturing things outside the box, creating a narrative, emotive photos that have context and feeling; capturing real moments – timing is everything.

Other photographers veer more towards contriving fun compositions. Not to say that documentary photographers are grumpy but those comedy shots of the bride out-drinking all the groomsmen, or the bridal party being chased by a dinosaur? That’s just not our bag. See more...

How to love your wedding car! With The Little Vintage Car Co. and Dottie Photography

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Did you know… that wedding cars don’t come with that frighteningly shiny ribbon as standard?! They weren’t manufactured with the stuff on back in the 1940s / 50s / 60s so don’t let their owners convince you it’s a fixture now! With a little creativity, an open minded car company(!) and the right team you can decorate your wedding car so it looks divine inside and out. I have a gorgeous shoot to show you and some more ideas at the end of today’s feature. Enjoy!

styling your wedding car with The Little Vintage Car Company and Dottie Photography (2)

All images are by Dottie Photography

“We (The Little Vintage Car Co.) collaborated with Dottie Photography and fellow wedding suppliers this summer to create a set of wedding images with a romantic vintage theme.”

styling your wedding car with The Little Vintage Car Company and Dottie Photography (6)

This shoot has a fresh and stylish take on a classic vintage theme – the star of the show is beautiful convertible cream VW Beetle Carmen. Carmen formerly starred as a centrepiece in an American Diner so she is in excellent condition and perfectly at home in the limelight! The styling team also used a Chinese paper and bamboo parasol, a set of antique Harrods luggage and dresses from a local dress company Shades of White to bring the look together. See more...

New sponsor welcome! Rob & Sarah Gillespie Photography

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Most of you will be very familiar with the lovely Rob & Sarah Gillespie – they’ve featured 13 amazing weddings on the English Wedding Blog over the last few years. My eyes light up when I see their names in my inbox; I know their photography is out of this world and the weddings they share with me are some of the prettiest you can imagine!

robandsarahgillespie.co.uk

So it’s with the biggest smile ever that I am introducing them as my newest English Wedding Blog sponsors today. Rob & Sarah Gillespie will be sharing more and more weddings with us over the next year, and we’ll get to know them a little better with some advice articles and other features too. Oh! And did I mention my new super chic blog header? I simply had to choose this gorgeous pic for the top of the blog as soon as I saw it.

Rebecca and Brian’s surprise country wedding at Thrumpton Hall, with Cris Lowis Photography

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There’s *thinks for a moment* no, nothing I love more than a surprise wedding. And Rebecca and Brian pulled it off beautifully, sharing their secret with only a few wedding guests before their – supposed – combined birthday party. Brilliant!!

Images from a beautiful surprise English Wedding at Thrumpton Hall with Cris Lowis Photography (22)

It took 8 weeks to plan the wedding, and Rebecca and Brian went online to source small, local suppliers to style their day. It looks amazing – surprise wedding this may be, but the details are all there! Rebecca is a beautiful bride with a pretty vintage dress and the most wonderfully colourful shoes (LOVE!), and Brian’s jacket and trousers combo is perfect: but their expressions (delight mixed with an element of cheeky surprise!) are my favourite thing. I love this!!

Images from a beautiful surprise English Wedding at Thrumpton Hall with Cris Lowis Photography (30)

Images are by the very fabulous Cris Lowis Photography in Staffordshire. Find out more about Cris here:

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Your first dance shuffle or routine… remember it’s all about the LOVE!! With 20 stunning first dance images from 20Collective

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Are you nervous about your first dance? Don’t be. I have a little secret to share today… and by the end of this feature you’ll realise it’s really no secret at all but simple common sense. So many couples agonise over the first dance! Let’s face it: unless you’re happy on a podium in a club you won’t be comfortable strutting your stuff in the middle of a circle of everyone you know… it’s a pretty unusual situation to be in, right?

Cripps Barn Wedding – Sam Gibson Photography

Your first dance, a romantic once in a lifetime moment with 20Collective (4)

By Sam Gibson at 20Collective: http://20collective.com/sam-gibson-photography/ See more...

But forget all that. There are ways to get over first dance nerves:

Pretend you’ve forgotten all about it until the big day, try and get out of it if no one remembers, or brief your band or DJ that it just isn’t going to happen!
Sign up for dance classes and learn a spectacular routine to amaze and delight your guests!

New sponsor welcome! Summer Lily Studio

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I’m always on the lookout for the latest, prettiest weddings… and when I came across Terri’s website at Summer Lily Studio I was besotted! Terri describes her style as being soft and romantic, and her images are the sort of insanely pretty style you just can’t help yourself pinning over and over again.

“My greatest pleasure is being able to capture that chemistry between two people as their love for each other radiates like an aura and is recorded as a treasured memory forever.”

I’m over the moon to be introducing you to Summer Lily Studio as my newest English Wedding Blog sponsor this morning. I’m ridiculously excited about the real weddings we’ll be featuring on the blog very soon, and happy to say I already have some of my favourite images from Summer Lily to share with you this morning. They offer the most delicious peek into Terri’s world and I really think you’ll love what you see as much as I do!

www.summerlilystudio.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Summer-Lily-Studio-Photography
@summerlilyphoto
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Our super colourful spring wedding at Snape Maltings, with Ayshea Goldberg Photography

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Morning lovelies! Time for a splash of colour and a dash of craftiness… because today’s English Wedding Blog stars are beautiful couple Helen and Ben, whose bright and funky May wedding is simply glorious! I adore their colourful style, and the attention to detail not just in the homemade elements of their day but in the thoughtful touches which made it truly personal.
Real wedding at Snape Maltings with lovely images by Ayshea Goldberg Photography (26)

Helen turned her hand to papercrafts and more in the run up to their big day. The invitations, table plan and orders of service were all home made, as well as the blackboard timetable, guest envelope board, photobooth, signpost outside the venue, bike flowers and basket decorations… but the loveliest touch of all is that Helen had kept notes and letters from friends and family over the years, which she placed at their tables to some very mixed and wonderful reactions on the day!
Real wedding at Snape Maltings with lovely images by Ayshea Goldberg Photography (8)

I adore the look of their day – and you know me; I can never say no to a stunning wedding blog like this. The flowers are perfect for the style of the day, and one of my favourite touches is the striking signpost (to Bali!).
Real wedding at Snape Maltings with lovely images by Ayshea Goldberg Photography (12) See more...

A classic English Wedding blog from Buxted Park with Dennison Studios

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Kym and Paul’s wedding at Buxted Park is as pretty as can be… with the loveliest pale pink roses and classic styling for a beautiful bride and her gorgeous groom.

English Wedding Blog with Dennison Studios at Buxted Park (18)

Their day was styled around a romantic 1920s theme with the key look being elegant and traditional. Kym looks amazing in her Suzanne Neville wedding dress – perfect for such a stunning wedding venue.

English Wedding Blog with Dennison Studios at Buxted Park (24)

Kym loved their wedding day so much she told her photographers at Dennison Studios “If we could do it all again, we’d… make it a 3 day event. It all went too quickly.”

English Wedding Blog with Dennison Studios at Buxted Park (27)

Becky and Geoff are photographers at Dennison Studios in Sussex. Find out more:

English Wedding Blog with Dennison Studios at Buxted Park (1)

The English Wedding Blog interview: Kym and Paul

Your wedding photographer’s website:

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Vintage inspired boho wedding dresses – fall in love with Minna!

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There’s nothing more romantic than a barefoot bride… so for me, Minna‘s beautifully boho wedding dresses are perfect. Think hippy chic, summer days and messy bouquets for the prettiest relaxed wedding style you can imagine.

Boho and vintage wedding dresses by Minna (24)

Join me in tumbling head over heels in love with Minna bridal. Modern brides will adore the collection: there’s a shape, length and fabric for every boho bride here. All pieces are handmade in London using highest quality lace, silk and organic textiles. They are perfect for the urban, bohemian bride who wants to make an impression.

Boho and vintage wedding dresses by Minna (40)

See real brides in beautiful Minna dresses on this gorgeous Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/minnahepburn/minna-real-brides/

…and view the full collection here: http://www.minna.co.uk/shop/bridal-dresses

Boho and vintage wedding dresses by Minna (43)

Finnish designer Minna Hepburn launched her label in 2008 while living in the middle of the beautiful Dorset countryside. The Minna label can best be described as Eco Luxe. Each piece is hand embellished and made from sustainable, organic, recycled and locally produced textiles.

http://www.minna.co.uk/shop/bridal-dresses

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Minna/261213207222139

Boho and vintage wedding dresses by Minna (1)