The Eclectic Wedding Extravaganza!

FEATURED

Today is the first day I’ve ever wished (briefly!) I lived in Birmingham. It’s not that I don’t like my home by the sea on the edge of the Lake District… but there is a Big Exciting Thing happening in Birmingham on the 4th of November.

Cherry Pie Lane sign, photo credit Assassynation

Cherry Pie Lane sign, photo credit Assassynation

If you read UK wedding blogs you probably know all of this already. And if you live near Birmingham and read UK wedding blogs I’m incredibly jealous. You’re going to the Eclectic Wedding Extravaganza, aren’t you?

For the reader (hello, you!) who hasn’t already heard about this, I am delighted to be able to share the news of this new breed of wedding fair with you. Here goes…

The Eclectic Wedding Extravaganza – It’s all about EWE!!

Sunday 4th November 2012 in Birmingham

Luxe Bridal by Louise Holgate

Liliia bridal designs Photo credit Assassynation

Laura and Mike’s wedding. Photo credit Assassynation

Buying independent designer wedding invitations

FEATURED

Are you buying handcrafted wedding invitations from one of those fabulous designers you see on Etsy, or at vintage wedding fairs? If you are, you’ll know how much more enjoyable and exciting it can be to buy from a small creative business than a corporate giant. It’s something I feel passionately about too.

Source: stylemepretty.com via Claire on Pinterest

The experience: buying handmade

There’s something really special about the personal relationship you’ll develop with your wedding invitation designer. From the first chat or email… “Can you make me something with a monogram / our venue in the design?” to the arrival of your first invitation proof in the post – it’s a wedding experience which builds up to the day and makes it special.

Beats nipping down to Marks & Sparks for 6 packs of 12 invites in a little plastic wallet thing, doesn’t it?

I’m passionate about supporting small businesses in the wedding industry. There’s so much creative talent out there: independent designers who are passionate about every design they create, and artists and graphic designers who turn their hands and talents to exquisite design for the couples they work with. See more...

Wedding blogs, photography and the importance of details

FEATURED

It’s been said that details at weddings aren’t that important. It’s a fair argument and one I understand: the focus of a wedding should be the marriage itself, and celebrating with friends and family. However…

Polly and Andy’s gorgeous Dorset wedding by Simon Biffen Photography – click to see the real wedding

Relatively speaking, the little details shouldn’t really matter… the stationery, wedding signs, accessories, ushers’ colour-coordinated socks and cufflinks. Or should they?

Little things hold their own special memories

Wedding blogs and magazines have been criticised for focusing on the minutiae of wedding decor. Our “real weddings” share too many images of DIY details – or so some have said. I’m referring of course to the infamous ‘Dear Wedding Bloggers, You Suck‘ on Mountainside Bride blog.

But for some reason, a year later this letter is still making me think. Why should we dismiss the little details which have taken couples so long to create or source from creative wedding suppliers? See more...

A rustic wedding from Exeter Castle… just beautiful!

FEATURED

The beauty of Beth and Matt’s wedding is captured in the photos you’re about to see on today’s blog post. They married in Exeter, with a reception in Exeter Castle… a venue I’ve never featured on English Wedding Blog before (why?!) and one with a rich and intriguing history.

Today’s wedding is beautiful, with lovely details and ideas for your own day. Beth and Matt describe their wedding style as ‘relaxed, simple and rustic’ – I’d say it’s perfect.

I loved the images of children playing which first caught my eye on wedding photographer Lucy Turnbull‘s blog – there are some wonderful moments here and I hope you’ll indulge me for sharing so many photos of the younger guests – I just thought they had a magical quality.

Enough of me – time to hand over to Beth and Matt to share their story, with photos by the lovely Lucy Turnbull Photography. Enjoy!

Beth and Matt’s rustic Exeter wedding

An email from Zookie! Photography

FEATURED

When I share emails on my facebook page it’s usually for a giggle. I’ve never shared an email on English Wedding Blog before – so today is a first. And Zakiya’s email is here to make you smile. Which you will – guaranteed. I wish there were more people like her – what a star!

When Zakiya emailed me last week I replied, “I love your positivity, your approach and your website. I’m delighted by your email and you know what, I feel happier already for reading everything you’ve sent me. I love what you do. I would like to feature your video submission BUT there’s a condition!… Can I share your email on my blog? I’d like my readers to read about you exactly as I have… Thank you for inspiring me this morning. Keep smiling!”

She said yes. This is what was in my inbox to make me grin so happily for a full day last week.

An email from Zookie! Photography

Hey Claire! See more...

A traditional white wedding with a contemporary London theme

FEATURED

Morning! I hope you’re having a lovely day! I’m plotting and planning for another exciting weekend by the seaside, but in the meantime I have some really inspiring weddings to show you this week. Kirsty and Luke’s big day is all about the big city – with a London wedding theme in their fab and quirky table stationery, and lots of very cool details. A more gorgeous and generous couple I’ve yet to see! I love these two!

Kirsty and Luke chose Cecelina Photography to capture their day on camera. I love Cecelina’s story: she grew up in Sweden and came to London a few years ago. With little more than her beloved camera she has built a life here and is following her dream of being a photographer. What a wonderful adventure!

Kirsty’s wedding report has a mega list of other wedding suppliers she recommends – and this is something I really love to see. Wedding blogs are all about helping you, lovely readers! When Kirsty said to me, “We would love it if you could mention all of them as they all played a big part in our day. However, if you can’t please let us know…” I was delighted. The more the merrier, if you ask me! See more...

Hot off the press! Save the date ideas…

FEATURED

I’d already seen plenty of great reviews for these new Save the Date cards when through my letterbox popped* a gorgeous sample pack of my own. If anyone would like to see these for themselves, yell and I’ll post one on to you!

*I live in an apartment in a converted Big House. Local postmen see my big front door and miniature letterbox, expect me to be up in the rafters and hammer enthusiastically on the door as if I was giving out noise prizes. So the sample pack was thrust at me by a surprised postman instead. But still…

Love vs. Design & Max Wanger are known for their wedding stationery and photography respectively. They’ve teamed up – excitingly! – to storm the world of wedding blogs with these gorgeous Save the Dates.

I love the concept of collaboration, and Floris from Love vs. Design was so lovely sending me the sample that I couldn’t resist sharing with you! Go and have a look at their website – it seems really easy to use and you can upload your own photo to create a really personal design! (Y’know, if you can’t get to Max Wanger in Los Angeles…) See more...

An introduction to wedding blogs

FEATURED

Are you new to wedding blogs? Just exploring, seeing what they’re all about? Then this post is for you. It’s all too easy for me as a wedding blogger to forget that not everyone reads blogs. But I’d like to explain why they’re so easy to fall in love with and so irresistible to keep coming back to!

Lifeline Photography on English Wedding Blog

Click to see more from Amanda and Anton’s gorgeous Thrumpton Hall wedding – Photo credit Lifeline Photography

Wedding blogs in the UK are bigger than the wedding magazines. The top blogs easily dwarf the official circulation figures of Wedding Ideas print magazine, You & Your Wedding and the other glossies. We feature real weddings almost every day, with a focus on details, ideas and inspiration.

Wedding blogs are free to read – they’re like magazines with no cover price! Forget paying your £4.99 to see inside the bag… with a blog you just click and explore all the real weddings, inspiration shoots, advertisers and ideas for your big day. For free! See more...

Alternative wedding dress ideas from House of Fraser

FEATURED

If you can find better options for your wedding, then you should! If you don’t want the traditional format for your ceremony, if you want to see your groom before the wedding… do it! I’m a huge fan of creative and modern approaches to wedding planning, and I really feel it’s important that UK brides and grooms aren’t persuaded by wedding magazines or old fashioned suppliers that you have to do things in the traditional way.

… so when Alice got in touch to tell me about House of Fraser I was sceptical: expensive wedding dresses, a bridal department to rival your average designer wedding dress boutique, I thought. I was so wrong! You can get your hands on a wedding dress from House of Fraser for a couple of hundred pounds. And they’re gorgeous. Here are a few of my favourites – chosen by me, with English Wedding Blog readers in mind! The guest blog post is written by Alice (who knows more about the dresses than I do!) See more...

Vintage Wedding Accessories: A Buyer’s Guide

FEATURED

My favourite guest blog posts of the moment are all about the accessories… here’s another which is inspiring and full of great, real, honest advice! Queens & Bowl really know their stuff, and after reading this advice article about vintage wedding accessories for the first time I was smiling and wishing I could spend today shopping for a bit of vintage inspired sparkle! I have a feeling you’re about to experience the same thing – and if you’re planning a shopping trip soon, I wish I could go with you! Thanks as always to Queens & Bowl for sharing such great tips and advice 🙂

Vintage wedding accessories: a buyer’s guide

As lovely as they are, a love of vintage wedding accessories isn’t often the main reason couples choose to have a vintage-themed wedding. It could be a love of the music of that era, admiration of vintage fashion icons or even falling in love with a particular dress but rarely will someone choose an entire theme on the basis of liking jewellery from a certain era. See more...

Thinking positive and including grooms!

FEATURED

If you ever hear me talk about “the bridal industry” you can shoot me. It makes me squirm, like nails on a blackboard… you know the feeling?

Cambridge wedding by Chris Hanley Photography (28)

Photo credit Chris Hanley Photography: www.ChrisHanleyPhotography.com

Do you think the wedding industry’s sexist?

I kind of understand where the phrase “bridal industry” comes from: brides are often more involved in wedding planning, especially in arranging all the finer details and decor. Many grooms aren’t interested in the flowers and favours – which is fine! If you’ve made the decision as a couple that those jobs are for girls, then great!

However, if you head to your florist together for a chat about wedding flowers, and the florist ignores you and talks to your fiancee instead… or worse, assumes you’re only there because it’s your wallet – then that’s just wrong!

And you wouldn’t be the first to find yourself in that situation either. See more...

Vintage English and French country chic wedding

FEATURED

Amina got up at 5am to collect her wedding flowers from the wholesaler: little flowers like lavender, rosemary, pink peonies, roses, baby’s breath… made into bouquets by the bridal party on the morning of the wedding. And they’re so very beautiful.

Ben and Amina married at Middleton Lodge in Yorkshire (which they hired for the weekend). Their special touches are fabulous: from the flowers to the beautiful hand-torn reception stationery.

But what I love most of all is the anticipation running up to the ceremony – Ben’s expectant glance upstairs to see his bride, and the romance in the portrait photos and during the first dance. This one’s an absolute cracker! You will love it. Enjoy the wedding report from Amina and photos by Sansom Photography!

Ben and Amina’s vintage English & French country chic wedding

Who proposed, and how?

We were doing a long distance relationship at that time, Ben lived in Leeds and I lived in London so our weekends were precious. On one of our weekends in London just over a year ago Ben proposed at the top of the Oxo Tower.

See more...