How wedding discounts sites are killing wedding businesses and stifling creativity

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Wedding discounts websites annoy the hell out of me. I know I’m not alone in this – sites like Vowscher peddling cheap-as-chips wedding deals are misleading couples and harming small businesses. Please don’t use them!

Cheap wedding discounts and the damage they cause

Oooh… “she’s a bit ranty today”, I hear you say. But not without reason, I promise! Cheap wedding deals are all very well in theory, until you understand the mechanics of wedding discount websites. And the stories I’ve been hearing about how they work have turned my stomach, to be honest.

So what’s so terrible about cheap wedding discounts sites?

1. You get what you pay for! If something is cheap, it’s cheap for a reason. Items may be poor quality, or there may be a catch. Always check the small print before you buy, and always, always ask for a sample when buying wedding stationery or similar items online. See more...

Two minutes of your time – marriage equality

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I find it alarming that we’re no closer to equality in marriage. The mainstream media ignore the issues of homophobia in marriage, until an outspoken bishop or politician speaks out against equality.

From the Peter Tatchell Foundation: “Within the next four weeks, the government is expected to announce its response to the public consultation on legalising same-sex marriage. The consultation resulted in a staggering 228,000 responses; many of them hostile to equal marriage.”

This morning I emailed the Equalities Minister Maria Miller. It took me two minutes.

I truly believe that English Wedding Blog readers – and all UK wedding blog readers – are open-minded, fair and kind people. We all (surely?) believe that equality is important. So I urge you to spend the same two minutes emailing Maria Miller in support of equality in marriage.

Find out more and copy a template email

Feminine and elegant bridesmaid dresses from Tephi

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These beautifully designed bridesmaids dresses almost floated into my inbox today… I have shared them as quickly as I possibly could! They’re from Tephi, a small, luxury bespoke design studio founded by Francesca Grievson & based in London.

Tephi is becoming increasingly popular as a choice for both wedding and bridesmaids’ dresses, and offers clients the chance to either choose pieces straight off the rail, or alternatively to either amend and alter existing designs in the collection, or design something totally unique.

Alternative bridesmaid dresses from Tephi

All Tephi dresses are unapologetically feminine and elegant, with a luxe, contemporary feel. Only the highest quality fabrics are used, and dresses are handmade and handfinished in a London studio.

Wedding dresses from Tephi, London

Tephi offers a bespoke bridal dress design service, which allows brides to be to quite literally create the wedding dress of their dreams. The design possibilities are endless, and numerous fitting appointments are scheduled to ensure that the end result fits like a glove. See more...

Share your sunny weddings with us!

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A little sigh as I look out of my window here at English Wedding Blog HQ this afternoon… it’s bright, but I’m missing sunshine. I’d like your help to bring it back! I know there are some gloriously sunny weddings out there I haven’t seen – and there’s a place for them on English Wedding Blog!

sunny wedding photography by Jonny Draper

A gloriously sunny wedding at home – photo credit Jonny Draper. Click the image to see the full wedding on the blog!

So brides and grooms, wedding photographers, wedding planners and wedding film makers… if you have something to share and you haven’t got in touch yet, I’m looking for some sunshine and a delicious bit of lens flare to grace the pages of English Wedding Blog. Show me what you’ve got! Email info@english-wedding.com or add a comment below with a link for me to come and see your sunny wedding blog posts!

Let’s escape back to summer and sunshine together shall we?

Claire x

A glorious vintage broadway wedding in Preston

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I love the couples whose weddings I can share on this blog, I truly do! Richard and Katey are fantastic – both absolutely gorgeous and the loveliest people. Here’s proof for you – when I asked for wedding day advice Richard and Katey suggested this little gem:

“The day should be about the marriage, not just the fuss afterwards, remember why you are making the commitment to begin with and embrace it.”

A beautiful sentiment from a lovely couple – and one I’d reiterate with every blog post if I thought for a second you didn’t know it already! But of course, this being a wedding blog there are as many gorgeous details as there are magical moments. Katey wears Jenny Packham, Richard looks amazing in Duchamp. Their vintage broadway wedding theme included the most amazing tickets as escort cards and – oh, yes – a red Cadillac to take Katey to church. See more...

New wedding shoes from Rainbow Club

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I was never a shoe kind of girl until I started writing English Wedding Blog – but the last three years have taught me to appreciate heels and toes, shimmer and sparkle, and everything else about wedding shoes… so much so, I could wear some gorgeous little ivory heels just for blogging.

Tanya wedding shoes from the Rainbow Club 2013 collection

However – I’m dreaming, it’s cold and I have slipper boots on – this blog post is about you, not me. As much as I’d like to slip my toes into a few of these, I know you’ll be looking for wedding shoes to walk down the aisle, to say ‘I do’ and to dance in. So let’s have a look at the new 2013 collection from Rainbow Club this morning, shall we?

Rainbow Club collections – wedding shoes for 2013

These new shoe designs – which will be available online very soon this month – are from the Rainbow Club collection. The shoes are pretty and stylish and this is a fashion forward collection offering supreme comfort and style. See more...

Victorian luxury with a personal twist: Durham Castle wedding

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Oh, don’t worry – there’s more to today’s English Wedding Blog post than a first dance photo… but this one had to come first: how captivating and romantic a moment and an image is this?! You’re going to love this Durham Castle Wedding, I promise!

With every wedding I blog, I ask the couple to share their favourite moments from the day. Their responses are what sets each wedding apart. Jenn’s reply stopped me in my tracks:

“Sitting at the top table with my new husband, looking around at all the people who mean most to us & feeling full up with love.”

This is what weddings are all about. Not the details, not the planning, not the dress or the readings or even the ring. The love. I hope you’ll enjoy today’s blog post for what it’s truly about: volumes of love which sing higher than anything else you’ll see today.

With photographs by Holden & Jones, and a fantastic wedding report by gorgeous couple Chrissy and Jenn. Enjoy! (I know you will!)
See more...

Are you watching Kirstie’s Vintage Home? Watch carefully!

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This quick blog post is a little late in coming, I admit – but I’ve only just spotted my little thank you email from Kirstie’s production team and had to share it, even if it’s late! So this is from Kirstie’s Vintage Home…

We are delighted to announce that Channel 4’s Kirstie’s Vintage Home is scheduled to be broadcast on Thursday 8th of November at 8pm on Channel 4. Thank you so much for taking part and we hope that you enjoyed being part of the filming experience
Kind Regards,
Lorna

The vintage wedding episode is going to be my favourite! Watch it carefully… I’m not in it, but I’m guessing and hoping from the email that my calligraphy will be on your screens! My huge thanks to Kirstie, to Jamie who helped organise the calligraphy, and to Lorna for the lovely email.

Very excited… Thursday nights are my favourite ones already, but when it comes to the wedding episode I’ll be peeking nervously from behind my sofa to see if my writing will be on!

What will your first dance song be?

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Hello again everyone, it’s lovely and quiet here today and I’m enjoying a little time playing with my calligraphy pens to create new wedding readings, poems and gifts for Christmas. But I need your help! What have you chosen for your first dance song?

Photo credit: Phil Drinkwater Photography http://www.phildweddingphotography.co.uk/

I’d like to write a collection of first dance songs in calligraphy but I’m not the world’s biggest Michael Buble fan… my tastes run more to the alternative!

I asked on facebook last week and had some fantastic suggestions from friends with very cool taste in music! See the full list here. I ended up printing and writing out some Johnny Cash and Elvis lyrics, both of which I’d never heard before. Thank you to Bekki and Zoe for suggesting those! I also have Green Day (who’d have thought?!) and some more Van Morrison on my list to write – thanks to Chris and Catriona for those two. See more...

A quick word about confidence and being photographed

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Hello there! I hope you’re having a wonderful day so far. I wanted to share a few thoughts with you – from the heart and from my own experience this last few weeks.

I know so many people who are nervous about having their picture taken, especially brides and grooms. It’s very easy to see why – it feels quite strange sometimes to be the centre of attention, especially if you’re not used to being photographed.

How to love having your picture taken!

If you’re not looking forward to having your picture taken on your wedding day, then I really hope this article will help you embrace the prospect and enjoy the experience of being photographed at your wedding.

As I type (this post was scheduled a little in advance!) I’ve just come back from a photoshoot at the seaside with my lovely friends Chris and Claire Hanley (www.ChrisHanleyPhotography.com). It’s the third shoot Chris has done for me – and this time while I was nervous I was also really excited about having my picture taken. See more...

New sponsor welcome: Berkshire wedding photographer Martin Price

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I’m going to knock your socks off with a single wedding photograph this afternoon. Or – really I can’t take credit: this comes from my newest lovely sponsor Martin Price Photography. Here – how magical is this?!

Martin Price Berkshire wedding photographer

Wedding photo credit: Martin Price Photography, Berkshire

Berkshire wedding photographer Martin Price

I thought you’d like it. And for those of you who saw me throw it onto my facebook page in a flurry of excitement earlier in the week, here’s another beauty:

Wedding photography from Wasing Park by Martin Price Photography

It goes without saying that I’m absolutely over the moon to have Martin Price Photography join English Wedding Blog as a sponsor. Martin is a documentary wedding photographer, and explained to me how he loves “to capture weddings unfolding before my eyes, in their real and natural state. I love working with couples to create a timeless story of photographs, shot in my signature clean, bright style.”

Please have a look at some more of Martin’s beautiful images on his English Wedding Showcase Page, and visit his website at http://www.martinpricephotography.co.uk/ for information and bookings. See more...

Peacocks and tartan – vintage wedding style with a unique twist!

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And no, it’s not kilts this time! Today’s vintage wedding inspiration shoot is all about the decor and inspired by a crazy gorgeous bridal look from A’lissia Couture in Cheltenham.

It shows how to create an opulent bridal look with flowers, cakes and stationery. Discover how to create a vintage wedding look but add elements such as tartan or peacock feathers to give your wedding a unique twist!

This inspiration shoot was sent in by Ruth from Finesse Planning in Gloucestershire. All images are by www.bullitphotography.co.uk. Suppliers are listed at the end of this post – enjoy!

“As a wedding planner I often see unusual elements for weddings but a specific dress made with a unique green and yellow tartan material created by A’lissia Couture in Cheltenham caught my eye straight away. I knew then that I wanted to do a photo shoot featuring the dress. Then the opportunity arose to create a photo shoot at a new wedding venue, Blaisdon Hall so I contacted A’lissia Couture. For the theme of the shoot, albeit I usually stay away from vintage wedding styles, on this occasion both the dress and the venue leant itself perfectly to a Victoriana theme. See more...

Yasmin & Mark’s chic modern Kent wedding with Honeydew Moments

Rustic, elegant and sustainable wedding invitations from By Moon & Tide Calligraphy

Modern Elegance with vibrant florals and moody blues

A cherry blossom explosion for Maryanne & Adam’s beautiful Chippenham Park Hall wedding, with images by Nick + Maria

Maisie & David’s beautifully simple Bristol wedding, with Joab Smith Photography

Elegant, floral and ethical French abbey editorial

Charlotte & Alex’s unique and eclectic marquee wedding, with Simon Biffen Photography

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How wedding discounts sites are killing wedding businesses and stifling creativity

Cheap wedding discounts and the damage they cause

So what’s so terrible about cheap wedding discounts sites?

Two minutes of your time – marriage equality

Feminine and elegant bridesmaid dresses from Tephi

Alternative bridesmaid dresses from Tephi

Wedding dresses from Tephi, London

Share your sunny weddings with us!

A glorious vintage broadway wedding in Preston

New wedding shoes from Rainbow Club

Rainbow Club collections – wedding shoes for 2013

Victorian luxury with a personal twist: Durham Castle wedding

Are you watching Kirstie’s Vintage Home? Watch carefully!

What will your first dance song be?

A quick word about confidence and being photographed

How to love having your picture taken!

New sponsor welcome: Berkshire wedding photographer Martin Price

Berkshire wedding photographer Martin Price

Peacocks and tartan – vintage wedding style with a unique twist!

englishweddingblog

Would you like to get exclusive offers, exciting
updates and wedding blog sneak peeks by email?

Cheap wedding discounts and the damage they cause

So what’s so terrible about cheap wedding discounts sites?

Alternative bridesmaid dresses from Tephi

Wedding dresses from Tephi, London

Rainbow Club collections – wedding shoes for 2013

How to love having your picture taken!

Berkshire wedding photographer Martin Price

englishweddingblog

Would you like to get exclusive offers, exciting updates and wedding blog sneak peeks by email?

Would you like to get exclusive offers, exciting
updates and wedding blog sneak peeks by email?