The English Wedding Directory – a special birthday offer for suppliers!

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I’m officially another year older, and feeling on top of the world… yesterday was my birthday and I took a day off to disappear into nature for some lovely Lake District adventures with fabulous food, pampering and exploring. It was fab!!! So today I’m feeling the love and would like to share a special offer with all of you wedding suppliers out there!

Image credit: Laura Calderwood Photography

Join the English Wedding Directory and save £10 this week (offer ends on Sunday)

The English Wedding Directory is thriving. I’m so pleased to be able to use the blog to matchmake brides and grooms with all of my fave wedding suppliers. Over the last couple of weeks we’ve welcomed more photographers to the blog – I’ve introduced them all on our Facebook page, but if any of you missed those updates they’re here. Do check them out – they’re great people and true talents which make me so proud of our UK wedding industry! See more...

Wild English Rose wedding inspiration at Findon Manor Hotel, with Lily & Lavender Events

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Images by Maria D’Souza Photography | Words and wedding styling by Lily & Lavender Events

Findon Manor Hotel is one of those venues that instantly hugs you as you walk in! It’s full of Old English charm – original wood floors adorn all its intimate and elegant rooms and there is a roaring open fire that welcomes you in the front reception room. It was love at first sight for me so when they invited me to do a styled shoot there I jumped at the chance.

It was easy to go for a Wild English Rose inspiration when it came to picking a theme – I imagined bursts of colour, wild, pretty countryside florals, quintessentially English details, mixed with gold and jewel tones for that luxe and stylish (and unstuffy) look.

5 super useful tips for styling a beautiful English barn wedding

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Barns make beautiful, versatile wedding venues and the way they are styled can make all the difference to the feel of your barn wedding! Whilst some are new and purpose built venues or have been dramatically renovated most were built with very different intentions, so whilst having lots of character they can appear cold or agricultural which may not be the look that you are going for.

Images: Oobaloos Wedding Photography | Words & styling: Daisy Says I Do

1. Adding softening textures to barn spaces

The super high ceilings add dramatic scale but bring intimacy back into your style and to soften the structure consider hanging sculptures, lighting or foliage at the height of the beams, there are so many exciting options within any theme which can make your style unique and create a big statement or add softness to the building.

2. Making a big floral statement

A barn can absorb decor and the items that you thought would feel big suddenly don’t have the same impact in a barn. Large arrangements of flowers and foliage look great against a characterful barn backdrop. See more...

Managing your wedding stationery expectations and sticking to a sensible budget for beautiful invitations

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Do you have a vision for your perfect wedding invitations? Are you collecting images you love on Pinterest, but leaving it until 6 months or so before your wedding to place an order? Or do you think DIY-ing your invites will save you money? (And surely it can’t be that hard, right?)

I’ve been a wedding calligrapher for 12 years. I’ve made bespoke invites, launched my own collections and helped hundreds of brides and grooms find their perfect stationery. I’ve also seen thousands of invitations cross my desk from letterpress companies, high street brands and little independent wedding invitation designers.

But I’m lucky – I get to see (and make!) your stationery: I don’t have to find something for my own wedding. It’s hard – for some of you it will be way more complicated than you think. You’ll need to make compromises, scale back your expectations… or maybe be surprised when you find invitations which are less expensive than you thought they could be!

Navy and gold meets nature – wedding style inspiration from Hardwick Hall

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This exceptional styled shoot was put together by a group of extremely talented and inspirational East Midlands Wedding specialists. In collaboration with Honeysuckle & Castle, the main objective was to launch and represent the two different styles of outdoor wedding receptions on offer at the magnificent Hardwick Hall. Built by Bess of Hardwick, this historic National Trust Elizabethan Palace is a hidden gem of a wedding venue. It is elegantly set within luscious acres of extensive parkland and fine gardens that overlook the rolling beautiful Derbyshire countryside. The atmospheric Great Entrance Hall is licensed to hold civil ceremonies and partnerships, followed by a magical outdoor reception fit for a Queen in the exclusive East Court Garden and quaint Wine Glass Meadow.

Two equally stunning styles were featured in this shoot. To showcase the diversity of this awesome venue, one was created in a tipi and the other in a marquee, which we’ll feature on the English Wedding Blog in a couple of weeks! Both tents were nestled at the rear of the Hall and encapsulated what a happy couple could achieve on their wedding day. See more...

Write the loveliest place names you’ve ever seen! Online calligraphy workshop offer with By Moon & Tide

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I ask brides and grooms whose weddings we feature where they spent more, and where they saved. Often couples splash out on the venue and save by making their own stationery. I personally think if you can invest a little time into making your own beautiful on-the-day stationery, it’s so worth it!

So today I have a sneak peek of an affordable (it’s only £25) online calligraphy workshop for creative brides and grooms to share with you. Calligraphy is a beautiful way to turn simple stationery pieces into little treasures. And the modern styles aren’t really that hard to learn!

If you’re creative and ready for a new adventure, Making Beautiful Letters is for you!

Sign up for the online workshops for £25 today!

The online workshop is for absolute beginners and it’s really easy to get started. You’ll learn the tips and tricks of modern calligraphy at your own pace, with a new video tutorial delivered by email every week. See more...

Ivet and Elliot’s chic destination wedding with the loveliest green accents, images by Martin Dabek Photography

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Elliot and Ivet live in Scotland, have friends and family all around the world, and chose to be married in January. They had the most beautiful sunshine for their Algarve wedding – it’s a stunning destination and I’m totally in love with the scenery and dramatic portrait shots from their day.

Contact & Bookings: Martin Dabek Photography

http://martindabek.com
Facebook.com/CreativeBristolWeddingPhotographer
Instagram.com/martin_dabek_photography
Pinterest.com/bristolwedding
Twitter.com/martindabek

Martin is a family friend, who had previously done our friends and families weddings in the past.

Martin’s professional and very kind attitude really made us feel comfortable. He has a way of bringing fresh ideas into something you yourself already had in mind. Because of this Martin Dabek has a very personal and human touch surrounding the work that he does and the shots he takes.

We were amazed and extremely happy. We first saw our photos when Martin sent us a video montage of the highlights of the wedding with a beautiful backing track. They were even better than we had imagined!

Inspiration for your barn style marquee wedding, with Tilly’s and Heather Jackson Photography

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Wedding fairs can either be a lovely day out with your Mum and bridesmaids… or a hellish frenzy of wedding salespeople pushing teeth whitening…. it’s why I’ve deliberately avoided the big shows for the last few years. But some do it beautifully. I do believe a wedding fair should be a welcoming day full of ideas – these days it’s all about the experience and I wanted to show you some photos of how it can be done well!

So welcome (virtually) to Tilly’s Garden Party Hire! Tilly’s have an amazing large marquee with a barn wall end, which is different from the norm and has a relaxed countryside look. They invited a bunch of suppliers – one from each section of the industry – to set up the venue like a wedding day, to give couples the vision and inspiration of what their day could look like.

Lovely Heather Jackson Photography captured the day on camera and I love that we can bring this pretty wedding fair to life for you on the blog – huge thanks to Heather for sharing it with us! See more...

Special birthday offer for new blog sponsors – one month only!

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How was your long weekend? I had plans to have a leisurely working day yesterday which turned out to be more about walking on the beach than blogging! But it’s almost my birthday and I’m of a mind to take things easy this week… especially while the sun is beaming down on the beautiful Lake District where I live. We have blogging plans afoot (check out the new shop and Directory) – and I know my inbox is yelling at me – but I wanted to share a special offer for any of you lovely creative wedding suppliers out there.

Deliciously personal, handcrafted calligraphy wedding invites. Photo Jenny Heyworth for Aspire Photography Training (2)

Are you fully booked for the summer months? Are you ready to take bookings for the winter, or into 2018? Do you need a little boost with your SEO? Then I can help.

The English Wedding Blog is all about matchmaking amazing suppliers with brides and grooms. See more...

Sarah and John’s eclectic and elegant English wedding at Elmore Court, with Dale Stephens Photography

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Today’s wedding is just pure inspiration: I fell head over heels for the flowers and styling of the day, and I adore Sarah and John’s wedding look. Elmore Court is wonderful, and the Gillyflower is the loveliest space for a relaxed and stylish wedding reception.

“The flowers were rich with added feathers and ribbons – for all bouquets. Over all very elegant styling in the stately home, sympathetic to its surroundings…with the added twist of balloons to break up the decor. The Gillyflower was more eclectic with animal vases, brass candlesticks, wooded vases and copper hurricane lights. Our florist/stylist mastered our vision and it could not have been more perfect: Rachel Flowers – The March Hare Floral Design http://www.marchhare.co.uk

We hired lights and other parts of decor, the stately home really spoke for itself and needed very little styling. The Gillyflower we tried to keep things within the same design fold and not introduce too many differing elements. Etsy was a HUGE help, this was our second wedding within a month so we were really busy with details which totally paid off. See more...

Wedding blogs: pretty inspiration and fluff, or a place to source your suppliers?

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I’m a bit of an Instagram junkie, I admit. I also have weekends where I binge on Pinterest – once I start, I just can’t stop. If I was planning my own wedding I’d end up in some sort of ‘Pursue Pretty’ rehab. Is it just me?

I have been reading some of the interviews you’ve been sending in for wedding features – I’m so lucky to have such amazing girls and guys getting involved in the blog, and soooo many amazing weddings to share! – and I love how everyone finds their suppliers in different ways.

But did you know the English Wedding Blog is designed to matchmake you with amazing (local) suppliers?

Nicola told me “I read lots of blogs and did a lot of Pinteresting for inspiration, but Instagram was brilliant for finding local suppliers and seeing real life images of their work.”

Gothic Glamour with luxe reds, grey and gold – a styled inspiration shoot at Carlton Towers

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Picture yourselves as Lord and Lady of the manor – glamming things up in the finest style with your loved ones for the wedding of the century… today’s fabulously decadent inspiration shoot is for all the glamorous guys and girls out there. I LOVE those dark table settings and the protea bouquet – just divine!

Gothic and glamorous wedding inspo from Carlton House in Yorkshire with Laura Calderwood Photography (19)

Words & images are by lovely Laura Calderwood Photography

Gothic and glamorous wedding inspo from Carlton House in Yorkshire with Laura Calderwood Photography (29)

Words I would use to describe this shoot are glamorous, gothic, chic, romantic, feminine, and dramatic. Delicate fabrics with lots of fine details and soft flowing layers. Dark and striking make up looks; curls and waves in simple but stunning styles. Elegant and spectacularly detailed cakes and hand drawn calligraphy. All in a colour palette of deep, passionate reds and burgundy mixed with greys, gold and subtle pinks. Heaven!

Gothic and glamorous wedding inspo from Carlton House in Yorkshire with Laura Calderwood Photography (31)

Carlton Towers is an incredible country house sitting in 250 acres of Yorkshire parkland. The grand Victorian exterior has a definite Downton Abbey feel to it, with a touch of Hogwarts magic! Inside all of the rooms are stunning, from the phenomenal ceilings and brass chandeliers, to the elaborately carved woodwork and fireplaces. See more...

7 simple clues to finding the wedding venue of your dreams!

Rebecca and John’s natural, fun and family-focused wedding at Appletreewick Craven Arms, with York Place Studios

Katie & Paul’s beautiful summer wedding with vibrant florals, photos by Nicola Norton Photography

New sponsor welcome! Howell Jones photography

Rugged and beautiful tipi wedding inspiration from Cornwall

Rosie and Dom’s gorgeous autumnal Royal Albert Memorial Museum wedding, with Lee Maxwell Photography

A beautiful celebration – Farhaa and Ferd’s Ariana Gardens wedding, with Emily Black Photography

The English Wedding Directory – a special birthday offer for suppliers!

Join the English Wedding Directory and save £10 this week (offer ends on Sunday)

Wild English Rose wedding inspiration at Findon Manor Hotel, with Lily & Lavender Events

5 super useful tips for styling a beautiful English barn wedding

1. Adding softening textures to barn spaces

2. Making a big floral statement

Managing your wedding stationery expectations and sticking to a sensible budget for beautiful invitations

Navy and gold meets nature – wedding style inspiration from Hardwick Hall

Write the loveliest place names you’ve ever seen! Online calligraphy workshop offer with By Moon & Tide

Sign up for the online workshops for £25 today!

Ivet and Elliot’s chic destination wedding with the loveliest green accents, images by Martin Dabek Photography

Contact & Bookings: Martin Dabek Photography

Inspiration for your barn style marquee wedding, with Tilly’s and Heather Jackson Photography

Sarah and John’s eclectic and elegant English wedding at Elmore Court, with Dale Stephens Photography

Wedding blogs: pretty inspiration and fluff, or a place to source your suppliers?

But did you know the English Wedding Blog is designed to matchmake you with amazing (local) suppliers?

Gothic Glamour with luxe reds, grey and gold – a styled inspiration shoot at Carlton Towers

Instagram – @englishweddingblog

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

Join the English Wedding Directory and save £10 this week (offer ends on Sunday)

1. Adding softening textures to barn spaces

2. Making a big floral statement

Contact & Bookings: Martin Dabek Photography

Are you fully booked for the summer months? Are you ready to take bookings for the winter, or into 2018? Do you need a little boost with your SEO? Then I can help.

But did you know the English Wedding Blog is designed to matchmake you with amazing (local) suppliers?

Instagram – @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?