Rianna and Will’s beautiful Houchins Farm wedding, with James Richard Photography

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Essex farm wedding blog with images by James Richard Photography (17)

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I love the atmosphere of this wedding – the love and especially the laughter and enjoyment comes across so strongly in Rianna and Will’s images – it’s all just gorgeous and totally captivating. This wedding was sent in by James Richard Photography – we think he’s amazing!

This is a wedding with more of a personal touch than so many – yes, Rianna & Will made individual potted succulent wedding favours for their 100 guests, but as lovely as that is, there’s more. The wedding dress was made and designed by Rianna and her mum. It’s wonderfully pretty, a perfect fit – and the loveliest and most meaningful thing I think I’ve ever seen since the English Wedding Blog was born.

The venue is Houchins Farm, flowers are by Lauren Wilson, and Rianna’s hair and make up (she looks stunning!) are by Knot Your Average Bride.

Wedding photographer’s website:

https://www.jamesrichardphotography.co.uk/ See more...

How to use purple accents for vibrant and elegant wedding styling

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Purple wedding ideas for 2019 with Photography by Kathryn (24)

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Happy Friday lovelies! I’m packing my little suitcase and trundling my way off to the big city soon for tomorrow’s calligraphy workshop (so excited!!), but before I go I am doing a little happy dance because I can finally share this gorgeous editorial shoot with you. If you love purple, you’ll adore this. If you don’t love purple… give it a minute, because you soon will! This is elegant, feminine, beautiful and contemporary wedding styling from a super talented group of Yorkshire wedding creatives. Lovely Gill from Planned With Gill has shared it with us today and written a little to inspire us too! Enjoy. C xxx

Embracing the dynamism of ultraviolet, the Pantone colour of the year, in your wedding theme could be a challenge, right? Well think again! This shoot, planned and styled by Gillian Neild at plannedwithgill.co.uk with her team of Yorkshire creatives shows us just how easy it is to embrace one of the hottest trends of 2018. The shoot was captured by Kathryn Widdowson from Photography by Kathryn. See more...

From the English Wedding Directory… romantic wedding films by HD Moments

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Calling all London brides and grooms… actually – this is for all of you gorgeous couples out there who are having a destination wedding in Europe or around the UK! If you’ve been planning your wedding for a while you’re bound to have heard couples saying their wedding film was the best decision they made (or perhaps not having one was their only wedding day regret) – it’s something I hear over and over again. So today, I thought I’d share a beautiful showreel from our friends at HD Moments as a gentle reminder of how much a wedding film could mean to you!

“HD Moments is a guarantee of the highest quality and professional approach. By choosing HD Moments wedding videos, you will receive a precious film that will bring many positive emotions for years to come.”

HD Moments are experienced wedding film makers, having worked in many cultural circles, understanding the flow of different religious and civil ceremonies. See more...

Me.

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I don’t really talk about me much, so I thought maybe I should come out from hiding behind my screen and tell you / show you who I am and a little bit more about me! Feel free to ignore if you’re looking for wedding dress inspo… but please read on if you’d like me to make your wedding invitations!

Hi! I’m Claire. I write the English Wedding Blog. This is me.

That was the path to the beach, which starts at the end of the road my house is on. I spend a lot of time there and pretend it’s on the way to the post office. It isn’t – the post office is ten minutes walk away but I go the scenic (beach) way which takes twenty.

This is my desk. This is where I’m sat writing the blog right now. I don’t have a laptop – my old one got a bit burny one day so I upgraded to a device which I can only work on while I’m sat at my desk. It helps work life balance a LOT! See more...

Lucy & Adam’s elegant and special day at Elmore Court, with Dale Stephens Photography

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Pretty wedding styling with images by Dale Stephens Photography on the English Wedding Blog (30)

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Elegance, glamour and the most romantic looking wedding… this is all just so wonderful, and I LOVE everything about gorgeous Lucy and Adam’s Elmore Court wedding – I only wish I’d been there to see the first dance! (Cracking song choice, guys!) Here’s an inspiring, emotional and stunning wedding to brighten your Wednesday, everyone… You’re welcome!

Our wedding venue is so beautiful it didn’t need much decoration, but we did use Lauradana from Wedding Creations to help style and she did an amazing job!

Pretty wedding styling with images by Dale Stephens Photography on the English Wedding Blog (13)

Images by Elmore Court wedding photographer Dale Stephens Photography

Our style evolved as I did more and more research and spent hours on pinterest. I wanted something uber romantic, but personal at the same time. I was insistent that we had lots of candles in mercury jars which created the perfect romantic ambiance. The venue was so beautiful that we wanted it to speak for itself so I went for quite a neutral colour scheme, lots of creams and blush with a little bit of sparkle on the bridesmaids dresses. I love champagne, so we had the tables named after different types of champagne and we supplied a lot during the day! See more...

From the English Wedding Directory… happiness captured by Sarah Williams Photography

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Wiltshire and Sussex wedding photographer Sarah Williams on the English Wedding Blog (1)

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Time is absolutely flying by this year, don’t you think?! I stumbled across this stunning botanical photoshoot today and fell head over heels for Sarah Williams Photography all over again. Sarah’s a member of the English Wedding Directory and I’m looking forward to showing you some of her beautiful weddings later in the year.

If you’re getting married in Sussex or Wiltshire – or pretty much anywhere in the UK! – and you’re looking for a wedding photographer then Sarah would love to be a part of your day if she can. She describes herself as someone who “loves to capture happiness!” – and the joy shines from her pictures, truly.

“One of the things I love the most about photographing weddings is getting to meet so many lovely couples and sharing a journey with them. From the planning stages of their wedding right through to the day itself, I always feel very honoured to be chosen to share my couple’s special day.
I photograph weddings with a reportage style, capturing natural, unposed images of your wedding day. My approach is non-intrusive which helps me to tell the true story of your special day, allowing you to enjoy yourself and most importantly have fun! I am based on the South coast and travel all over the UK and beyond so please do get in touch!” See more...

Why do wedding blogs say no? 10 reasons why your submission might have been rejected

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Our fave Northbrook Park wedding of the year! Images by Married to my Camera (19)

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This article is for all of the wedding photographers out there who would love to be featured (more) on wedding blogs.

I had an email chat with a lovely photographer last week – she submitted a wedding which wasn’t quite right for publication at that time. I explained why (as I always try to do) and she thanked me, saying often she got no feedback from bloggers. I wanted to try and explain in more detail why submitted weddings and shoots might be declined by wedding bloggers.

Note: I can’t speak for all wedding bloggers – we’re all different and have different selection criteria. But do read on: some of these are common sense and will apply to every wedding blogger.

1. ‘Fit’

Every blog has its look and philosophy. If you don’t know the blog and understand what is usually featured, your submission could be a waste of time. Some blogs are very niche; for example Rock n Roll Bride and Love My Dress feature very different wedding styles. Know where your wedding will fit before submitting. See more...

Hayley and Gilley’s historical barn wedding, with Gemma Giorgio Photography

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Vintage wedding ideas at The Great Lodge Essex with Gemma Giorgio Photography (38)

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Handcrafted styling touches and dried flowers bring an already characterful old barn to life in this fabulously creative Essex wedding. I adore Hayley’s vintage style tea dress with pretty lace… she looks stunning! Check out the bouquets… handmade paper roses made of newspaper with delicate babies breath all around – they’re so different and pretty!

I enjoy crafts and sewing as a hobby already and as we had a 2 year engagement, I was able to make a lot of things myself. I’m a big Harry Potter nerd and my husband loves Terry Pratchett books so I incorporated book pages into a lot of things; the seating plan, bunting, confetti to sprinkle on the tables and I made paper roses and turned them into my bouquets and boutonnieres.

The barn already had some lovely original beams and other features, so even without any decoration it was gorgeous. We booked the venue as a blank canvas and decided to do the styling and decorations ourselves, it didn’t need too much though, it was pretty much just as much as we wanted to do. See more...

Choosing the perfect classic car for your wedding – 10 tips for creative brides and grooms

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Cowdray estate wedding with sunflowers, images by Joanna Cleeve Photography (9)

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Arriving in style to your wedding is an integral part of the look and feel of the day. Maybe you prefer an understated ride up in a vintage Mercedes, want to go all out luxury with a classic Rolls-Royce, or fancy turning heads in a noisy Mustang. Whatever the car you choose, there’s no doubt it’ll play a big part in your wedding day.

Whether you’re the kind of person to choose a traditional wedding car or you like to think out-of-the-box, here are some tips for choosing the perfect classic for your wedding.

Contemporary English wedding with a Kula Tsurdiu bride, images by Martin Makowski Photography on the English Wedding Blog (8)

Photo credit: Martin Makowski, from Tig & Piers’ stunning English wedding

Consider your theme

The theme of your wedding and the look your after in photos could dictate the kind of car you choose. If you’re going for something very traditional, look for a Rolls-Royce, Bentley or Jaguar. These will give you that typical wedding car look when decked out with ribbons and matching flowers.

Gate Street Barn wedding blog with Jessica Grace Photography (8)

Image by Jessica Grace Photography from Hana & Alex’s gorgeous Gate Street Barn wedding See more...

The best string quartets for classic English weddings

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find string quartets for your UK wedding

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Whether you’re getting married under the arched beams of a church or in the serene surrounds of a stately home, there’s nothing like a wedding string quartet to provide the perfect romantic soundtrack to your quintessential English wedding. Just imagine the moment you walk down the aisle – or watch your spouse-to-be walking towards you – as a quartet of classical musicians take up their instruments and perform an achingly beautiful piece of music. There won’t be a dry eye in the house.

The harmonies created by expertly played violin, viola and cello stir the emotions like no other instruments. For centuries composers have taken advantage of the magic created when these musical instruments are performed in unison, giving you a treasure trove of gorgeous music to choose from to accompany your wedding ceremony.

If you’re not classically inclined, that doesn’t mean you can’t hire a wedding string quartet. Modern string ensembles are made up of versatile musicians who play arrangements of pop, rock, jazz, film and TV music just as well as they play the classics. This versatility means you can customise your wedding music to suit your theme, tastes and personality as a couple. See more...

Rich and opulent wedding styling from Balcombe Place, West Sussex

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Before I tell you about today’s gorgeous feature, I think perhaps I should mention tomorrow. My inbox is full to bursting with royal wedding spam… the media is going into overdrive (ooooh, so many comments, opinions and criticisms of weddings! Please, make it stop!) but until now I’ve mentioned nothing about the royal wedding on the English Wedding Blog. Why? Well, I’m just not a fan of the royal family! sorry everyone! – so this week is very much business as usual (with gorgeous inspiration and real weddings) on the blog every day. This morning I wanted to share a shoot I’ve had up my sleeve for far too long… it’s beautiful, atmospheric and wonderfully inspiring. I hope you love it!

Styling and words by Sussex & Surrey wedding planner Susie Evans | Images by Gosia Grant

I came across this venue several months ago by accident really at the start of its renovation to bring its beauty and history back to life. Rather than waffle on about it here, it will probably be easier to have a read over on their new website that launched this week – www.balcombeplace.com See more...

Sarah and Omair’s gorgeous Hampden House wedding, with S2 Images

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Beautiful Buckinghamshire wedding with photos by S2 Photography (34)

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When I first started out as a wedding calligrapher I illustrated Hampden House by hand for a bride and groom’s wedding table plan! When I saw it in Omair and Sarah’s wedding pictures today I knew it instantly: a glorious venue, unique and instantly recognisable… and perfect for this loveliest of couples! I love everything about their day (I’d love to see pics from their Asian wedding on the Sunday too, but today we’re focusing on the traditional English celebration) – the elegant styling, vibrant florals and oodles of romance from beginning to end. It’s all just so magical! Images are by fabulous Warwickshire wedding photographers and English Wedding Directory members S2 Images.

We have different religions, backgrounds, heritages and we wanted to represent all of that. But most importantly represent our relationship so celebrating bringing all these elements together which we decided to do over a weekend rather than in one day. We had two main events so most things were duplicated; two venues, two sets of outfits, two cakes, two caterers. But we didn’t want to simply repeat one day so we had different traditions incorporated over the weekend so there was always something new. See more...

Our garden was our venue! Nick & Amanda’s countryside wedding with Siobhan H Photography

A unique and beautiful wedding gift idea – Bestroke

Lilyanna and Chris’s beautiful English wedding in Essex, with Rebecca Louise Photography

Grooms: Here’s How to Shop for Your Perfect Wedding Suit

Tropical Inspiration for a Victorian Orangery in London, with Amanda Karen Photography

Jen & Adam’s relaxed boho wedding at Houchins Farm, with Kathryn Hopkins Photography

Suzie & Jonny’s simple, classic and timeless Lancashire wedding, with Rachel Joyce Photography