The wedding is of the fabulous Kate and Tony Marr who had their new yeras eve wedding at Archbishops Palace, Maistone, Kent with the reception at The Moat, Wrotham, Kent. They had a small ceremony of 40 people and then in the evening there was an extra 30, ‘all our closest friends and family were there and we got to talk to everyone.’
Kate and Tony describe their day as ‘A detailed, down-to-earth, DIY day. It was a fantastic day and the best start ever to a New Year!’

The wedding is jam packed with personality and personal details. Kate spent a HUGE amount of time basically making pretty much everything for the wedding, She put so much fo her heart and soul into making the wedding totally ‘them’ that it really does go towards making their day even more special!

How they met
We met on facebook of all places! We only lived half hour away from each other and had so much in common. We spoke for about a month before we finally met and it was pretty serious from the start. We quickly decided to buy our first house together and moved in 6 months after being together. It’s now been 3 years and I’m grateful facebook was invented!!

The Propsal
We’d discussed getting married so I knew it was on the cards, although we’d not long got back from holiday so I was expecting it whilst we were away. It was bonfire weekend, November 2010 and we’d tried to go watch a fireworks display but it was so busy we couldn’t park so just ended up driving around trying to watch it out of the car window. We decided this wasn’t really working so headed home to watch fireworks from our garden! During the display Tony got down on one knee and asked me to marry him!

The Wedding Planning
I already knew I wanted to get married in winter so we were looking at the following December, 2011. It didn’t occur to us at first to pick New Years Eve, it was only after we saw the Moat and provisionally booked the 30th that it suddenly occurred to us, why not go for the 31st. So, with just over a year to go the planning began…

Venue
We were having lunch one afternoon at the Moat and noticed that they done weddings there, we had already viewed other venues and they were nice but didn’t seem very ‘us’. We took a look around and fell in love with the place!! As it was a winter wedding I imagined somewhere really cosy and homely, which this place screamed! It had gorgeous beams, quirky quotes painted on the walls and best of all we could have as many lights and candles as we wanted (which was a lot!) We picked to have our ceremony at Archbishops Palace (which believe it or not is a registry office) after finding the Moat and again it was a cosy room that we felt had a lovely feel to it. We knew we’d get some great photos outside and there were lovely fireplaces doted around.

The Dress
As all girls do I spent ages looking for the perfect dress but didn’t find anything that was very ‘me’. Everyone was expecting me to get something a bit quirky and I just couldn’t find anything I liked. I was with my mum and we decided to pop in to a dress shop without an appointment and see if I could try some dresses on. My mum picked one out and I have to say I didn’t think I’d like it, tried it on and fell in love!! It was by Mori Lee and was silver!! I’d found something that was a bit quirky but not to over the top.

Accessories and shoes
There was a competition being run by Lynsey’s Designs to win a gorgeous side orchid tiara so I decided to enter and won!!! I picked up the email telling me I’d won at 3am and woke Tony up to tell him (he wasn’t pleased) but I was so excited!! When it arrived I was so pleased, it was amazing and so sparkly (I’m like a magpie so loved it!)
I then had Fiona from Truly Tempting weddings make my jewellery. I sent her some photos of what I had in mind and showed her the tiara so she could match it all in and I couldn’t have been more thrilled with what she came up with. You would have thought it was all done at the same time. It was a gorgeous silver pearl necklace with elements that matched my tiara and a bracelet that also matched.
I fell in love with some irregular choice shoes that had been discontinued!! I spent ages trying to find a pair and after a long time came across some second hand ones online. They arrived and were perfect, although extremely high. It was getting near to the big day and I was worried about tripping down the aisle (it was slightly tilted) and ended up buying some sparkly heels by red or dead and some flats for the evening. In the end I wore the sparkly red or dead shoes and I’m glad as my feet didn’t hurt until the evening.

And the suit and bridesmaids
This was very much a down-to-earth, budget, DIY wedding and as I was getting a dress it seemed only fair that Tony got to buy a suit to keep. We decided to head to Matalan to look at their suits and he tried on a navy one which fitted him perfectly and he certainly looked the part!!
I spent a long time looking for bridesmaid dresses, so much so that I was panicking I wasn’t going to find anything. I spent a lot of time looking at the high street but there wasn’t really any ‘winter’ dresses about. I decided to get them from jjhouse.com and take the risk. My 3 bridesmaids picked the dress they wanted and I ordered them, they turned up so quickly and I was really nervous they were going to be horrendous but they were well made, a lovely colour and all looked how they should.

Theme
I wanted something that looked wintery, with lights everywhere so originally decided on white, silver and light blue. I then changed this to navy after picking a silver dress as I thought navy would make my dress stand out more. Of course I couldn’t tell Tony this so had to just pretend that I’d changed my mind as it was hard to find bridesmaid dresses!

Food
We decided we’d like to give people a choice of what to have. I had duck and herb pate, roast turkey with all the trimmings and cheesecake. Tony had Roasted red pepper soup, turkey and chocolate mousse. The food was gorgeous and the portions were more than generous!! I wish I’d eaten more or asked them for a doggy bag for the next day.

Entertainment
We had a DJ in the evening, a DIY photobooth for people to have some fun and take silly photos, a sweetie buffet and we had a fire in the back for people to toast marshmallows.

Flowers
We didn’t have flowers, I like them but I’m not really a flower person and I didn’t think it would go with our colours and winter theme that well. I was browsing through off-beat bride and saw a tutorial for a bauble bouquet, I loved it and decided I was going to give it a go. I made the bridesmaids using small silver baubles and blue tulle and mine using medium navy baubles, navy tulle and best of all, lights! I really liked the idea of twigs for centre pieces with crystals or lights and spent ages looking around about how to do it. I got vases from Ikea and stuck xxx salt mixed with glitter to them so it looked like snow/ice, found some brooms and got some lights from poundland! With some cutting, sticking and spray painting I ended up with centre pieces I was pleased with that had cost next to nothing!

Decoration
Because the Moat had lovely beams everywhere they decorated them with lights so that was one of the main things. I also got an aisle runner from eBay and painted our names and date on it myself, we decorated the side with petals and candles. I also made some heart bunting which had ‘Live well, laugh often, love much’ above our table.

Personal Touches
Everything was pretty much made by me!! It was so worth it though. We got a lot of comments from people about how there were loads of personal touches and everyone appreciated it. After the wedding we even got a thank you card from some guests saying how much they’d enjoyed themselves.
• Save The Dates – a picture of me a Tony with ‘Save the Date 31st December 2011’ written on my head and ‘Or we wrote on our faces for nothing’ on his!! Luckily the pen came off easily.
• Invitations
• Place Names
• Table Names
• Centre Pieces
• Painted aisle runner
• Bouquets
• Buttonholes
• Personalised scratch cards
• Personalised keyrings
• Cupcakes picks
• Heart Bunting
• Table Plan
• DIY Photobooth props including, lips, moustaches, pirate eye patch, ‘I’m only here fro the free wine’ sign and more…
• Sugar cubes in the shape of hearts (from eBay, they were so cute!)
• Heart biscuits (made by Jenny from Jennylovescupcakes) they sat on the side of the cups)
• Sweetie Buffet Signs
• We had an order of the day which including ‘terms & conditions’ such as keeping the bride in a red wine exclusion zone, dancing for at least 30 minutes and others.
• Our cake toppers were miniatures of our cats which I loved, they were so cute and now a keepsake from the day.

Special moments
I loved seeing Tony for the first time and thinking how nervous he looked! We had a sweetheart table and I’m so glad we did, it meant we got to spend some quality time together on our wedding day which can be extremely hard amongst all the buzz. Our first dance felt really special, it was quite late on in the evening and we’d both been mingling so it didn’t feel like we seen each other and then we got to have some time where it felt like there was only us there. The best bit of the day was seeing in the New Year with my new husband!! What a start to what will be a fantastic year and then I got to say we got hitched last year!

Planning Advice
Be organised! Make sure that you do things how you would like them, take a deep breathe and just enjoy the day. Try not to be overwhelmed but it all and remember people will be taking photos all day so don’t pull any weird faces (there are a lot of friends pics where I have a rather odd look on my face!). A tip for the Bride, which I’m so glad I did – take a bottle of water for in the car on the way to the ceremony, I got such a dry throat!

Biggest surprise
I’d planned everything down to the last detail besides really thinking much about timings on the day and I’m a bit of a control freak but I surprised myself with how relaxed and calm I was on the day. If something went wrong, it couldn’t be changed and there was no point in stressing. The aim of the day was to marry Tony and make sure everyone had a good time and this is exactly what happened!

I’m also delighted to be able to sahre this wonderful video with you from peter@ifitmoves.tv   www.ifitmoves.tv

Kate & Tony – The Short Cut from Ifitmoves.tv on Vimeo.

Supplier shout Outs

• Jewellery – Truly Tempting Weddings http://www.facebook.com/TrulyTemptingWeddings
• Tiara – Lynsey’s Designs http://lynseysdesigns.co.uk/
• Cupcakes - Jenny Medhusrt http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jenny-Loves-Cupcakes/163885073679931 I have to say the service we got from Jenny was amazing! I told her our colours and that I’d like snowflakes, she made up some samples and came to our house to drop them off and meet us to talk about what we were after, etc. They looked so good I almost didn’t want to eat them but am glad I did as they tasted amazing!! She was so helpful throughout the whole process, setting up for us, suggesting ideas and not getting fed up when I kept adding extra bits on to our order!! She also made us some cake pops for our sweetie buffet which quickly disappeared and some very tasty shortbread biscuits. She was very reasonably priced and I’m so glad I found her!! Next time I need anything sweet I shall be giving her a call!
• Photographer – Sassy  http://assassynation.co.uk/ Of course there was the amazing Sassy who I have to give a big shout out to. She was always genuinely excited when I’d email her with wedding plans and is so creative, friendly and talented. Picking Sassy to photograph our wedding was the best decision we made (besides getting married!). She was so fantastic leading up to the day, on the day and after the day! We love the photos that captured our day so perfectly and couldn’t be more pleased. Massive thanks to the gorgeous Sassy!
• Videographer - Peter Pittwood www.ifitmoves.tv  Peter, a TV producer, was advertising his services for free to build his portfolio so I contacted him he agreed to film our day! We spoke beforehand and he asked what sort of look we were going for, what we were after, etc. He was really helpful and on the day I hardly noticed he was there. Considering he wasn’t charging us and it was New Years Eve he stayed really late and made sure he captured all the important things. Many people commented on how great he was. I can’t wait to see our footage.
• DJ – Dan Potter http://www.soundsimpressive.com/index.html Dan was really helpful and even done our ceremony music for us!

For more information on Sassy’s work go to:
www.assassynation.co.uk
sassy@assassynation.co.uk
Sassy on FACEBOOK
Sassy on TWITTER
07968948114

I’d like to hand the blog over to Lizzie to tell us  about more about her experience at the show.

Wow! 9 weeks have passed already since the Designer Vintage Bridal Show. The first wedding fair we attended with our wedding yurts. We were very fortunate to exhibit both our Wedding Yurts and the Raw Chocolate Parlour and find ourselves in the centre of the exhibition surrounded by some of the most creative and inspiring people in the wedding industry.

It was a great introduction and any doubts I had about setting up a business in the wedding industry were banished by beautiful displays of cakes, jewellery, stationery, dresses, shoes… and all of the people involved were so supportive. We left feeling very privileged to be involved in a show so utterly fabulous.

We showcased our honeymoon yurt which proved a real tease as everyone wanted to curl up on the bed for a little snooze.

The honeymoon yurt offers couples boutique accommodation anywhere they wish to spend their wedding night.  It is ideal for outdoor weddings when the guests are camping and the newly weds want to indulge and celebrate their wedding night in luxury or at a wedding venue where the guests are staying overnight and the couple want to be close to their friends and family but also somewhere private and special.

The honeymoon yurt can be set up in the gardens or woodland. Imagine following a path lit with hundreds of candles leading you to your luxury yurt, all cosy and magical, wood burner stoked, champagne on ice, maybe some aphrodisiac raw chocolates from our sister business the Raw Chocolate Parlour, big wooden bed with organic cotton sheets and feather down duvets, sheep skin rugs and golden sparkly lights, sleeping with the view of the stars above the bed, waking to the sound of birdsong on your first day as man and wife.

At the show we met the very talented Leckie & Jack from the Pocket Typewriter who made us some ‘honeymoon’ bunting to decorate the yurt and display at the show, how lovely?

Our yurts were beautifully adorned with floof fairies from fizzysnoods event and venue dressing in Brighton.  Lots of brides to be loved the floofs and a huge stack of fizzysnoods cards were gone by Saturday eve! The Snoods are exceptional at creating beautifully enchanting, whimsical spaces for parties and celebrations. Once all the decorations are in place and the guests start arriving, they drink  fizz to celebrate their creativity and to toast the happiness of their guests hence the name FizzySnood. So as you can imagine the floof fairies had fun in our champagne love potion cocktail bar.

I think my favourite moment from the show had to be when all the exhibitors were inside the yurts drinking champagne love potion cocktails after a hard days work!
A great big thank you to everyone who contributed to a very memorable show.

Fore more information on the Yurts and the Raw Chocolate Parlour go to
Contact: 07816452080
Wedding Yurts: www.weddingyurts.co.uk
Raw Chocolate Parlour : www.rawchocolateparlour.co.uk.
Photography: emmacasephotography.blogspot.com/

I love this idea, and when I met them fell in love with their gorgeous bell tents. Not only did it take me right back to when I was a girl guide (remember those old style green bell tents anyone?) but I thought that so many of you would love them as well. perfect for a festival style wedding, for you as a bridal suite as well as a great option for your guests. Also a fantastic ideas for a hen party, or for a  good old glamping weekend!

Strawberry Hills have been kind enough to offer you the Boho readers an Exclusive Offer: ‘We love the Boho Blog and the wealth of inspiration it provides to brides and grooms looking to craft a day that truly reflects them. So, for readers of the Boho blog we would like to offer a complimentary bridal suite for bookings of four or more guest accommodation tents.’

I’ll pass the blog over to Ed and Gemma who will be able to tell you a bit more about Strawberry Hills:

We are Strawberry Hills, a husband and wife team, Ed and Gemma, who were inspired to start up our little business after a desire to inject some luxury into the ‘outdoor’ lifestyle!

Despite the fact we live in the urban sprawl, we love camping and picnicking and generally getting back to nature! Ed dragged me kicking and screaming on a camping trip, early in our relationship. Despite my initial reaction (what no hairdryer!) I absolutely loved the tranquility and was hooked.

Strawberry Hills was born after we found it really difficult to find good quality, yet beautiful and stylish products to take away on our little trips. Our signature product is our fabulous canvas bell tent, with it’s vintage good looks, as well as our accessories including lovely baskets and lanterns.

We started to get lots of enquiries from brides and grooms about our products and so launched Wedding Bells, where we help create a wedding festival by hiring out our fully furnished tents, for the ultimate in luxury camping. Our brides and grooms love the fact they can continue their celebrations by having their dearest friends sleep under the stars at their venue.

We have noticed a trend for people choosing alternative wedding venues, such as barn conversions, stately homes or farmland, where couples can express themselves and craft a day which is personal to them. Some of these venues have limited guest accommodation and the great thing about Strawberry Hills glamping tents is they can be set up anywhere…… we can create a truly unique bell tent village for you and your guests.

Canvas bell tents have been around for centuries, but the Strawberry Hills tents are modern day versions… we have retained the vintage look, but they have been treated to be completely waterproof and with plastic groundsheets that keep moisture and bugs out. This is luxurious camping! The Strawberry Hills tents are also a beautiful ivory colour, which is why our tents look so fabulous at weddings.

Our tents can be used for many, many things…Children adore our tents and they make a lovely crèche area at weddings. Brides are also keen to create a memorable hen weekend for their best friends and are choosing our glamping tents for stylish, unique accommodation for their ladies!

We love the Boho Blog and the wealth of inspiration it provides to brides and grooms looking to craft a day that truly reflects them. So, for readers of the Boho blog we would like to offer a complimentary bridal suite for bookings of four or more guest accommodation tents.

We would love to hear from you on info@strawberryhills.co.uk and do check out our website www.strawberryhills.co.uk

(Please note: This is not a sponsored post)

Todays shoot fits into that bracket perfectly. Titled ‘The Anti Bride’ it’s not just showing off ideas for ideas sake it has it’s own story line!

The shoot itslef all came about through Joyce Connor from Brides and Beauty who is a make up artist has always been a massive fan of the Hammer House of Horror and B movies anything Gothic, Edwardian and quirky.

A couple of years ago while thinking about all the weddings she done she wanted to see what a different wedding would look like. Not every bride wants a traditional white wedding so Joyce put pen to paper and wrote a short story! Then while having coffee with Georgina of Ruby weddings Joyce told Georgina her idea and the shoot was born. When approaching suppliers to contribute to the shoot they asked Choccywoccydoodah to make the cake and they loved the story so much that they asked if they could film it as part of their TV series on The Good Food Channel.

The Antbride – A tale of love and heartbreak!
It’s the morning of Ophelia’s wedding everything is arranged. Her dress has arrived she is nervous but excited. She checks that everything is as it should be. Her dress men arrive to help her get ready. She is wearing a dark red dress and the 2 men dress her tie her purple Dr Marten boots.

The Groom, Raven holds a deep dark secret. Although he loves Ophelia very much he puts every woman he meets under his spell. He a tall handsome man so what woman could resist his charm. Little does Ophelia know that the 2 bridesmaids have already fallen under his spell. The girls find him attractive but they have no idea that Raven is not only cheating on Ophelia but he is also cheating on the two of them.

One bridesmaid lies on the bed while Raven crawls towards her, she has really fallen for him. While she sleeps Raven kisses the other bridesmaid who now knows the truth but can’t resist him. Raven is a good man but he can’t help being the way he is.

The bride leaves the castle bedroom with the bridesmaids and the butlers (her dressing men) to walk to the ceremony room where Raven greets his new bride Ophelia.

They all sit down for a meal after the ceremony. They drink wine and celebrate.

Shortly after the truth comes out. Ophelia is angry and decides to smash the cake to pieces. She soon chases after the rest of the bridal with her axe. She finds them at the castle ruins already fighting among themselves.

The team involved in the shoot:
Make Up :  Brides and Brides and Beauty  – www.bridesandbeauty.co.uk
Hair:   Brides and Brides and Beauty  – www.bridesandbeauty.co.uk
Set Direction:  Brides and Brides and Beauty  – www.bridesandbeauty.co.uk
Photographer: Tino & Pip photography – www.tinoandpip.co.uk
Event Stylist: Paula Rooney Weddings & Events – www.paularooney.co.uk
Florist: Paula Rooney Weddings & Events – www.paularooney.co.uk
Venue: Thornbury Castle – www.thornburycastle.co.uk
Cake: Choccywoccydoodah – www.choccywoccydoodah.com
Bride: Georgina Webb – www.ruby-weddings.co.uk
Bridesmaids: Joanna Dickinson & Francsca Hodge
Groom: Lee Broderick
Butlers: www.butlersinthebuff.co.uk
Brides Dress:  – www.veromia.co.uk
Bridesmaids dresses: www.fairygothmother.co.uk
Grooms outfit: www.angels.uk.com
Fascinators/hats: www.esemeefascinators.com
Jewellery: www.kloofandkandy.com
Umbrellas: Love Umbrellas
Videographer: Lina Rasmussen

Today’s Fabulous Photo comes from the very lovely and hugely talented Joanna Brown and I have entitled it Green Grass and Blue Sky’s

It’s the wedding of Simone & Marcus and if you want to see the full wedding then click HERE  I strongly recommend you go and have a look as it’s a stunner!!
I just love this photo! the angle it’s taken at is brilliant, the colour of the green grass, the blue sky with the fluffy white clouds and the dreamy nature that Johanna shoots in, you can just feel the warm summer air! I’m working with Joanna on a wedding in October and I can not wait!

For more information on Joanna’s photography services go to:
www.browns-photography.co.uk
joannabrownphotography.com
Joanna on FACEBOOK
Joanna on TWITTER
joanna@browns-photography.co.uk 
07825 512567

James and Eleanor are originally from England but now permanently live in New Zealand where they get to work with some amazing couples, have a look through their site, there really are some fabulous weddings on their……the new Zealand countryside is also a big bonus!

The couple are  Alayna & Jarrod who got married on 12th March 2011. Their ceremony was held at the Wainui Reserve, Raglan in New Zealand with the reception at the Raglan Golf Club.
They exchanged pounamu necklaces instead of wedding rings and had 7 bridesmaids and 5 groomsmen.  They did everything on a shoe-string budget with friends and family helping with all aspects of their wedding.

I’m sure you will agree it is a stunning wedding. I just love it, I’m a sucker for an outdoor wedding, and with scenery like this….well it’s just perfect! I also love the outfits and Alayna & Jarrod look SO happy. Also loving the pictures on the beach…and those sunset shots…..perfect!!

For more information on Jel Photography go to:
Birkenhead, Auckland, New Zealand
www.jelphoto.co.nz
info@jelphoto.co.nz
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
Phone 09 480 5991  
Mobile 0210 234 2013

As a wedding planner it’s my job to make sure that each wedding is as good as it can be, and that it’s not the same as the one before or the one I’m working on the following week. I’m a strong believer of letting your personality shine through on your wedding day.
The wedding industry has changed significantly over the last few years, no longer are you tied to a hotel wedding package, where each wedding seems to be going round on a conveyer belt of sameness……these days people are being given the freedom to use their imagination and really go to town on their wedding day.

photo credit: www.wildflowerstudiophoto.com

In my personal onion, I feel the recession as bad as it has been, has actually been a good thing for the wedding industry, it’s made people use their money more wisely and act on their creativity more. The days of huge opulence and everything being done on a massive scale are, well not dead and gone, but a lot less than they have been. People simply don’t have the money to spend on their wedding day like they used to so they are looking for ways to make their wedding day different.

On a personal note I made the conscious decision when planning my own wedding to move away from what was expected of me. I had my wedding day planned, country marquee, church wedding 3 course sit down meal….but thank god I changed my mind and thank god my husband let me. (and my suppliers) Instead we moved the whole thing to Ibiza, cut the guest list by 70% and had the wedding we wanted…………and it was perfect!

So how can you make your wedding different?

• Throw the rule books out the window and forget about tradition, some of the best weddings I know about, are weddings were neither the bride or groom had been to a wedding before, so had no preconceived idea of what a wedding should be like

photo credit: assassynation.co.uk

• Create a mood board, start with all the things you like, colours, patterns, keep a collection of all the things you find you like, One image could trigger off the underlying theme for the whole of the wedding day

photo credit: www.jtjphoto.co.uk

• Think about different places to hold your ceremony and reception, be imaginative, is there somewhere you really like but not sure if they would hold a wedding……just ask. Your favourite restaurant, a friends back garden, how about a Tipi tent or a Yurt?

photo credit: www.inthepinkphotography.com

• As for the ceremony, yes the laws in the UK haven’t quite caught up with the US yet BUT with an open mind you can get married anywhere you want. simply get the paper work bit out the way at your local registry office and then book a wedding blessing or non-religious ceremony anywhere you want….top of a mountain, on a beach, the spot where you were proposed to, local farm……it’s only your imagination holding you back

photo credit: www.paulatherton.com

• Draw upon your own personalities. What are you two like as people? What are your likes and dislikes? What are your hobbies? Try to incorporate these into your day to make the day more personal.

image from bluelilyevents.blogspot.com

• Be adventurous with your outfits, shoes, dress length, bridesmaids suit (or no suit) they don’t have to follow any rules, if you don’t want to wear white don’t, if you don’t want your bridesmaids all in the same colour then don’t

photo credit: hollydphotography.com/

• Look for inspiration. There are so many wedding blogs and websites out there catering for the bride and groom who don’t want the norm. These can give you loads of inspiration and ideas.

• Research, research, research!!! Don’t just book the first thing, or choose the first supplier you meet. Everyone is different, each wedding supplier you meet will bring something different to the table, each with a different price and style, look at a few and then decided who works best with the ideas you have

photo credit: assassynation.co.uk

• Think about your food and what you like as a couple, the food at a wedding can really dictate the feel of the day and the mood. Gone are the day when you are tied to wedding packages set meal A, B or C. things like high teas are very much the trend at the moment, BBQs instead of that dreaded evening buffet. Things can be a lot more relaxed. How about incorporating different cultures, big serving plates of paella, curry?? Then bring in extra things for the evening, candy floss machines, popcorn, crepe vans

photo credit: co co catering

• Work with like minded suppliers, a lot of suppliers are itching to do something different. I hear so many of my wedding friends say that they would love to do things differently, suppliers are gagging to get creative and run free on an idea, but rarely get the chance.

• Transport doesn’t have to be traditional….think wedding tut tuts, vintage buses, traditional London taxis.

photo credit; www.cloudlightphotography.co.uk

• Things like photo booths, candy stations, cake tables, biscuit tables can all make your day different, yes lots of people are doing them now, but it’s how your present yours, and decorate them that makes it personal to you

photo credit: emmacasephotography.blogspot.com

• Do it abroad, a bit of sun shine can make all the difference to a wedding, and it automatically create a completely different mood to your day. If there is somewhere that is really special to you as a couple then why not do it there? Also it’s surprising how the little things don’t seem to matter as much when you go abroad, all those tiny details you fuss about here in the UK really don’t matter when the sun is shining and you’re getting married out in the open.

photo credit: www.s6photography.co.uk

• Things like favours, place names, guest books, seating plans can all have a twist added to them…follow a theme or just go completely random……..the days of sugared almond are long gone…..all you need is a little imagination.

image from www.theknot.com - photo by www.kayenglishphotography.com

• Do it yourself! There is a whole wave of DIY being added to weddings these days, craft is the new bling. Adding your own little touches to your day can really make it stand out from the crowd and if you’re not at all artistic rope in friends and family that are.

photo credit: www.studiolaguna.com

• Be true to yourself. Stick to your guns, if you want to do something that is unconventional do it, after all it’s your wedding, no one else’s. If other people think it’s a strange idea that isn’t your problem. Don’t get bogged down by family members or friends telling you to fit around them.

photo credit: www.nouvelamourphotography.co.uk

There are many, many other ways of making your day different, but these are just some starting points. The main thing is don’t be afraid to be different, it’s your day and it only happens once (well hopefully) make sure your stay true to yourself and what you want!…..no one else!

Kelly xxx

I’m also very excited as I’m doing a photo shoot with Shelly on Monday, after she asked if I would model for her (still a little unsure why she asked me! but very excited all the same) We are doing a 60s inspired photo shoot, which is going to be very British….and no doubt in this weather very very cold!! The shoot is tacking place at Hargate Hall. I can’t wait to do it and hopefully show you some of the results once it is done.

Name and company name:
Shelly Mantovani, from Toast of Leeds

Intro/Bio:
Your wedding is unique – just like you, so why should your photos be any different?

How long have you been taking photos for?
My love of photography started quite by accident, back in 1989 when I was working in a press office and the resident photog slipped a disc and I was forced into learning how to use an slr, develop and print in the space of a day. Thank fully I was a young whipper snapper with no idea that it would be turning point or in fact, that that kind of thing wasn’t the norm. The photographer, Professor Michael J Cooper, gave me a little Pentax and a dozen rolls of film and the rest as they say, is history. Prof, if you’re out there, I’d like to thank you from the bottom of my camera bag!

How would you describe your style?
No idea. Some would say it has a hint of whimsicalness about it, sometimes it’s a little bit grungy, sometimes a little bit edgy and dark – which seems a weird thing for a wedding photographer to claim for but then not everyone wants a super white wedding. I think my style changes with the mood of the wedding. If the vibe suits something stylish and super sleek, then I adapt my style slightly to fit in. If it’s vintage, I’ll do likewise. It all seems to happen quite organically and quite by itself and I don’t really think about it too much.

What made you get into wedding photography?
A friend asked me to shoot her wedding many many many moons ago and for some reason I said yes. I was young and impulsive and I figured there would be a free bar. There wasn’t. However, it kinda spiraled from there although I stopped for a while and went to work in journalism but returned with the advent of digital.

Where are you based?
I’m Leeds based but that doesn’t stop me wandering off to shoot a wedding somewhere else.

How far will you travel for a wedding?
As far as the client will let me! I’d love to do a wedding in Iceland – but then that’s because I believe in Santa and all things Christmassy!

How long do you normally spend at a wedding?
Because I realize that not everyone has the biggest budget in the world, I have two packages – a six hour and a 12 hour. Six hours will cover the basics and the 12 hour package is absolutely everything plus a photo booth and props so that guests can have a bit of fun in front of the camera after they’ve had one or two lemonades!

What is your favorite bit of technical kit?
I love my prime lenses.

What is it about wedding photography that you love?
It has to be the people. I love photographing the human form and we have so many different emotions that it’s just a pleasure to be able to document such a happy event. But also the sense of satisfaction from delivering a hard copy of the couple’s memories. Once the confetti has been thrown and the initial euphoria has been and gone, it’s so nice to be able to look back at the images with my couples and re-live all the fun again.

What sort of couple would be your ideal couple to photograph?
Couples who are happy in themselves and know what they want. I love a quirky couple too – the quirkier the better.

What celeb would you like to photograph?
Oooh now that’s a good question. I would probably narrow it down to Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Win Butler from Arcade Fire. Not so much celebs as incredible musicians. I’ve shot a few bands before and the passion you see when they’re performing is just so powerful, that I’d loveto be able to follow them around with a nice prime lens not just on the stage but in quieter moments. Win if you’re listening, give me a call in December when you’re touring the UK! Heh heh I’m off to Glastonbury next year and although I’d love to drag round my camera to shoot some cool Glasto craziness, I figure I’d also like to have a bit of pear cider and dance around in the mud.

Who is your favorite photographer and why?
Crikey, well it changes constantly. Kirsty Mitchell I love – I’m not sure whether it’s just her amazing images or the fact that she documents her feelings with it all too. As for wedding photographers, I’d go for Jonas Peterson, Feather Love and Our Labor of Love. Ask me next week, it will probably have changed.

If you were to get married who would take your pictures / Who did take the pictures at your wedding.
I’m not married. I don’t plan on it – how could I? I’d never be able to make a decision on the style, who’d photograph it or what I’d wear. I’d be in the planning process for a decade!

What are you plans for the next 2 years?
I plan to stop working every night of the week and have some time off. How I’m going to do that, I have absolutely no idea, but a girl can dream…

What in your opinion makes the perfect photo?
Light and emotion. If you’ve got those two, everything else pales into insignificance.

What is your biggest achievement so far within your photography?
Being true to my own style and not following the herd. Also, I’ve been on Rock n Roll Bride! YAY!

What sort of other photography do you do apart from weddings?
I dabble with a little commercial photography but weddings are my passion.

What advice would you give couples when choosing their wedding photographer?
Find someone you click with. If you feel like you want to share a beer with them down the pub, that’s the photographer for you. Make sure you are completely comfortable with them poking their big lenses in your face otherwise they’ll rub you up the wrong way and it’ll show in the pictures.

What is your favorite photo that you have taken?
Well that changes quite a lot too. I guess the most recent fave would be a picture from the punk wedding I did at Kirkstall Abbey of the groom walking down the aisle with his top hat and cane in the dry ice and theatrical lighting. That one kinda rocked.

Tell us something about yourself that we may not know, non work related.
I’m a coffee snob. I have a nervous breakdown if the coffee beans aren’t the right kind and turn my nose up at coffee without a decent crema on top. I know, I know, I need to get out more.

what do you really love?
Oooh. I love so many things. Light, shadow, art, music, film, books, design, my iphone, my mac, and my family who put with up my creative idiosyncrasies (whilst possibly rolling their eyes at every little one of my crazy ideas).

And what do you really hate?
I’m not sure I hate much to be honest apart from terrible instant coffee!

Come back on Friday as I have a gorgeous engagement shoot from Shelly to share with you.

For more information on Shelly’s photography services go to:
www.toastofleeds.co.uk
Toast Blog
Toast on TWITTER
shelly@toastofleeds.co.uk
0113 3560157

Kelly and Somik wedding ceremony was held at Bromley Public Hall, The reception shoud have been somwhere else bust 6 months beofe the wedding Kelly rang Emma to say that ‘There’s a bit of an issue with our venue… ummm… it’s burnt down’ so after a frantic search for a new venue the recpetion was then held at Covent Gardens The Hospital Club. I love this venue ever since I saw it on wedding TV a few months ago. Very funcky with a mixture of rooms and some great photo oportunites as Emma shows us.
Emma says ‘It was such a lovely day and I think both Kelly and Somik would agree that the new venue ended up simply perfect and once everyone had eaten the gorgeous wedding breakfast and listened to some fantastic speeches the evening kicked off with another very funny photo booth!’

Thank you so Much to Emma for sharing this fabulous shoot with us, and a massive congratulations to Kelly and Somik, well done on such a great wedding………I hope you have a long and happy marriage together.

If you would like more information on Emma’s photography services go to:
http://emmacasephotography.blogspot.com
info@emmacasephotography.co.uk

One Life Ceremonies caters for a broad range of people offering wedding celebration ceremonies, funerals, baby naming as well as a host fo other options. The idea is to creat ceremonies that are more personal to the individual or couple, which in turn gives people many more options in regards to wording, meaning and also location.

Laurra says about the business:

We set up One Life Ceremonies because, through arranging weddings and funerals for family and friends we saw a massive gap in the market for ceremonies which are written individually, not just names slotted into a pre-written script! We believe that everyone should have a ceremony which reflects them and it should be based on what they actually want which makes them much more personal and honest. It’s hard to believe but there is very little on offer out there if you want to do things your own way and quite often when a couple get married they use a standard script as set by the vicar or registrar, these tend to be fairly impersonal as they don’t have much room to make it your own.  

We wanted to change that so we offer a service which allows you to have the ceremony of your dreams by designing it around you as a couple and what you want. That means that your ceremony can include the words, vows, readings and music that you want – not that you have to have or that everybody else has! 

I think for couples who don’t want to hold a religious ceremony there is often a feeling that the only option is to have a civil ceremony conducted in a Register Office or licensed room of a hotel but there is so much more choice nowadays! In fact, once you have completed the legal requirements at the Register Office you can hold your wedding ceremony, including exchanging rings and vows, anywhere you choose.

We essentially start with a blank canvas and will work with you to find out exactly what you want as well as offering you ideas and inspiration along the way. Holding a One Life Wedding Ceremony is a perfect alternative to a civil wedding led by a registrar or a church wedding because it means that you can choose exactly what you want it to include and it can be as traditional or unconventional as you want. 

One thing that truly sets us apart is that you can hold your wedding outside or in an unusual venue, it doesn’t have to be licensed for marriage, because the marriage legalities have already been held separately by a Registrar. They are also great for couples who have been married abroad and want to hold a celebration with friends and faily back at home.  

We offer two different wedding packages and have just launched a wedding vow writing service (http://onelifeceremonies.co.uk/wedding-vow-writing-service) as well, which is a great option if you’ve decided to include your own vows in your wedding but can’t put what you want to say into writing! This service is perfect for any couple even if you’re having a church service or one led by a Registrar; it’s a great way to make your ceremony that little bit more personal!

Laurra and Maria also offer a number of other ceremonies including: Baby Naming, ‘Christening’ and Adoption Ceremonies, Gay Commitment, Wedding Vow Renewals and Funerals.

I personally LOVE this concept, I think some people at first may struggle with the whole ‘it’s not legal’ thing but the fact that you can have the ceremony you want…..where you want it, opens up so many more possibilities when it comes to planning your own wedding.
Just think if the things you could do if your not tied to religion or the boundaries of a licensed building……just the fact that you can get married outside opens up a whole new world of possibilities!

I guess I’m a fan as I had something very similar for our wedding and it made the ceremony soooo special. We had a small civil ceremony in the UK and then a personally written wedding blessing in Ibiza, which was amazing, completely personal and true to who me and my husband are.

I can’t recommend this service enough, and here at Boho I would love to work with anyone who is planning to use One Life Ceremonies for their own wedding!

For more information go to:
One Life Ceremonies
Shine
Harehills Road
Leeds
LS8 5HS
www.onelifeceremonies.co.uk/wedding-ceremony
www.twitter.com/onelifeceremony
(0113) 868 0072