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/

Planning Advice For An Outdoor Wedding

Outdoor weddings are becoming more and more popular within the UK but how can we, in a country with not exactly the most reliable weather, recreate some of those amazing weddings that we see on so many of the American wedding blogs and sites?

(Photo credit  www.suekwiatkowska.com)

Wedding Laws:
The main problem is the Law. Unless you live in Scotland where outdoor weddings are legal, it isn’t actually legal to get married outdoors in the UK unless you do so under a fixed roof like a pagoda. It doesn’t need to have walls, but must have a fixed roof, which is why you see so many band stands being used for weddings. A marquee is not a legal structure either as it doesn’t have a fixed roof.
If you don’t have a Pagoda near you or visualise your day as being a bit more rustic or completely out in the open then the other option is to hold a blessing instead of a legal civil ceremony.

Many couples are choosing to do the ‘paper work’ side of the marriage the day before, or earlier in the morning in a registry office and keep it very low key, and then have the wedding they really want in the form of a wedding blessing, which gives them much more flexibility in their choice of location. By choosing this option it basically means you can get married whenever, and wherever you wish.

I have been to many of these blessings and personally find them much more emotional than a civil ceremony. Companies like One Life Weddings will meet with you and write a completely personal ceremony that tells the story of you as a couple. Together with these amazing words you can then choose to get married wherever you wish, the world is your oyster!
(If you are interested in getting the government to change these laws then why not join the Any Campaign? Who have put a petition together to fight to change the wedding laws)

 (photo credit  http://hannahmillardphotography.co.uk)

The good old British weather!:
Unfortunately, unlike other parts of the world, we are not blessed with the most reliable of weather, which doesn’t make outdoor ceremonies as simple as we would like. For this reason it is best to think about the season, and also have a good back up plan! Obviously outdoor weddings in the winter are pretty much ruled out unless you want your guests to freeze, so looking at weddings from April to October is maybe a better option. When looking for a wedding venue and you have your heart set on an outdoor wedding, always make sure that it has an option B, a room inside that the ceremony can be moved to if the worst happens and it rains, or a marquee, yurt, or tipi that could hold the ceremony, either separately from the reception or in the same place. This also needs to be a quick turnaround.
Also think about things like blankets for your guests if it turns out to be a cold day, umbrellas in case of a little bit of drizzle, and on the other end of the scale water, fans and parasols in case of too much sun.

(photo credit  www.marieman.com)

The Reception
So you’ve had your outdoor ceremony, now you want to keep the theme running and have your reception outdoors. In some cases people choose to have the whole thing in the open air, but in most cases couples choose a marquee, tipi, yurt or barn to offer more shelter and warmth.
Things to take into consideration are:

1) Hire a good quality generator: don’t cut back on this and get a good powered one, you don’t want it breaking down halfway through the band playing.
2) Toilets: there are so many amazing portable toilets these days, but always get more than they advise, a block of three for the ladies is often enough for an average wedding.
3)  Outdoor furniture: it’s always a good idea to hire some outdoor furniture, picnic tables, hay bales; something to keep that outdoor vibe going as the evening progresses.
4) Lighting: make sure you have plenty of outdoor lights! Lanterns should be covered well so they don’t blow out in the wind and paper bag lanterns should contain extra sand in case they blow away. Sola powered lighting is a great idea but not terribly reliable, battery operated is a better option.
Build a fire: always a lovely feature for the evening, but make sure that children are kept away, you have a fire blanket and someone responsible is left to look after it.
5) Tell your guest’s what to expect: If you pre warn your guest they will be in the middle of a field they can dress accordingly. Imagine turning up in your best finery and finding out the whole day is to be spent on a farm! Guests can bring wellies, wear flats or if you have the budget why not provide wellies for them?

 (photo credit www.leeallenphotography.com)

I have to say I LOVE outdoor weddings, and in my experience the weather and the laws have never got in the way, there are always ways around these things. The most important thing is to stay true to what you want, be prepared and always have a Plan B!

Big Boho Love

Kelly xx

I have to admit I am a sucker for an outdoor wedding, so I naturally love this. What I also love is all the amazing details that Jennifer and her friends and family have put together. I love the sweety station, the table centres, the horse shoe escort cards, the bicycle, the flowers…..I could go on forever! But Jennifer’s smile wins overall!

Jennifer and Jacob describe their day as ‘Best Day. Ever.’

How did you meet?
We met online, through a facebook actually, and went on a blind date. We have been together for 3 years.

The proposal?
Jake had a plan to take me on a scavenger hunt/picnic with the engagement ring as the prize, but I kept having to schedule meetings for work and didn’t take a day off for about three weeks straight. With the ring burning hole in his pocket, he finally sent me a facebook message, though I was in the same room as him. While I was reading his charming sentiments, he got down on one knee behind me.

Venue
I chose the Curtis Farm Wilton NH because of the scenic views, the rustic country charm, the way it embodied the feel of New England, and the fact that they only hold one wedding there per week so I could set up all my own decorations and personal touches.

The dress
My dress is by Matthew Christopher. My shoes, Benjamin Adams. All my accessories were purchased from crafters on Etsy.

The suit and bridesmaids
Jake wore his military issue Marine Corps dress Blues. The bridesmaids wore dresses by the Dessy Group.

Theme
The theme was New England inspired woodland/whimsical. I used sage green and silvery lavender as a broad colour scheme but tried to incorporate other summer colours as well.

Food
We tried to pick a menu with lots of fresh new England/summer inspired fruits and vegetables. We had plated garden salads. Guests enjoyed a buffet including a savory turkey breast carving station, herb-rubbed sirloin, and pepper encrusted salmon filets.

Entertainment
We made our own playlists for all of the wedding music. The coordinator/owner at Curtis Farm ran all the sound equipment and acted as Master of Ceremonies.

Flowers
Our bouquets and boutonnieres were designed by a close friend and very talented florist to fit our woodland whimsical theme. I asked that the bouquets have a “gathered from the garden feel” and they included herbs and natural branches, while the focal point of the boutonnieres was a fiddle head fern. All of my ceremony flowers and table flowers were grown and arranged by my mother and aunt from their personal gardens. With the exceptions of birch limbs which were hollowed out by my father in law and planted with ferns by our florist.

Decoration
In addition to the vast array of cut and potted flowers that my mother and aunt provided, we also incorporated lots of old antiques such as an old vegetable stand, which housed our candy bar, old apple baskets, we had live birch trees tied around the tent poles to bring the woodland feel indoors, in which we hung lights and placed several birds nests and bees nests.

Personal touches
I tried to make every aspect of our wedding about personal touches. In addition to the ones listed above.
-My father built the birch tree archway which we stood under to be married.
-He is a blacksmith by trade and handmade the small steel horseshoes which we hung on an old door with name tag which listed our guests table numbers.
-On all our tables we placed an antique bell (cow bells, sheep bells and school bells primarily) which our guests rang to ask the bride and groom to kiss.
-My mother hand drew a tree on canvas and our guests placed on it their thumbprints and names to serve as our guest book.
-I picked out a stump on my family’s land which we embellished with fern and moss to make my own cake stand.
-Jake and I also gave out Cd’s to our guests with a playlist of our most special songs.

Special moments
Walking around the corner and seeing my groom in his dress blues. I had requested he wear them and he had told me they no longer fit. It was a complete surprise. Also, I met Jake’s Dad for the first time in the receiving line after the ceremony. Hurricane Irene and traffic had prevented him from attending our rehearsal dinner, which was supposed to be our first meeting since he lives in North Carolina and we hadn’t had a chance to make the trip previously. I didn’t get a chance to give him a hug until after we were family. Dealing with Hurricane Irene was a focal point of the day, the rain held off just long enough for us to get the ceremony done and most of our family pictures. The winds held off until early the next morning, though many guest had to leave the reception a bit early, and the venue actually took the enormous tent down immediately following the reception, we got our special day in just the same!

Planning advice
I would say plan early so you can implement those personal touches that make your day special. Involving my family in the planning of my wedding was made it all so precious. I really felt like our day was truly about us and our love. Once your day arrives, enjoy every second no matter what happens. Don’t forget its about you and your partner, everyone is in one place to help you celebrate your union. Embrace it!

Biggest surprise of the day
Seeing my handsome groom in his uniform!

Supplier shout outs

• Venue: Curtis Farm http://www.curtisfarm.com/
• Catering: Greenhouse Catering http://www.countrytavern.org/GHCC/about_us/about_us.html (Our caterers were amazing! The food was fresh from local farmers markets, and the service was fabulous!)
• Photography: Amanda Borozinski: Boro Creative Visions http://www.borophotos.com/ THE most amazing  photographer. She is phenomenal! So fun to have with you on your wedding day,  everything that’s important to you is important to her. Her photos capture the  real feel of your wedding day.
• Florist for bouquets, boutineers, and birch limb vases on table:  Freshwater Farms http://www.freshwaterfarms.net/ DanVeniga did all the  work/design for our weddings his vision was spot on with what I wanted.
• Cake: Ronna Gendron http://www.ronnagendroncakes.com/  Ronna runs a small business but she is so  detail oriented. We were beyond thrilled with her cake for us.
• My spoon bracelet: http://thespoonjeweler.com/
• My garter http://www.etsy.com/shop/GartersByTania?ref=seller_info

Boro: Creative Visions Photography
http://www.borophotos.com
http://amandaborozinski.blogspot.com/
FACEBOOK
603-547-7438
Special guest photographer for this wedding: Nate Borozinski (My brother-in-law.)

I love the simplicity of this wedding, with all the rustic details, so many things that I just want to take home and keep for my own house like those cushions and the gorgeous confetti cones! Most of all though is the look on Ross’s face during the ceremony, Kat has captured the emotion perfectly!

Lauren and Ross describe their day as ‘Our wedding was a unique, joyous and festive day spent in the company of our very special loved ones and in an incredible setting’.

The proposal
We are a couple that love doing different and alternative things. So one Saturday, Ross told me that he was taking me somewhere at 5 o’clock. He had picked out my outfit which was lying on the bed and packed a picnic basket. We arrived at the A-maize-ing Mazes in Honeydew for a moonlit walk through a huge maze. We had been given a piece of paper with clues to find different items in the maze while trying to find your way out, which adds a fun dimension to the maze. While we were getting hopelessly lost in this huge maze he “tripped” and fell onto his knee, when I turned around to see if he was OK there he was with the box in his hand and of course I said YES! We then had to try find our way out the maze – which turned out to be more difficult than we thought.

The venue
My family live on a game farm outside of Nelspruit and it is truly the most beautiful location – we couldn’t think of any other place more meaningful and special (not to mention beautiful) than our home.

The Dress
I designed my dress myself and had it made by a family friend. My shoes were from Spitz and my accessories were from a little shop down the road, as well as a few gifts from family members.

The suit and bridesmaids
Ross didn’t wear a suit. We had the groom’s and groomsman’s waistcoats made and the pants were from Woolworths. The bridesmaids’ dresses were bought from YDE (Young Designers Emporium)

The Theme
We had a theme more than a colour scheme. We worked around the theme of Rustic Elegance and Natural Chic.

The Food
Wow, there was the most amazing food. We had mini wraps filled with coronation prawns and falafel and Tahini canapés. The starter was cucumber soup and bread. For main we had a beautiful buffet comprising of fillet, baby potatoes, fresh bread and numerous types of salads. Desert was our gorgeous chocolate mud cake (made by Ross’s mom) and home-made nougat and a very yummy cheese board.

Entertainment
While we were having our photos taken there was a live band playing in the garden and then Ross organised the music for the evening. We also set up a photo booth with a remote triggered camera which was great fun for the guests (and us). Lots of funny, and interesting, images and memories were captured at the booth.

Flowers
We had everything from white tulips to succulents to dirty pink roses and Syringa berries. My godmother combined all the beautiful flowers into individual containers. No two containers were the same and that is what we loved – the personal touches and uniqueness of every table.

Decoration
We had very simplistic take on our wedding. We hired a Bedouin tent to put up in the garden, lit by fairly lights. We rented chunky wooden tables and let the location and the beautiful flowers set the scene.

Personal touches
There were a lot of personal touches.
- Our invites
- Confetti cones with our love story on the wrapper
- Wedding fans for the reception
- Photo Booth Background
- Table Runners
- Guest Book – Fingerprint tree
- Our beautiful cake courtesy of my mother in law
- Our flowers courtesy of my godmother
- Strings of photographs between the trees
- Thank you cards

Special Moments
EVERYTHING. When I stood at the top of the aisle and saw Ross for the first time. Saying our vows to each other and being surrounded the whole day with our closest friends and incredible family.

Planning advice
As a bride we think about every little thing and get wound up with all the tiny details and stress over the flowers, dress, music etc. However, at the end of the day it’s all about marrying the person you love – it doesn’t matter what colour the flowers are or the style of your dress. Remember that you are getting married for a marriage and not a wedding and most of all enjoy your day – soak it all in – it goes past so fast.

Biggest Surprise
My biggest surprise of the day was when my husband said “I love Mrs Lauren Dold – my wife”. It was so special that I am now his WIFE!

Supplier shout outs

• Luvly Hearts Paper www.luvlyheartspaper.wordpress.com Lovely intimate paperwork and stationery with an authentic, unique look that complimented our wedding so well.
• Kat Forsyth Photography www.katforsythphotography.com - Kat is amazing. She was so professional, yet friendly. We had great fun with her and she captured our day with all the emotion and energy that it contained and for that we are so grateful. She has become a great friend.
• In Good Company www.ingoodcompany.co.za
• Make up  www.ncjprofessionalmakeup.com

About  Kat and her Work:
My photography style is fresh, bright and natural. I love warmth and I adore bright colours, as well as crisp, clean black & whites.

‘At the moment I’m starting off on a huge and exciting new adventure, which is moving myself and my business (oh, and my husband and cat) from South Africa to London. I’ll be arriving in early March 2012, and I can’t wait! I’ll be based in North London, but I’m happy to travel anywhere and everywhere –it’ll all be part of my adventure.’

Web & blog address: http://katforsyth.com
Email: info@katforsyth.com
FACEBOOK
TWITTER

Lee Ann says about the wedding:
‘Lucy and Simon were married on the beautiful The Kortright Centre for Conservation and the day could not have turned out better. The storm that morning turned the sky so dark it felt like night time, but I just knew the weather would break in time for the ceremony, and it did.’

‘What I remember most about the wedding is Lucy’s smile, she never stopped smiling the entire day!’

Fore more information on Flower Childs work go to:
www.flowerchildphotography.ca
http://flowerchildphotographyblog.com
FACEBOOK  

Jennifer told me a bit more about her services and why brides decide to hire a stylist.

‘Why do brides choose me? Couples often have a colour scheme or theme in mind but they need someone to coordinate their ideas and bring together the look of the day. They relate to my love of vintage weddings, my use of handmade elements or the quintessential English tea party look. My brides are usually hands-on but whilst they are dealing with preparations that surround any wedding day they need someone they can trust to deliver a setting that is a personal reflection of the couple themselves. Whether styling dining tables, ceilings, walls or gardens, nothing is overlooked.’

‘Just as no two couples are the same, I never like to repeat myself. By hiring and sourcing from several companies, and making some of the décor and flower displays myself, I ensure that there is always attention to detail. I put my heart into every wedding and I often form a strong bond with my brides. Seeing the couple’s faces as they enter the room makes all the months of preparation worthwhile’

Full names:
Daniel Ward, Polly Ward (prev Walton)

How did you meet?
Dan was managing a cocktail bar in Tunbridge Wells, & I was drinking in it, a lot
We have been together since March 2008.

Date of wedding:
4th June 2011

Location:
The Blazing Donkey Country Hotel, Sandwich, Kent.

What made you decide to get married where you did?:
Dan’s mum, Sherry & stepfather, Richard own the venue. I fell in love with it the first time Dan took me down there to meet the family over three years ago, I knew instantly it was where we would get married.

Who was your dress by:
Cabaret by Ian Stuart

And the suite?
Lanificio Cerruti

How would you sum up your day?
The sun shone so brightly for us, which was good as we got married outside. Our guests described the setting of our ceremony as something they would only see in a movie. The whole day was full of laughter, silliness and happiness. A wedding of 140 but felt so intimate. We loved every second, and partied well into the early hours of the following morning. It was all we imagined and whole lot more.

Did you have a theme or colour scheme?:
The colour scheme was dark silver/ pewter, ivory & the green of the beautiful garden that we married in. The theme was relaxed elegance.

Did you have any personal touches? Or things that you did yourself?
My mum, Viv made our beautiful cake, & heart shaped biscuits with guests names as place settings.
My bridesmaid, Becky designed all our stationary from the invitations to the table plan & menu’s.
My bridesmaid Tash did a reading very close to my heart (Love by Roy croft) & Dan’s sister read a poem chosen by him (Today is a day you shall always remember)
My Dad, Dave made a fantastic photobooth which provided guests with hours of fun.
All our ushers and bridesmaids + a few of our closest friends recorded our day on 2 video camera’s provided by Shoot It Yourself which they have edited into a fab DVD for us.

How many guests?
140

What were your special moments and highlights?
I genuinely loved every second, but my ever lasting memories include looking out from the bridal suite as I was getting ready seeing the venue coming together so beautifully, walking down the aisle and seeing all my friends and family who I love staring back at me with such excitement, sitting at the top table looking around in amazement that all the people you care about are sat in one room.
If i had to say my favourite part it would be The ceremony. We were so lucky with the weather, it was truly glorious, and it felt magical getting married outside.

Is there anything you would do differently?
I would have gone down to the marquee and seen it once it was fully dressed before it was full of guests, as so much hard work went into making it look so beautiful. I just didn’t think to make the time with all that was going on. I do have some great pictures though.

What advice would you give any other couples?
It’s your day, do it exactly as you want it, it’ll pay off and give you the day of your dreams.
Delegate; We were so lucky to have a super strong network of family & friends who were willing (& actually really enjoyed) helping us out.
Most importantly, enjoy every second, it is truly the best day of your life.

What was your biggest surprise of the day?
After having been a bit stressed in the 3 days leading up to the day, I woke up with a complete sense of calm, I felt nothing but happiness and a huge sense of excitement.
The weather; couldn’t have asked for it to be more beautiful especially considering what a rubbish summer we’ve had.
The beautiful diamond earrings my hubby had sent to the room before the ceremony for me to wear on the day!!

Suppliers involved on the day
Wedding stylist : Jennifer Sue Weddings
www.jennifersueweddings.co.uk
http://www.jennifersueweddings.co.uk/blog/
info@jennifersueweddings.co.uk
Tel-  07748843413

Photographer: Spiky Jumper
www.spikyjumper.com
Tel 01252 722462
Mob 07791 685208

Venue, food, accommodation: The Blazing Donkey Country Hotel www.blazingdonkey.co.uk
Flowers:  www.chartreuseflowers.co.uk
Cake: Viv Walton (BridesMum)
Chair hire: www.thekenteventhirecompany.co.uk
Videography:www.shoot-it-yourself.co.uk
Stationary:Becky Godden beccilou53@yahoo.co.uk
Dress: Ian Stuart from www.ozoneweddings.co.uk
Bridesmaids dresses:www.kitchclothing.co.uk
Hair:www.debbiehair.co.uk
Make up: www.sarahwoodhouse.com

I put this inspiration board together to help visulaise soem of the ideas that I had and so we could see what the overal look would be like. Jenny has gone for plae pink and pale green to go with her outdoor rustic themed wedding, and with the ceremony and reception being held at the Botanical gardens in Sheffield the whole themed works perfectly. So as you read this I will be running around extremmly busy makeing sure that they have the perfect day!

Full phoyto credits – left to right, top to bottom:
1) silver bridesmaides 2) image from Ruffled Blog photo by Kurt Bommer 3) wish trees 4) image from Style me pretty photo by Diana Marie 5 and 12) Bunting Queen 6) image from style me pretty photo by Andrew Reilly 7) Anna Clarke 8] martha stewart weddings 9) image from rock n roll bride photo by steve gerrard 10) image from the knot photo by Allen Zepeda 11) Tamaryn’s Treasures 13 and 14) image from style me pretty photo by Heather Kincaid

Full names:
Isolde Coope and Matthew Forbes

How did you meet?
We met through work in the classical music industry. We’ve been together for just over a year, so it was a complete whirlwind; we knew we wanted to be husband and wife from early on.

Date of wedding:
16th April 2011

Venue:
The Waterhouse Medical Centre, Bollington, Cheshire

What made you decide to get married where you did?
We chose to have the ceremony and reception at the Waterhouse as it is a place which has a special significance for me. It belonged to my great-grandparents who converted it into a medical centre, and my father has been a GP there ever since I can remember. We put up a marquee in the garden for the reception, and forecasts of good weather meant that we lucky enough to be able to hold the ceremony on the lawn outside.

Who was your dress by?
My dress was from Fur Coat no Knickers, a wonderful vintage wedding dress shop in central London. I was looking for a tea-length dress to fit with the informal ceremony and afternoon tea, and made an appointment at FCNK having stumbled upon the shop whilst out with a friend. My dress was about the fourth of their lovely vintage frocks I tried on, and as soon as I saw myself in the mirror I knew it was the one. It’s an original vintage wedding dress from 1950s America, and I love the romance of the idea that it was once worn by another bride so long ago and far away, but that all I know about her is that she is about the same size as me! The amazing Emma and Laura at FCNK made some tiny alterations to make it fit even more perfectly, gave it all the TLC it needed to be fresh for my wedding day, and made me an extra petticoat to make it super-swishy. They also found my vintage-style peep toe shoes and created my beautiful birdcage veil, with seed pearls to match the ones on the neckline of the dress.
Matthew wore a kilt in his family tartan: Forbes.

How would you sum up your day?
It was just perfect, the best day I could possibly imagine, and a triumph of organisation on the part of my mum. I didn’t stop smiling all day!

Did you have a theme or colour scheme?
I didn’t really like the idea of having a theme or a colour scheme as such, as I wanted to avoid being too prescriptive and keep things relaxed, but I suppose a vintage theme evolved as we went along. We started with the idea of a traditional English afternoon tea using vintage crockery, then I found my vintage dress and accessories. Scented pink roses in our bouquets and on the tables suited the English country garden feel of the day.

Did you have any personal touches? Or things that you did yourself?
There were lots of personal touches by friends and family: my brother designed the invitations, a very talented friend made the cupcakes, my mum baked brownies and knitted my flower girl’s cardigan, my sister-in law made the place cards, my uncle Justin made after-dinner chocolate truffles, the brilliant swing band was made up of Matthew’s friends (Matt joined in with an impromptu harmonica solo!) and I am very lucky to be related to our amazing photographers: Dot and Dan, of Nouvel Amour, are my cousin and his girlfriend!

How many guests?
There were 130 guests.

What were your special moments/highlights?
It’s so hard to pick out a favourite moment in such a wonderful day, but walking into the marquee with Matt for tea, and seeing everyone clapping and cheering and standing up was an amazing feeling. My dad’s very sincere and moving speech was another highlight. And of course the dress, the dress the dress…!

Is there anything you would do differently?
I really don’t think there is anything I would do differently; I can’t imagine how it could have been better.

What advice would you give any other couples?
I would advise other couples to take a week off work beforehand if possible; every moment was spent doing last-minute things for the wedding. Also to make sure you have a brilliant photographer, like we did, whom you can rely on to capture every moment as it happens, without being intrusive.

What was your biggest surprise of the day?
Our biggest surprise was how quickly the time passed: 9 hours seemed to go by in a flash!

For more information about their photography services go to:
www.nouvelamourphotography.co.uk
www.nouvelamourphotography.co.uk/blog
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
amour@nouvelamourphotography.co.uk
01172301984

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

This wedding is of Kali and Adam’s who got married  in Oregon. It’s such an amazing wedding, very natural, simple with a tone of creative and DIY elements, when they sent it over to me was SO excited!! and I just couldn’t wait to share it with you.

Dorothée and Annabel told me a bit about the wedding itself.
The ceremony and reception took place at Bella Madrona Gardens outside of Portland. It’s a private residence that hosts a select amounts of events, It’s like a fairy wonderland, full of sculptures and art.
Kali is a decorator and stylist and artist all in one and her and her bridesmaids were designing and sowing their dresses and headpieces and finishing touches the morning of the wedding.
From what I remember, most of her friends are designers and they all helped her put together the reception etc. Most of the guests wore handmade paper crowns later during the night and the dancing was insane.
Kali changed her outfit 3 times and every time looked sexy and unique. Kali’s Husband ,Adam, runs a well known coffee shop in Portland.

Thanks once again to Dorothée and Annabel for sending in this amazing wedding, I hope to have them back on the blog again soon.
For more information go to:
Dorothée and Annabel–Belathée Photography
NYC + SEATTLE
www.belathee.com
belathee.mail@gmail.com
TWITTER
917.783.3207