I’ll leave you in Emily’s capable hands…………

Hello everyone! I’m back with another post to help you get the perfect vintage inspired wedding look that suits your body shape. You may remember from my last post that as a stylist, I’m all about helping brides to look absolutely gorgeous on the big day, and dressing appropriately for your shape is one of the things that can make a massive difference to how you look and feel.

To keep things simple, I’m binning all of those confusing ‘apple’, ‘pear’, ‘vase’ etc. body shapes and taking things back to basics – straight lines and curves. Have a look in the mirror – go on, I know it’s January and the new year fitness regime probably hasn’t kicked in yet, but it’s really important to have a good look at yourself and know what you really look like in order to be able to dress your body. Most people are predominantly curvy, or made up of straight lines. As I said last time, if you have a full bust, defined waist, and curvy bottom you’re probably a curvy type. If you have a small bust, flattish bottom and tummy and hips a similar size to your waist, you’re probably made up of straight lines. Remember, we’re looking at shape, not size here, so even if you’re planning on losing weight before your wedding, your shape will most likely stay the same.

So, here are a couple of 1960s inspired looks to suit your body shape, and of course, for the rebels out there, how to break the rules if you fancy the look that isn’t perfect for you!

Straight body type – Oh Jackie

Pefect for the retro bride who wants to feel like the queen of chic on her wedding day, this is how to do ‘princess’ without all of the meringue! A Sculptural column dress will echo the straight lines of your body, whilst you can afford to go all out bling with the tiara when you have a dress as beautifully simple as this.

Things to look out for
The gloves – no lady would be seen at an event without her gloves, and in this case they are opera length. Make sure that they aren’t too snug around the tops of your arms as you don’t want any unsightly bulges!

The slash neck – a high necked style bodice is perfect for those with a smaller bust as it brings the attention up to your fabulous straight shoulder line, and looks effortlessly elegant

The shoes – this 60s style column dress will look best with a pointed or almond toe court, beware of platforms or chunky heels as they won’t balance as well with the sleek lines of the dress.

How to do this look if you are curvy
High necklines can give you a ‘mono-boob’ look if you’re not careful! Try a lower, Bardot style neckline, and swap the stiff silk fabric for something with more drape if you’d like to wear this shape.

Curvy Body Type – Go Marilyn

If you’re a curvy bride, why not emulate the queen of curves, Marilyn Monroe?! Vamp it up in a wiggle dress, which will emphasise all of your best assets, but keep you covered enough to feel like the demure bride. This look has a serious injection of glamour.

Things to look out for

The fabric – you’re looking for a fabric with a decent amount of stretch in it. This will keep you comfortable during a long day in a fitted dress, and will also make sure that your curves are fitted and flattered perfectly, not confined and squished!

The underwear – for a dress this shape, it’s a good idea to invest in some decent foundation undergarments to make sure that you have a smooth line. Don’t go near the horrible, sausage-skin type modern shapewear though, look out for vintage style girdle slips to keep you feeling beautiful.

The length – with a dress of this shape, it’s ideal to go for a length just below the knee. This is a flattering point for most women as it breaks the skirt at a narrow point of the leg, and any shorter would start to take away from the 60s feel.

How to do this style if you’re straight-lined
Try a more structural, stiff fabric which will look neater on your frame, and look out for details like princess line seaming which will take attention away from your waist.

For more information on Emily’s work go to:
Emily Jayne Phillips – Image Consultant
emily@emily-jayne.com
www.emily-jayne.com
01527 579650
Twitter – @emilyjayneimage
Facebook – emilyjayneimage

Becky and Nick said about their shoot; ‘The idea was to capture our every day life by shooting in the area we live and at places we hang out, but also with an element of heightened reality. We both slightly feel we were born in the wrong era and are both passionate about film and so went for a 1940s film noir theme for many of the shots.’

I love this shoot, it’s fun, varied in locations and subject matter and really shows off the couples personality! Philippa has kept the tones of the photos slighty muted to work alongside the couples 1940s theme, and it’s great to see a couple use a vintage theme because they live and breathe that era, not just because they think it’s on trend! I love that we are walked though a day in the life of a couple and get to see a bit more about where they are from (Plus I was born in Islington so it’s great for me to see some more of the area) I’m sure their wedding in April will be stunning!

How did you meet?
Becky: Nick and I met four and a half years ago in the summer of 2007 when my friend Mike and I were looking for a third flatmate to live with us in a lovely apartment in an old converted school in North London. We had a viewing on a Saturday morning and Nick was 1 of about 5 people that came to view the place, and we hit it off straight away! After we had shown the various people around the flat Mike and I went to discuss our thoughts on prospective flatmates. We both liked Nick and another guy called Tom. I simply said to Mike I can’t live with Nick because I fancy him, so we decided to ask Tom (who is now one of our best friends). Of course, this meant that I now had to pluck up the courage to tell Nick he couldn’t have the room – and the reason why! Eeek
I met up with some friends on this glorious sunny afternoon on Broadway Market and sat drinking outside in the sunshine. We then went to a friend’s rooftop BBQ where, following a few rum cocktails, I plucked up the courage to ring Nick and tell him he couldn’t move in with us because I fancied him!! He then said he felt the same and said he would call once he had found somewhere to live….. and he did!!!!

Nick: I had just moved to London from New Zealand, and needed to find a place to live before starting work. One of the flats I looked at was an old Victorian school in Islington. Once there, I went through the motions of looking around the flat, giving the bathroom a cursory glance and the kitchen a brief inspection. It’s not that I wasn’t interested (in truth, the flat was great); it’s just that I had found myself deep in conversation with this incredible red-headed girl named Becky who was showing me around. We talked about New Zealand (Becky had been a few times) and many other things, and I left in a bit of a daze. Later that day, Becky called me and explained that they had chosen someone else for the flat, part of the reason being that she liked me and thought it would be dangerous to live with me, but that she’d love to go out some time. Rather than being gutted that I didn’t get the flat or being taken aback, I had talked to Becky for long enough earlier on to realise that she had done something quite brave and had put herself out there. More than that, it was great to know for sure that the connection I felt was mutual. I said I would love to meet up but that, as I started work on Monday, I should probably get through my first week of work as well as find a flat before we went out. We met up for a drink a week and a half later and have been together for four and a half amazing years.

The proposal
Nick: By March 2011, I had been thinking about proposing for a while, but timing is everything. Becky and I had planned a 10 day trip to Cuba and this seemed the perfect time and setting to pop the question. I had smuggled the ring into Cuba in a little bag full of cables, power adapters and camera rechargers – the one place I knew Becky wouldn’t look! We were staying for a few days in a small rural mountain town called Viñales which is nestled in amongst spectacular jutting rock formations called mogotes. It was an incredibly sunny day and Becky and I both love the outdoors, so we decided to go for a long walk. Towards the end of the walk, I found a beautiful spot in the middle of the fields, surrounded on all sides by these towering mogotes. The ring had been burning a hole in my pocket by this stage, so I pulled it out, got down on one knee and spoke a few words from the heart (I didn’t want to have anything prepared). Thankfully, Becky said yes!! We stayed in that spot for a while and then walked back into town and up the hill to a hotel with an incredible view of the valley, where we spent the rest of the afternoon drinking mojitos and talking excitedly about all that was to come in our life together.

Becky: As Nick describes above we were in the most beautiful setting but I did wonder why he was adamant on walking right to the centre of this field. I think he persuaded me to continue when he started talking about the panoramic view, at which I begun rooting through my bag and pulled out my big old film camera and started messing about with lenses and playing about with framing as I had clocked this beautiful bare skeleton of a tree which looked wonderful against the red dirt and bright clear blue sky surrounded by the incredible rock formations (mogotes). So, there I was in my shorts and t-shirt, covered in red dirt, crouched down on the ground taking a photo of this tree, I got my shot finally and turned around to Nick who right then got down on one knee and proposed to me with the ring he had chosen. I instantly said yes but was utterly shocked and speechless for a good five minutes whilst I let it all sink in! We then walked together and talked about our future and I was absolutely overwhelmed with happiness.

Tell me one the thing you love most about each other
Becky: Nick has an inner confidence, a quiet confidence. He knows his own mind and won’t be swayed by the material world we live in; he appreciates the simple things in life.
Nick: To say that “everything” is the one thing I love most about Becky feels like a bit of a cop-out, so I’ll rephrase that by saying that Becky has a beauty and grace to her which is completely natural, combined with an adventurous spirit and always being up for a laugh. The loveliest person I have ever met. She is effortlessly perfect.

Date of wedding:
21st April 2011 at St Constantine Church in Milton Abbot, Devon, with the reception at Hotel Endsleigh a mile down the road overlooking the Tamar River.
Our wedding doesn’t strictly have a theme – however it is very much a classic Devon country wedding. All of the food is sourced from the local area and the Champagne is from Cornwall, the band are a local Celtic folk band whom we watched perform at The Port Elliot Festival in 2010 – they really know how to get the crowd going! In terms of colour we are going for earthy, soft tones.

Philippa James Photography
www.philippajamesphotography.com
info@philippajamesphotography.com
07968 501 851
FACEBOOK
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I am based in Oxford and I cover wedding and lifestyle photography.

I LOVE a good old country wedding on a farm…….I’m a massive animal lover so if I were to go back and do my wedding again and I got married in this country a farm wedding would definitely be high on my list! The wedding is full of amazing homemade and personal touches, Becky and Tom have obviously spent a lot of time and effort to make their day look just as they wanted it! they really inject their own personality into the day, they look happy, relaxed and so do the guests…………..oh and look out for the dance off…classic!!

Becky and Tom describe their day as ‘The most magical English country vintage wedding with surprises, sunshine, cider, animals, hay bales, smiles, laughs and bags of love and grub!’

How they met
We met when we were 16 and I turned Tom down…ahhh!! We met again at 25 and he asked me out on a date and I said yes!

The proposal
Well not the most romantic….we were taking a 2nd hand sofa from our house to our garage and I dropped it on my foot. I sat on the sofa under our willow tree in the garden and Tom got down on one knee….wasn’t expecting that one!!

The Venue
Stoke St Gregory Church because it means a lot to Tom as his granddad was buried there and the vicar is wicked!! We love her!!

The dress 
Dress was by Pronovias from Parham House Brides in Dunster, shoes were Jimmy Choo and Headdress was bespoke design by Gillian Million – London

And the suit and bridesmaids
The Suits were from Moss Bros and the bridesmaids were a combination from Next, I love Gorgeous clothes for beautiful girls and Fever Designs

Theme
Country Vintage and vintage pinks and nudes

Food
Canapés made by Toms mum and a farmers picnic buffet for all the guests and a cheese board in the evening.

Entertainment
Area 52 a 10 piece band, Tony Mitchell live in the garden -Rat pack singer, our surprise dance off for the guests with the wedding party, garden games, looking at all the farm animals and the disco.

Flowers
I had vintage themed flowers including my favourite peonies. Bec from Marshmallow flowers did them for me.

Decoration
Bunting, old vintage suitcases, jars of sweets, vintage china, hay bales, flowers in the trees….

Personal touches
-Flip flops for the guests
-Hat ribbon for the guests to hang their hats on
-Wooden place names
-Stands to hang the picture of the dogs on for the different dog breed themed tables
-Pictures of all the dogs in the family to represent different breeds
-Individual messages in every guest favours with a lottery ticket
-Designed invites and order of service
-All the bridesmaids’ earrings and my bracelet were made from Tom’s nans old necklace (she left it to Toms mum when she died)
-All of the signs to the wedding
-Bespoke collars and leads for the dogs to match the wedding party
-All of the dog tins used with ribbon to put the church flowers in from the garden (sweet peas)
-The Willow outside the church with garden flowers in
-Cameras on each table

Special moments
Getting ready with all the people I love and the excitement, seeing Tom at the end of the aisle, seeing our parents so happy, a couple of my dogs being the ring bearers, the amazing vicar, the Morris minor which was my granddads favourite car, the top drawer speeches and our dance off for the guests!

Planning advice
-Plan everything before the day and if you have time personalize it as much as possible
-On the day relax, smile and just think about the main reason you are doing all of this
-Take as many pictures as possible and definitely get a videographer…they are your memories…
-Confirm everyone 2 days before…e.g. hire cars, beauticians etc

Biggest surprise of the day?
Having the staff from our rescue kennels as a guard of honour outside the church…wasn’t expecting that.

Supplier shout Outs

• www.marshmallowflowers.co.uk – wedding flowers – The Flowers were amazing so much effort and thought and new exactly what I wanted.
• www.craigandkate.com–  Photography – Made us feel at ease and captured everything , love them!
• www.parhamhousebrides.co.uk – My wedding dress – She was a true professional
• Kevin Stratton – videographer TWITTER - His first wedding and he did an amazing job
• www.gillianmillion.com - My headdress
• www.area52.co.uk 10 piece band - Everyone said they were the best
• www.huntstileorganicfarm.co.uk - Our Venue
• www.ilovegorgeous.co.uk – Flower girl dress
• www.bridalhairbyhelen.co.uk – Bridal Hair – Managed to do my hair, my smum, and and 7 bridesmaids all for the 12pm wedding..amazing!
• www.feverdesigns.co.uk - Bridesmaids dresses
• www.moss.co.uk – Men’s suits
• www.madisonsbeads.co.uk - Earing and necklace
• www.somerset.ac.uk/services-to-public-design-print.html – Did the invites, order of service,  signs for guests to hold, table plan, thank you cards – Amazing service, Great value and even better service
• www.morrisminorweddingcars.co.uk – The Morris Minor – Made out travelling very special
•  dominique.harris9@btopenworld.com  – The bespoke dog collars  – worked so hard to get them perfect
• www.quantockmotorservices.co.uk - The double decker bus
• www.northcurrychurch.co.uk/ - The Church
• www.next.co.uk - The bridesmaids shoes and a couple of dresses
• www.littlehousecakes.co.uk – Wedding cake – Every detail I asked for was achieved and the cake was perfect

For more information on Craig and Kate’s Photography go to:
www.craigandkate.com
www.craigandkate.com/blog/
howdy@craigandkate.com
www.facebook.com/craigandkate
www.twitter.com/#!/craigandkate
Studio: 01206 520396

We are based in Essex but travel all over the country and abroad. We are quirky wedding photographers who love what we do. We take cool pictures in an unobtrusive way so the special moments that happen on your day are completely natural and the real you!

Today I have a Vintage themed shoot for you from Jomel, BUT this isn’t just any old vintage themed shoot, Jomel takes you right back in time with Oscar and Kannah’s vinatge shoot, with some great costumes and some clever editing! I’d love to know what you think of this one!…………..enjoy!

A MASSIVE thank you to Jomel for sharing his work with me, For more information about Jomels work go to:
www.jomelgregorio.com
www.jomelgregorio/blog
jomelgregoriophotography@gmail.com

Paula tells us a bit more about the wedding
‘James McGowan and Kim Ryan decided to marry almost ten years to the day of meeting on holiday.
 They were married with just their parents as witnesses in Chelsea Registry office in London on 15th September and decided to throw a big old bash on 17th September at the stunning 20th Century Theatre, a stone ‘s throw from Notting Hill’s Portabello Rd for 90 guests.
They approached me to photograph their party as we share a love of all things vintage and their theme was the 1930’s. I jumped at the chance!
 Kim wore vintage looking LK Bennett and James looked dapper in a sharp black suit with white brogues and a very fetching hat. Friends formed a band for the occasion as guests, dressed accordingly in 1930’s garb, poured in as I snapped away in the manner of an old school Hollywood paparazzo. Guests enjoyed an array of cocktails and canapés before swing dance instructors taught people some classic moves.
Kim and James made all the decorations themselves and brought along a vintage suitcase for cards and notes to be dropped into. Guests were asked to donate money, if they wanted to, to the couple’s cherished allotment instead of giving traditional wedding presents.
Bowl food and miniature cupcakes were served as friends and family mingled before the fantastic Five Star Swing band got everyone up to practice their newly acquired moves.’

Kim and James describe their day as ‘Full of fun, love, laughter, cocktails, music and dancing! That says it all really’

How They Met
We met on a surfing holiday in Biarritz, south of France ten years ago. We ended up spending hours sitting on a green wooden bench overlooking the beach talking about anything and everything whilst trying to see a sunset before the end of the holiday. Many long and expensive phone calls and two months later I bought a one-way ticket from home (Isle of Man) to London where James lived and the rest as they say is history. We never did get a clear sunset on that holiday. Seven years later on a trip around France we went back to the camp for a couple of days and finally saw the sunset from the green bench.

The proposal
It was more of a casual suggestion! We were treating ourselves to afternoon tea in Bath just before New Year and talking about plans for 2011 and that it would be our ten year anniversary. So I piped up with the idea that it might be nice to ‘make it official’ to celebrate our anniversary. James didn’t quite get what I meant straight away and said “what, like get a certificate?” Well yes, kind of.

The Venue
we wanted to get married on the day of our 10 year anniversary which happened to fall on a Thursday so we chose to keep the ceremony low key with family witnesses followed by champagne and dinner.
A Saturday evening seemed like a much better time to celebrate with friends and family – so we chose to organise an evening party a couple of days after our actual wedding day. For the big party we really wanted a stage for a live swing band and lots of space to dance, that was our shopping list when we looked for a venue.

The planning
We had about 8 months in total, however for around 3 months we had major building work done in our flat so the wedding plans took a backseat! The venue and caterer was organised pretty quickly and everything else was done in the 3 months before the wedding.

The dress
I wore a simple strapless dark blue dress from Coast for our wedding ceremony. For the party I wore a champagne silk and chiffon dress from LK Bennett with mary-jane shoes from Rachel Simpson. I wore a rose gold locket (to match my wedding ring) which is a vintage piece from the 1900’s and I also wore a vintage style hair pin from Liberty in Love. My hair was styled by Issidora Petrovich in classic 40’s marcel waves then pinned at the back and I did my own makeup.

The suit?
The best part of James’ outfit was his white swing dance shoes from Revival Retro on Carnaby Street. Worn with a navy blue Ben Sherman slim fit suit bought in Debenhams and a matching navy trilby hat that we bought for £20 on eBay. He took style inspiration from good old Frank Sinatra.

Theme
We had a vintage 1940’s feel with champagne saucers, cocktails, a swing dance lesson for all of our guests and a live 7-piece swing band.

Food
We served canapés with prosecco as guests arrived and then hot bowl food during the band’s interval which included bangers and mash, thai salmon and a bean stew. This was followed by mini cupcakes on tiered cake stands and platters of cheese on rosemary shortbread.

Entertainment
Three friends played a few songs during the drinks reception in the first hour, we organised a half hour swing dance lesson with fantastic teachers from Swing Patrol and also a brilliant 7-piece swing band played two fantastic sets.

Decoration
Very simple – we handmade small table menus and had small round bistro tables and chairs lining the walls to create a dance hall feel. Vintage suitcases were used as a place for guests to leave cards and written messages. The venue is a 150 year old listed building and has a lot of character which didn’t need too much decoration.

Personal touches
-Displayed framed photos from our ceremony on a fireplace mantelpiece
-Created our own cocktail menu with one dedicated to the surf camp where we met
-Made postcards for guests to leave messages
-Designed our own ‘for one night only’ poster displayed in the entrance for when guests arrived.

Special moments
Our friends who played a few songs early in the evening doing a Blues Brothers number complete with shades and a rap about us, seeing all of our friends and family laughing and having fun learning dance steps in the lesson, seeing everyone with a cocktail in hand and dancing together to our very own swing band.

Planning advice
Make sure you are totally clear about the terms of your venue before sealing the deal with a deposit to make sure it is exactly what you want – for example our venue was ‘dry hire’ only which meant we could only serve and not sell alcohol which might not suit everyone.
Plan what needs to be done, estimate how long you think it will take, and then double it! If you are making things by hand, it always takes longer than you think. I spent days designing, printing and mounting invitations then table decorations, guest note cards. It was endless!
On the day, just enjoy every minute of it!

Supplier shout Outs

• PaulaBroome Photography – www.paulabroome.com Paula did a fantastic job of capturing the vintage feel and the atmosphere of the evening – we have so many fantastic photos toremember the party for years to come.
• Green Fig Catering – www.greenfig.com Annabel and the Green Fig Team were fantastic, from helping us to decide what food to have and how to serve it through to impeccable service on the night. I can’t rate them highly enough!
• Revival Retro (vintage clothing) – www.revival-retro.com
• Rachel Simpson (vintage inspired shoes) – www.rachelsimpsonshoes.co.uk
• Liberty in Love (bridal accessories) – www.libertyinlove.co.uk
• Issidora Petrovich (make-up artist and vintage hair) – www.issidora.com
• Kooky Cards (for DIY invites) – www.kookykards.com

Website: www.paulabroome.com
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The wedding is of  Clair and Stephen Butler who got married on 29th August this year.

How did you meet?
We met through friends and went out on a blind date 6 and half years

What made you decide to get married where you did?
Beautiful location and the venue was really open to what you can do for your day, anything goes!!

Who was your dress by
Charlotte Balbier

And the suit?
TK MAXX

How would you sum up your day?
Amazing, unique to us, relaxed, fun and personal

Did you have a theme or colour scheme?
Vintage theme. we didn’t have a colour scheme as such is was more rustic the flowers were red and cream withgreen foliage

Did you have any personal touches? Or things that you did yourself?
The cake was a capital “B” with stick in signs saying MR & MRS – this was a total surprise for the Groom. We arranged a basket of flip flops with a sign saying dancing shoes for the female guests and these went down a treat. We had a photo booth, ice cream van and retro sweetie table for the guest to enjoy.

How many guests?
68

What were your special moments and highlights?
The whole day was special- from the vows to the last dance, but we decided to go out for a drive in the VW camper van (wedding car) after the ceremony for a few extra snaps and grabbed the chance to spend some alone time by going for a cheeky drink in the local pub to the venue.

Is there anything you would do differently?
Not a thing

What advice would you give any other couples?
Relax and savour every moment as the day goes quickly and ensure you grab a moment together to take the whole day in.

What was your biggest surprise of the day?
We both didn’t know what one another was wearing and it was a fantastic surprise when we clapped eyes on each other, very emotional.

For a special treat I also have a rather fab video from the day to feature along with these gorgeous photos, courtesy of Sassy n Frank

Supplier Shout Outs

www.assassynation.co.uk/- Soo glad we found Sassy(the best), what a super snapper, super talented lady and she really captured every moment from our day, lots of quirky shots too exactly what we wanted. Sassy made us feel very relaxed and the results of the photos speak for them selves- AMAZING

www.sassynfrank.com/- Frank did the DVD for our day and was really discrete, once we received the film we both cried as it is so unique and special to us and Frank has truly done the
best wedding films we have seen. BRILLIANT

www.libertycampers.co.uk  What a stunning VW camper van named Dylan and he was a big highlight of the day for us and the guests.. John and Tracey’s service was second to non. highly recommended

www.danbycastle.com/-
What can I say, Carolyn is like the wedding fairy nothing was too much trouble and made our day so personal to us. The Venue and the location were unbelievably gorgeous

www.fineandfunkyevents.com-
Will add quirk to your wedding the little extras that you guests will keep your guests talking

www.purple-peacock.co.uk
Natalie was excellent and did everything from out invites to the table plan, order of the day and it matched all the vintage theme. All the guest were amazed by all the stationary and had never seen anything like it before

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’m going to put my neck out on the line today and probably commit wedding planner/wedding blogger suicide and tell you all that I’m not a massive fan of vintage!……………….there you go I said it!

I’ve been wanting to say something for a while now, as I feel that recently the word vintage is being used way to much and quite often in the wrong context, but the nail in the coffin came last week when I received yet another email from yet another company setting up in vintage tea set hire. I am from Sheffield and I can tell you we have a HUGE range of companies offering this service, so why do we need another one I asked myself??

So I decided I would open up a discussion on this subject today and see if I was the only person who was left cold my 2nd hand shops, and who preferred new stuff to old!

Image found on Amy Inspired

Now I have to admit there are some levels of Vintage that I like and I really can appreciate the way that Vintage has inspired and affected the wedding industry as it is. I’m a big fan of introducing elements of vintage into weddings and turning it around, I adore rustic weddings, as well as country garden weddings, country cottage and Village fete themes.
I love the glamour of the 1920s and about 15 years ago I actually designed (in my head) a whole 1920s wedding……see how ahead of my time I was. I loved the 50s when I was little girl and always went in a rockabilly outfit to any fancy dress parties I was invited to. Now I love the styling of the 60s and I also love the 70s…………..BUT I still have an issue when everyone uses the word vintage to describe their wedding!

I guess my main bug bear is how people have jumped on the Vintage band waggon who don’t really understand it! I completely get that there are experts out there who live and breathe Vintage, Tiffany from Grant Riley weddings  is a great example of a planner who specialises in Vintage weddings,  she knows her stuff and she produces some exquisite weddings from real Vintage loving brides. Jenny from Hansley Beard  who specialises in vintage crockery and prop hire, lives and breathes Vintage there isn’t anything that lady doesn’t know about Vintage.
But there are so many people out there who don’t understand vintage suppliers and brides together. I do feel that the Vintage is being thrown around way to much to describe stuff that…well just isn’t vintage at all!

So many times I have been told by a bride that she wants a vintage wedding when I ask her to go into more detail and ask about the era she is looking for, it turns out it isn’t vintage she wants at all, village fete themed, or country cottage……Great! I LOVE these sorts of wedding, but they are vintage inspired and there is a BIG difference! People want to put the tag Vintage onto everything these days it seems as Vintage sells!……Vintage inspired can mean anything and covers a whole range of eras! But it’s not vintage and that is where the difference is!!

image found on Bianca Vintage

Personally I prefer the word retro….looking at more of a 70s and 80s vibe…..the 1930s and 1940s does nothing for me at all, in fact it leaves me cold!…………..sorry again to everyone out there who loves it! I don’t get the whole nostalgia thing, maybe it’s the planner in me I always look forward………….I prefer modern clean lines, minimalistic, un cluttered looks, I don’t like 2nd hand shops, or the smell of moth balls, I don’t like antiques and if it belonged to my Gran there is a strong chance that I won’t like it……this may make me totally un cool, and may lose me a whole heap of followers on twitter but I have to speak the truth!

I guess we are all guilty though, I told my sponsors the other day it seems that if you put the word vintage in an advert it gets more click troughs?? Go figure!! So yes the ‘vintage inspired’ companies do seem more popular at the moment! The same happens when I tag a blog post, if I add the word Vintage in to it…more hits! Simples!

The Queen Mother

It seems the wedding world has gone Vintage mad….it’s becoming the norm now, and I do ask myself when will it end? And when it does what will happen to all these companies who have set up a business on the back of Vintage??
And I guess this also begs the question what the next big thing will be!

Personally I think vintage is here to stay for quite a while longer, and I guess that is something I am going to have to live with! But if one more of my friends suggest a 40s themed party for their 40th Birthday I will scream…and no I won’t be coming in fancy dress…..I will be coming in something new and freshly bought from the shops in this decade!

So bring on the new…bring on the modern, lets celebrate what is about to happen instead of living in the past…….because really were things that much better then??

image source Style Me Pretty photo by James Christianson

So now let me know what you think! Shoot me down in flames I’m sure many will, but let me know if it’s a bug bare of yours! Do you dislike Vintage? Or are you tired of people just not doing it properly? Would you like to see something new? If so what?

Full names
Helen Webster and Craig Clarke

How did you meet?
We met in our first year of university and got together a few years later. We’d been together 6 years when Craig proposed a couple of years back.

Date of wedding
25 June 2011

Location
Ceremony at the beautiful Oakwell Hall, Birstall, and reception in the fabulous papakata tipis at Weddings and Wellies, Low Farm, Liversedge.

What made you decide to get married where you did?
Helen grew up within 15 miles of both locations, and West Yorkshire has always been one of the places we both feel happiest. Craig proposed to me in a field and we really wanted a part of our day to be outside. As soon as we visited Claire and Duncan at weddings and wellies we were sold – stunning location, amazing couple, freedom to do whatever we wanted! Oakwell Hall was an equally easy decision for us, we’d made our minds up before we even parked the car when we went to look round! For both venues we just fell in love straight away – beautiful settings, great people – it’s a win win!

Who was your dress by
Dress was Allan Hannah, customised from ‘Bella’, and the lace bolero is by Stewart Parvin. I found them both at the delightful Rachel Scott in Edinburgh. and Rachel also hand made the bride’s headpiece and flower pieces for the bridesmaid’s hair. The bridal shoes were a last minute success story, bought at the last minute on a trip back home to Edinburgh hours before my dress fitting! Bride’s earrings were tiny white roses, the symbol of Yorkshire, and a tiny antique bluebird brooch which has been worn by generations of women in the bride’s family on their wedding days was pinned to the bride’s garter.

And the suit
Groom wore his own kilt, bought from Davisons in Edinburgh a few years ago, with a real skunk hair sporran and accessorised with his great grandfather’s pocket watch.

How would you sum up your day?
Brilliant and wonderful in every way!

Did you have a theme or colour scheme?
We didn’t consciously have a theme or colour scheme but I guess you could describe it is vintage, country. Our stationery theme was ‘wrapped up in books’ – the invitations were designed to look and feel like vintage penguin books, the place settings as library return cards, and the tables named after some of our favourite novels.

Did you have any personal touches, or things that you did yourself?
Being able to add our own personal touches and bring ideas to the day was a deal breaker for us, and both venues were fantastic about giving us free reign! We wrote our own vows, and almost remembered them too! All of the beautiful flowers for the day were planted, tended and cared for by Helen’s mum and her friends in the nearby village where Helen grew up, and Helen’s mum’s friend put together the bouquets for Helen and the bridesmaids. We travel a lot and currently live overseas, so it was especially lovely to know a little bit of home and childhood was with us all day. Helen’s mum also made all of the wee pots of jam for the wedding favours with locally sourced produce – they went down a treat which is no surprise as she has won three national awards! Craig’s mum made all of the beautiful fabric birds which were hung and placed around the tipis from scratch with vintage fabric and old fabric from when Craig was little, and hunted down old frames for the family wedding photographs from years gone by. Craig’s grandma made the cake from scratch – and surprised us on the day with a second, chocolate cake, decorated as a field complete with iced picnic set and grazing cows!! The bride and groom bird cake toppers were also made by Craig’s mum and were a complete surprise which made Helen burst into tears! Last but not least, all of the stationery – invitations, order of service, place cards and seating plan, was made by the incredibly talented Craig who reduced his bride to tears more than once in revealing his latest round of amazing artwork.

How many guests?
About 60 for the ceremony, 85 for the reception and meal in the afternoon and a further 25 or so in the evening.

What were your special moments and highlights?
Too many to sum up! Seeing each other as I walked down the aisle and knowing in that moment that we could have been the only two people in the room, that nothing else mattered or had ever felt more right was pretty amazing! Walking into the tipis together for the first time, getting handed a glass of fizz, hearing the band play and seeing how beautiful and beyond perfect it was, was also a pretty special and magic moment that we’ll treasure forever. Oh, and seeing hordes of our guests hurtle themselves full speed into a hayfield for the wellie wanging contest was hilarious!!

Is there anything you would do differently?
Invent a time machine so we could go back and do it over and over again for the rest of our lives!

What advice would you give any other couples?
If you’re with the right person, everything else will work out. Trust your instincts and follow your hearts, and have a laugh and a giggle. Oh, and think twice before emigrating to the other side of the world and starting new jobs four months before the big day….!

What was your biggest surprise of the day?
so many surprises – not feeling nervous at all as I walked down the aisle and we said our vows, the sun coming out, the clock chiming midnight and everyone leaving…time has never gone so quickly! That, and the amazing second wedding cake, cake toppers, oh and a cake made entirely of cheese as a gift from Claire and Duncan too! Mostly the surprises were cake based!!

Those involved:
PHOTOGRAPHY:Matt Tordoff at Greyeye Photography – www.greyeyephoto.com/
CEREMONY VENUE: Oakwell Hall - www.kirklees.gov.uk/events/venuedetails.asp?vID=9
RECEPTION VENUE: Weddings and Wellies - www.weddingsandwellies.co.uk/
DRESS: Rachel Scott - www.rachelscottcouture.co.uk
FAVOURS: Linda Webster hand made jam wedding favours (she’s open for business and happy to take requests!) – linda.webster@yahoo.co.uk
BAND: milestone – www.milestonemusic.info

For more information on Matts’ work go to:
www.matttordoff.com
matthewtordoff.com/category/weddings/
matt@greyeyephoto.com
TWITTER

Shelly tells me a bit more about the day:
Rosa and David got hitched at the rather grand Bradford City Hall. Apparently, the City Hall only do two or three weddings a year, but as Rosa’s father worked there up until recently, it made complete sense that she and David tied the knot at the fabulous venue in front of friends and family. Now I love a bit of vintage, but when I found out where Rosa and her bridesmaids were gettiing their dresses, I knew that this was gonna be amazing. And what a day it was! When I arrived at Rosa’s parents house on the morning of the wedding, it was a sea of make-up and hair and frocks and shoes mixed with the best wedding play list I’ve heard in sometime. Ginny, Rosa’s mum was busy getting the full on beauty treatment from Samantha at Simply Stunning, whilst Kirsty at Mirror Mirror was busy putting the final touches to the bridesmaids hair. The girls had opted for dresses by Vivienne of Holloway and I have to say, looked absolutely amazing. They even went for different coloured petticoats. Rosa was incredibly laid back the entire morning, singing her way through the run-up like it wasn’t one of the most important days in her life! And then she put on the veil and that dress! Wowzers! Her little birdcage veil was from Liberty in Love, and her necklace was her great aunt’s. The image of the bride’s bouquet  is taken on a vintage hat box that once belonged to her grandmother but which was later home for her teddybear. I was in vintage heaven, I can tell ya. Before I knew it, Ginny was dancing down the aisle, followed by Rosa who looked every inch the beautiful bride on the arm of her proud father, to marry the lovely David who was waiting rather nervously at City Hall.

I absolutely loved the City Hall with its grand sweeping staircase and ornate lamps and marble bannisters. So much so that I did all the images of the day indoors. Normally I can’t wait to get outside for lots of lovely natural light, and don’t get me wrong, the City Hall is pretty tremendous looking on the exterior, but I adored the interior so much, I convinced Rosa and David to do all their posed shots inside. I think they turned out a treat and suited their wedding style down to the ground. And then there was champagne, and twirling in those dresses, and then we ran over the road to get some dinner at The Great Victoria Hotel. And the couple and their guests certainly stopped traffic. The City Hall is in a busy part of town so the little walk over to the Great Victoria was enough to make buses and cars honk their horns and shoppers turn their heads to catch a glimpse of the wedding party. At the Great Victoria, the turquoise blue of the bridesmaids dresses and the grooms tie, was echoed in the most delectable little cup cakes you ever did see. Rosa had also imported a spotty cake topper all the way from America to sit on top of her wedding cake. Delicately coloured hydrangeas were arranged in glass bowls on each table and the table names represented all the places Rosa and David have lived at since their university days.

Full names
Rosa Tough (nee Wilkinson!) and David Tough

How did you meet?
We met through mutual friends at Cambridge University, we have been together since January 2004.

Date of wedding
14 May 2011

Where did you get married?
Bradford City Hall for ceremony, Great Victoria Hotel in Bradford for reception.

What made you decide to get married where you did?
I come from Bradford and wanted to show it off to everyone! We chose the Great Victoria for the reception first as it’s got a real boutique feel with an affordable price tag – then the City Hall as it was available on the date we wanted – plus it’s absolutely stunning venue and sadly underused asset for weddings!

Who was your dress by
A slightly altered Vivien of Holloway (same as bridesmaids!)

And the suite?
Suits? Moss Bros (ties from Matalan!)

How would you sum up your day?
Fun, relaxed, the best day of our lives!

Did you have a theme or colour scheme?
A vintage 50s theme – colour wise a duck egg blue / turquoise, silver and white. Inspired by Budget Savvy Bride  The pearls on my birdcage veil and the bows on my shoes were echoed in the decorations on the cupcakes.

Did you have any personal touches or things that you did yourself?
Glowsticks for the disco went down a storm! We used my mum’s calligraphic skills for as much stationery as possible including drinks vouchers for favours. We also chose a ceremony playlist made up of classic songs we both loved – no wedding clichés in earshot!

How many guests?
just under 80

What were your special moments and highlights?
Quiet time in the car with my dad driving to the ceremony, wonderful speeches by all the gents, having all our friends and family on the dancefloor at some point in the disco!

Is there anything you would do differently?
Not at all!

What advice would you give any other couples?
Firstly, don’t look in bridal shops for bridal shoes, they are all ugly – go for high street shoe shop bridal ranges! Secondly, try to really organise the logistics of the day thoroughly and then handover to suppliers / bridal party members to take responsibility a week or two beforehand. This means your last week and wedding day will be totally stress-free!

What was your biggest surprise of the day?
How much more we enjoyed ourselves than expected and how everyone else loved it so much! Many guests said it was a really relaxed and personal ceremony and several said they’d had the most fun at any wedding!

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

the lady herself! Keeley Harris

I wanted to get to know Keeley a bit better so I asked her a few questions about her, her businesses and about Vintage in general. If you have any interest in Vintage what so ever then you really need to hear what this lady has to say about the trend that has swept across the wedding world!

Tell me a bit more about you do
I am a dealer of Vintage textiles and clothes from the 1920’s-1960’s, I have loved all things vintage since the age of 10.
I have a Vintage Shop in York called Vintage Emporium selling Homewares, Fashion and Bridal.
I also organise Vintage events across the UK including Vintage Home & Fashion Fairs, Vintage Festivals & The Vintage Wedding Fair.

How long have you been running the vintage wedding fairs for
I launched the UK’s first Vintage Wedding Fair on Valentines day 2010. The first fair was in Harrogate. I was not sure if it was going to be a hit but it want really well with quite a few brides finding the dress of their dreams. Since then I have introduced the fairs to London, Leamington Spa and this Autumn Bath & Chester.

Where do you think the trend for vintage weddings came from
The fast growing trend for Vintage weddings has come from the love of nostalgia and looking back at the past. People really want to celebrate their big day in a different way and a vintage wedding offers a strong theme to work to and allows for some quirky and interesting features.
As a vintage dealer I noticed there were more and more people asking for Vintage Wedding Dresses & Men’s Suits, as well as those guests who were going to a vintage themed wedding and needed something to wear.
Having a vintage wedding is all about the style of the era you choose to follow and this is often dictated by the dress you choose.
The rest can be worked into a theme from the grooms suit, wedding car and even the entertainment at the reception.

Why do you think vintage weddings are so popular
Vintage in general has seen a massive growth in popularity over the past 5 years which may have been fuelled by the recession. People have not been able to spend as much on clothes and accessories but they are still looking for quality.
Vintage brings warm and fond memories of the past, a little piece of history! Many couples want to create this feeling on their wedding day to make it memorable.

What do you feel makes a vintage wedding vintage
Being unique and of course the Dress!
Having a Vintage Wedding allows you to be individual, have loads of fun and be creative. Choosing the theme needs some serious consideration, many couples will tend to work the theme around the wedding dress.  A Vintage Wedding Dress is a one off, no two are the same. A vintage dress is also ready to wear, so if you have decided to get hitch with no time to have something made, Vintage is instant!  Dresses from different eras have a definite style and this may often need to be considered depending the brides shape and size.
A 1920’s flapper dress has a very different cut to ballerina length dress that was popular in the 50’s or the hippy style of the 70’s
It’s also the little details that make a vintage themed wedding. Choose a style from a particular era or mix and match. The good thing is, there are no rules!

The word vintage is thrown around a lot in the wedding industry does this annoy you or are you happy that it’s become so popular
I am not annoyed by the use of the word “Vintage”; I run a vintage business and general awareness is good.
The true meaning of Vintage is anything original from 1920-1980. Some suppliers now offer vintage inspired which are sometimes mass produced. I try to avoid things like this at my fairs and prefer people who make dresses or hats using vintage items.
I aim to have hundreds of true vintage dresses and accessories, as this keeps the event a vintage one. I know true vintage is not for everyone, I welcome Vintage themed suppliers such as favours, flowers and photographers because they complement the event.

What is your favourite era
I love the 1950’s, the music, the films and the fashion.
The 50’s was all about elegance, glamour and fun, focus on this and you can’t really go wrong.

What would be your advice be to any brides or grooms planning a vintage wedding
Do some research about the different era and understand more about the fashion, lifestyles & music from each period.
Look up vintage suppliers and visit Vintage Wedding Fairs for inspiration.
Be creative, it’s the little details your guests will remember

Do you think vintage is here to stay?
There will always to a cluster of vintage enthusiasts that will love it forever. They are the ones who collect, wear and live it all of the time.
I think for others it’s a fashion that will pass at some point. But at the moment it just keeps on growing in popularity.

What about the dresses, what designers are your favourites and who are doing the whole vintage styling well
In terms of the best collection of Vintage Dresses, I recommend Heavenly Vintage Brides. Helena has the most stunning collection of dresses from 1900 onwards.
Also finding an original 20’s dress is very difficult, nearly impossible in a condition that is wearable. Lindsay Fleming Couture has a great range of 20’s style dresses that will certainly give you the look.
I also love U&Mii who make fabulous bouquets from vintage buttons, they are really amazing!

If you are interested in attending or exhibiting at one of Keeley’s fairs the list for this year is: 

19th June London
Chiswick Town Hall, Heathfield Terrace, Chiswick, London, W4 4JN
11am-4.00pm
Over 50 Exhibitors, Entry £5

18th September Harrogate
St George Hotel, 1 Ripon Road, Harrogate, HG1 2SY
12 noon-5.00pm
Over 50 Exhibitors, Entry £4

2nd October Bath
Bath Assembley Room, Bennett Street, Somerset, BA1 2QH
11 noon-4.00pm
Over 50 Exhibitors, Entry £5

16th October Chester
Chester Guildhall, Watergate Street, Chester, CH1 2LA
11 noon-4.00pm
Over 40 Exhibitors, Entry £4

13th November
Chiswick Town Hall, Heathfield Terrace, Chiswick, London, W4 4JN
11am-4.00pm
Over 50 Exhibitors, Entry £5

For more information you can contact :
Keeley Harris
Discover Vintage, Vintage Emporium
& The Vintage Wedding Fair
0113 2876378
0788 0910361
www.discovervintage.co.uk
www.vintageweddingfair.co.uk
www.vintageemporiumyork.co.uk
keeley@discovervintage.co.uk