Oh what an amazing Bank Holiday weekend!!!!!
How good was the weather?!! I was lavishing myself in the sun & enjoying endless BBQ food, y-u-um.
My weekend kicked off with some Bridesmaid Dress shopping for Carly’s wedding.

So she has 4 very different ladies to dress but one superb idea that I am totally pinching for mine….
She is dressing us all in different dresses but all in the same colour tones. Even better.. the main colour is nude… the shops are bursting with nudes, creams & blushes. We were quids in & which made it a great day.

But we can’t have lace. Lace is for the bride.

We hit Bluewater in the afternoon & found some great dresses. I also bought quite a bit from H&M (totally un-wedding-related). They are looking great this season with some fab vest tops, cardis & summer dresses! We spent most of the day in there debating on what was nice for a wedding. Thanks to the input of all the ladies in the fitting room… very helpful

Carly bought her shoes- oh so lovely. Sorry I can’t share- as a girl is entitled to dazzle the world on her big day without her blogger-mate ruining the surprises!!

Need some help with your big day dresses?? Even if you are looking for something as a guest.. I would totally recommend
Very.co.uk
H&M
Oasis (for accessories)
John Lewis (Shoes, Bags & gifts)

Hey love,

The below link is the venue in Camden I was telling you about
www.whiteweddingclub.com – I forgot to say that we all have
to dress up as a trashy bride!

So I will be emulating… x

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ha ha ha ha!!! LOVE IT.
Slight issue mind… you don’t have bapps like that!! Or such style…
So good luck with emulating!!

Had a look at the venue.. like it alot- the dance floor sounds right
up our street (post 2 bottles of Bubbles)… Only thing is…
Do you want to share your venue with other hens??

I think you should hold the glory alone. Can you imagine how competitive we will be??!!
There will be feathers flying! Ha ha ha!

Let’s keep hunting… but I really need your list of invitees!!!
Need to save the date & get some idea of numbers which will help pick the venue.

Cluck Cluck xxx

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Yeah you’re right- I don’t want to share! Its MY night xxx

xxx

REPLY TO; CHARLOTTE AKA MY MOH

Love them all! Love LOVE the Willoughby dress I think that’s my fave! And in budget!
FYI the budget is slightly negotiable… x

Yeah I want the dresses short as I want my dress to stand out. You are allowed
long as you’re maid of honor. I think this is the best way with everyone being different
shapes and sizes.

You can have long but not lace.
Lace is mine.

Lots of Love,
Carly xxx

Hey Love!

Soooo glad we are all booked in and the date is set!!!

So, BM dresses… Here’s few I have seen… Let me know what you think!

This is a Holly Willoughby dress.. if she can get her baps in- I can too!
You can wear it different ways too!

This one’s a great colour too… Nice & floaty-light.

Very.co.uk is the best priced for your budget. I looked at some lovely ones in Coast- too pricey I think, then there’s Monsoon- rubbish collection at the mo!!

More of these colours will come up towards Easter too.

Long dresses or sticking to short?
I just thought if you opt for longer dresses then you don’t have to worry about shoes & people can wear sandals? But I guess it won’t matter too much!

Love you lots!
xx

Weddings are hard to organise at the best of times.
But give yourself 6 months, divorced parents & a wedding in Greece, now you are talking a challenge!
I’m not saying its never been done before… just that I have never been involved before.

To be fair, I get off easy.. all I have in the best hen do ever to organise in a Swansea meets London style & to be the best mate I can be in the days leading up to THE DAY.

Anyone been a MOH abroad?? I would LOVE some tips!!
So here’s where we am at…. Bridesmaid Dresses.

Here’s what we are looking for….

I love the independant style of these dresses.
I also love the way they are all blonde, thin & tanned…. agency pic by any chance?!!

Or do we conform to ‘likey likey’ mode?!

I prefer one style per BM! But that’s just me.
We are all 4 very different- different sizes, hair colours & ages!

Any ideas from your weddings?? Don’t forget.. its going to be like 40 degrees….

To bring some love & sun into your morning… here are some stunning pictures from Leah & Mickael’s September wedding in Portugal.

They decided on a mixed culture wedding to please both families & honour a country they both love.

I personally, am LOVING the flowers!! The beading on her bouquet & the button holes.. so beautiful!

Leah says The priest was amazing and he did the whole ceremony in both languages where possible and when I said I wasn’t comfortable saying my vows in Portuguese he spent 4 days practicing his English so we could do it in English!

The Portuguese are quite particular about what happens at weddings and it’s more common for people to get married there and than in UK. “I think I made a few enemies along the way!”

And of course, the first dance…

Ahhhh, Dreamy!
Charlotte xx

Woo hoo!!! Its Saturday!

Its amazing how much I love a weekend! Today especially as I am on my way into London to meet Emma!! I haven’t seen her since she was wearing her Claire Pettibone & Rachel Simpson’s!
I’m dying to hear all about the big day! Especially as she will give me the tell-all-truths version.

So while I have been researching wedding bits n bobs.. more bobs than bits, I came across this possible Honeymoon destination. Its a little different to the others I have seen so I thought I’d share it. Why not hey?

Welcome to St Lucia.

Ok ok, that’s normal…

The Body Holiday.

Yup, different.

Now, the way this works…
“The BodyHoliday in St Lucia, means pleasure, rejuvenation and relaxation and delivers a memorable active beach holiday combined with your favourite sports, great food, exercise programmes and personal service.

And we add one more special ingredient – the wellness centre. It’s the
Caribbean’s most award-winning spa but we’re more than a spa. You can be assured of whatever your mind, body and spirit need, you will find it
here, from non-stop relaxation to non-stop activity and all points in
between.”

Not just something for your body & mind.. they specialise in Honeymoons AND weddings!!
Fabulous!
“The BodyHoliday Brides tell us they choose us for their destination Wedding because they want their nuptials to be as individual as their dreams, in a location that can’t be duplicated.
Dreamy!

We’re not a Wedding factory. We treat each bridal party as we treat each of our guests – with personalised attention and a customised approach to their BodyHoliday experience. Our Wedding planner, Diane guides you through the details of your special day and takes the stress out of planning and puts personal enjoyment back into your important day.

Your Wedding ceremony takes place in the shade of a beautiful, gingerbread sea-front gazebo. A more perfect setting is hard to come by, particularly when it’s enhanced with tropical flowers and generous glasses of champagne. There’s something magical about saying “I do” within the sight and sounds of the azure Caribbean Sea. “

I don’t know about you, but this is on my list of destinations!! Not only that, but I have had a personal recommendation on this one! Bubbles included…

Mmmmm
Charlotte xx

(PS. These are not pics from The Body Holiday! They are just lushious ones from St Lucia! Look on thier site for actual images!)

Many of you probably think I’m slow on the uptake, but I’m so impressed I need to share this!

Well here’s a great brand of cosmetics which are not only gorgeous for any Bride but suitable for vegans & delicious for the rest of us!!

Korres
“Korres natural products is a Greek company with roots in the first Homeopathic Pharmacy of Athens. The first Korres product was an aromatic herbal syrup with honey and aniseed, a recipe inspired by “rakomelon”, a warming spirit-with-honey concoction, which George Korres’ grandfather used to favour in his hometown on the island of Naxos.”

Fabulously Greek! Here’s a few of my favourites…
Perfect for a wedding in the sun!

Watermelon Face Cream SPF 30 (23,80 Euros)

Ideal for Photosensitive Complexions
Dermatologically Tested
Paraben Free
Mineral Oil Free
Silicone Free
Propylene Glycol Free
Ethanolamine Free
Enriched with Active Plant Extracts
Non Comedogenic
Water Resistant

Wild Rose Face Serum (41 Euros)

Brightening & line smoothing.. wonderful!

Dermatologically Tested
Mineral Oil Free
Silicone Free
Propylene Glycol Free
Ethanolamine Free
Enriched with Active Plant Extracts

Not to mention it smells devine! They all do!!

Yogart Cooling Gel (20,90 Euros)

Dermatologically Tested
Paraben Free
Mineral Oil Free
Silicone Free
Propylene Glycol Free
Ethanolamine Free
Enriched with Active Plant Extracts
Non Comedogenic
With Real Edible Yoghurt- YES. Edible!!!

So, where can you find them across the UK??
Korres Store : Buchanan Galleries, Unit 1 Level 2 (L2) 220 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, G1 2FF
Korres Store : Ocean Terminal, Ground Floor, Ocean Drive, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6JJ
Harvey Nichols: Beyond Beauty Dept.: Knightsbridge London, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, Manchester, Dublin, Bristol Tel.: 020 7584 0011
Liberty: Beauty Hall, Regent St. London Tel.: 020 7734 1234
John Lewis: Selected John Lewis stores and Peter Jones Tel.: 020 7730 3434
Heal’s: All stores except for Brighton Tel: 020 7636 1666
Oliver Bonas: Selected Oliver Bonas stores Tel.: 0208 974 1200
World Duty Free: Heathrow Airport Terminals 1

Lushous.
Charlotte x

If I’m honest, I kind of dread the Big Day… you know its just so much pressure! I am excited but I simply can’t wait for the Honeymoon!!
I am enjoying looking at destinations & planning the best holiday we have ever had. Lots of amazing places to stay, romance & plenty of culture. Its so hard to choose just one!

Since we have started blogging about our weddings, we have had contact with some of the nicest & most helpful people from the wedding industry. Each & every one of them has something amazing to offer you & your wedding.

Today I would like you to meet Honeymoons Galore.

“We are global travel experts specializing in planning destination weddings, honeymoons, vacations and romantic getaways. We understand that every couple is unique so each trip is designed from the ground up. Honeymoons Galore staffers work closely with clients to create trips that are perfectly suited to your personalities and lifestyles.”

I asked them to give me 10 of the top honeymoon destinations to help me & you to mull over our options.
I wanted some action for my man as he doesn’t share my love of sunbathing, plus some adventure that we can share.
My ideal destination is Thailand. This would include a few adhoc trips.. Bali, Cambodia & Vietnam… Maybe I need to book a longer stint with work!!

Given the current situation in Thailand, I am looking into other options. Just in case.
A special Thank you to Peggy Knipp at Honeymoons Galore for the following suggestions….

1. Tahiti – offers over the top romance, breath taking views and accommodations, heaven on earth experience
2. Europe – i.e. Italy, Spain, Prague, Paris, Greece. Offers Romance, culture, amazing restaurants, night life – Great value right now
3. St. Lucia – offers romance, activities, adventure, wonderful accommodations
4. Mexico – depending on the side, Rivera Maya would offer great accommodations, night life, culture – Cabot San Lucas is an old fishing village that has become a very hot honeymoon spot – great accommodations, nightlife, golf, spa – Zihuatanejo offers romance and night life not to mention beautiful accommodations
5. Australia and New Zealand – adventure – great cities with night life, great diving
6. Fiji – total romance – great accommodations
7. St. Barths in the Caribbean – it’s the St. Tropez of the Caribbean – great accommodations/ beaches/ night life, food, shopping and the list goes on
8. Africa – East/South/Tanzania – Honeymoon in a luxury tented safari – listen and watch the animals – get back in touch with nature
9. Costa Rica – Great adventure!
10. Pacific Coast in the US —- luxury, breath taking views

Emma’s Costa Rica honeymoon is in there!!

This just a top 10, but it can be very extensive as to what they can offer.
“Our consultants take the time to understand who you are as individuals and as a couple. We ask lots of questions so we can make suggestions, provide helpful advice and build the trip of a lifetime for you. We have built our reputation on providing personal and customized services.”

They take your honeymoon very seriously. Its the beginning of your lives together & needs to be absolutely perfect to what you want. Register your honeymoon here.

Currently their feature desitnation is the French Riveria! Fabulous!

Thanks for the tips guys! I will be back for more & will update you all on how I am getting on!

Was your honeymoon destination in this list?

If you would like to recommend any more locations for our Brides. Drop us a comment below!

Dreaming of the sun…
Charlotte xx

When you are overtaken with wedding planning it is easy to forget that after the wedding you have a whole new fab adventure to look forward to… your honeymoon!

I was so overwhelmed when it came to booking my honeymoon. I got to the point where I was sat in tears (yes I know this sounds ridiculous but I was) at my laptop stressing over it! Now first things first, Honeymoons are a FUN thing. To begin with I almost looked at it as another thing to organise, and then Matt pointed out how silly I was being and then I realised he had a point.

Matt and I are both fairly well travelled people and like nothing more than throwing a few bits in a rucksack, getting a flight and then hoping for the best when we arrive. Neither of us knew how to even go about booking a ‘proper’ holiday or where to start! Now, since starting this blog both Charlotte and I have been lucky enough to find out about a lot of people who can help, our favourites being Honeymoons Galore (more of whom another day but we promise to write about). But at the time I found honeymoon help severely lacking!

I found a lot of places that all looked the same, and I also found that the minute you mention honeymoon the price goes up by about a grand! Top tip, try and not let on its your honeymoon and see if you can get a better price. Very often the ‘honeymoon package’ isn’t much different to the ‘lovely couple on hols package’ so tread carefully here. I saw loads where the price was about 40% more and the only difference I could see was that I got fruit basket thrown in.

We both decided that we were just going to do it the way we knew best, and throw everything in a rucksack and turn up wherever. We decided that as neither of us had been to South America, that we would love to go there. But the problem we had was that South America is so vast we would have had to visit one or two countries only – and we couldn’t decide!

We both wanted a bit of adventure but also to be near the sea. We discovered that Costa Rica would be perfect, as it is one of the most unspoilt ecological areas on earth, plus it has amazing beaches.

We both liked the idea of staying in the rainforest. I had been searching for weeks and weeks and still couldn’t find the perfect destination, so in the end we literally typed into google ‘Rainforest eco lodges’ – and we found our place! We are staying here, at Lapa’s Nest Treehouse in Corcovado National park in the Osa Peninsula in Cost Rica. I cant wait!

Now, we have every material possession we could ever need already. We knew that people would ask if we had a gift list but we couldn’t think of anything we actually wanted. I had seen a couple of honeymoon gift lists advertised in the wedding mags and I loved the idea. I loved the idea of people buying us life long memories (as cheesy as it sounds)!  The problem was, that they were all either affiliated with a travel company (meaning you had to book through them), or they charged a fairly high commison rate.

I didn’t really want to be tied into either of these. All I wanted was a website that people could visit and just choose a gift. And then I found Honeyfund.

Honeyfund is brilliant, because it allows you to have a gift list without having to pay for it or cough up for hefty commison charges. You can create your list exactly how you would like it – and personalise it with photos. So many people have said they love our gift list and how unusual it is… we have everything from night trekking through the jungle to our mini flight into the rainforest on Nature Air (the world’s first carbon neutral airline!).  We had a lot of fun making it as well!

I would love to hear about any other fab honeymoon sites you have found, this is a part of wedding planning that needs a shout out!

Love

Emma xx