Hey wedding lovers!

So while I am still on the getting ready bit of my big day – I thought I would do a little post on what I wore.

So, my dress as I have mentioned before was from Claire Pettibone (Lucia). I got it from Blackburn Bridal Couture in Blackheath in London. You must all go there as Russell and Mandi are fabulous. I’m taking Charlotte!

My dress had a detachable train which was great for the Cathedral but then it came off for the party!

My flowers were from Libby Ferris. I had seen a cover of Cosmo bride with loads of candy coloured roses on it, and I took that in to show her!

I had pink, dark pink, pale yellow, white and a sort of burnt purple roses and the girls had the same but mixed with peonies and just in the pinks.

My something old was a little six pence that the lovely people at the car company gave me, which my dad drilled a little hole in and we tied a blue ribbon through and tied it round my bouquet.

My something borrowed was my mums pearl earrings and my something new was my dress!

My underwear was from Rigby & Pellar – see previous posts where I rave for ages about how great they were!

I did all my own make up, I loved doing it. I had a half hour on my own just sitting there with all my nice new stuff from NARS and Dior and MAC and had a lovely time!

I din’t have a specific colour scheme, I just wanted it all to be as colourful as possible, because it is summer and that’s what summer is about!

My shoes were from Rachel Simpson, I looked for everywhere to find a nice pair of gold sandals and these were perfect. I have to admit though that I changed into a pair of white flip flops from topshop after the dinner!

My jewellery was from Yarwood White, I think the necklace went with the dress perfectly and everyone asked where it was from, they thought it was vintage. My mum got it me for my birthday!

Hope you like!

Love

Emma xx

Happy Thursday everyone!

I’m quite excitable today as I am feeling ever more closer to the weekend!! Yyyaaaayyyy!!
This Saturday I am meeting Emma & our-mate-Kate to celebrate Kate’s belated birthday & to hear all the juicy details from Emma’s big day! Can’t wait.

As I am still in major ‘research mode’ over my own wedding, I want to bring you plenty of Things to Love over the next few months. This way, you don’t have to do quite so extensive research!

Here’s today’s.
For your Flower Girl.

1. Wands- she’s not a fairy-princess without one!!
I found these which I love, from Amanda Middleton Designs; Professionally hand-crafted Tiaras & Jewellery.

2. Shoes. All girls love their shoes!
These are from Girls-Love-Pearls.co.uk
Yes we do!

3. Butterfly Hair clips!
Aww so cute!
These are £5 from Monsoon/ Accesorize

But for me, I have a gorgeous page boy to dress… so back to the drawing board!

Charlotte xxx

Not all nightwear is mean to be slept in right?

Its so cheap, I’ll have 2!
Budget
Ann Summers £18

Oh, go on then!
Mid range
Figleaves.com £55

Gasp!!
High Range
Agent Provocateur £450

Sweet Dreams…
Charlotte xx

Hello Thursday!

I was contacted recently by CRED Jewellery – who told us about their bridal collection.

The reason why these guys made me sit up and take notice is because they are a fair trade jewellery company.

They produce their collections from fair trade gold and platinum which they source from a social and environmentally conscious mining company, based in the depths of the Columbian virgin rainforests.

The miners in the Choco region  handmine gold and platinum, carefully reforesting sites after use. Working as part of a co-operative, fees are paid directly to the miners’ families and their communities.

Cred only use gem stones which are obtained from traceable sources, and use a  rainbow selection of naturally coloured stones, from blood red rubies to cornflower blue sapphires and Belgium diamonds.

Cred jewellery is crafted in the UK by artisanal designers and top design school graduates.

I just thought that little companies as fab as this really deserve a mention – for more information, have a look at their website

Love

Emma xx

Hello Tuesday!

Our guest blogger today is the lovely Emma from Yarwood White, who was recently Chief Bridesmaid at her best friends wedding – and who is giving her her top tips for being your brides right hand girl on the big day!

So here we go – pay attention girls (especially you Charlotte who will be doing this next July)! PS – first pic is of electric Emma and her Chief Bridesmaid Alex – awwww!

Chief Bridesmaid Top-Tips

1.  Be prepared – you may be asked to do a lot over the course of the wedding preparations.

2.  Fun Fun Fun! Organise the hen night.  Bear in mind what the bride would want to do.

3.  Go with the bride to choose and help with fittings of the wedding dress – you will be the first to see it!

4.  Help the bride as much as possible, advice and opinions will be the best wedding present you can give to any bride-to-be.  Offer advice on accessories, make-up and hairstyles for the bride and bridesmaids.

5.  Attend the wedding rehearsal; make sure you know exactly where everyone should be on the big day.

6.  You will most likely be the one looking after the bride’s bouquet during the wedding ceremony; will you be the one to catch it too???

7.  Be prepared to be make-up artist, hairdresser and best friend all-in-one on the wedding day.

8.  Keep the bride calm! (not as easy as it sounds) On the big day, make sure there is nothing to do apart from getting ready.

9.  You will need to be at the bride’s house bright and early (preferably the night before) to make sure getting ready is not rushed and everything is perfect.

10.  For summer weddings, make sure where you will all be getting ready is nice and cool, there is nothing worse than being hot and sweaty before you even get in your dress, let alone getting the bride into hers!

11.  Open a nice bottle of champagne to drink when getting ready, calm the nerves.

12.  You will need to liaise with the best man, bridesmaids/pageboys, ushers, florist and all family members to ensure they all know what they should be doing.

13.  A handy tip! Keep a small sewing kit, touch up make-up, small bottle of perfume in your bag for those moments when they will be needed (usually before photo’s are taken)!

14.  Ensure the cars are instructed to get you and the other bridesmaids to the church about 10 minutes before to do last minute checks and hope the groom is already there!

15.  Assist the bride out of her car and help with last minute adjustments.

16.  Help the bride to get ready to go away on her honeymoon.

17.  Being chief bridesmaid may not be an easy task, it will be very rewarding .  Your best friend’s wedding will be very important and exciting to her, you will most likely find you will feel this way about the wedding too.

18.  Lastly – HAVE FUN!

Love

Emma

(PS note from Emma and Charlotte – Emma, you are the knowledge of all things bridesmaid and we salute you! Thank you for helping us fumble our way through this! – amazing! xx)

I don’t know about you, but shopping for bras fills me with dread.
How many times I have been measured, only to buy a bra that I fall out of or looks too big or digs into my ribs- gaaaahhh.

Knowing I will need a fantastic bra for the wedding dress makes me shiver, as its critical that I don’t start falling out, but worse than that… I don’t want to look like a bride smuggling big air bags.
That’s what they look like & its dead hard to hide.

But I have reached a small turning point this weekend. No I don’t have the dress yet, but I do need some new bras & with the Big Day in mind, I think its a great way to test out what is out there.

Here’s a place I found solace & some items I have picked out that are great. Long live Bravissimo!!
The aptly named, Confetti Bra £25

This was a minimising dream….
Confetti Bodice (thong) £35

This looks great! Confetti Basque £40
And yes, I am a little tempted to keep my tiara on
& flowers in hand…

Now, something for the night. Well, we really
should make an effort to leave the comfy PJs at
home (or hidden in the bottom of my bag)

Helloooo Hestia! This Hestia Basque is £55.

Hello Mirror…

I feel a much needed inner peace now. Until i start thinking about getting ‘the one’…..

Eeeek.
Charlotte xx

You might remember Emma’s post on her fantastic experience at Rigby & Peller…

Hey wedding cadets!

We are very excited about todays guest blogger – she designed Emma’s wedding shoes and is a bit of a shoe designing icon in the wedding industry – we welcome Rachel Simpson and her top tips for buying wedding day shoes!

Top Tips for Buying Wedding Day Shoes

Cinderella for a day
Choose shoes that make you feel amazing! Even if your dress is floor length, giving your guests the occasional peek of an exquisite pair of shoes will make you feel like a true princess! Wedding shoes don’t have to be boring- combine classic style with fashionable detailing and you’ll love them for years. Beautiful shoes change the way you feel- you’ll already be walking on air so find your dream pair and do it in style!

Comfort
Remember you’re going to be on your feet all day, so make sure you’re comfortable in your shoes. This doesn’t just mean low heels- if you’re a heels girl don’t compromise on your usual style, Venetia (from the Rachel Simpson collection – see below) has the secret to comfort in a killer heel with her concealed platform, making the shoe look higher than it is! Go for leather linings that allow your feet to breathe- sweaty feet are a real no no! It’s a good idea to wear your shoes around the house a bit to get used to them and wear them in to suit your feet. It’s worth having a pair of party feet on hand just in case..

Fittings
Get organised in time for your final fitting (if not before!), as your seamstress will need to know the exact height of your shoes so she can fit your dress accordingly. Once you have a pair in mind check with the company how long it will take for delivery and pre-order if necessary to avoid any last minute disappointment!

Protect
If your shoes are satin or suede, it’s a good idea to use a protector spray before the big day. Check with the manufacturer or take them to your local shoe menders so they can recommend a suitable product. Remember they can be hard to clean though, so try and avoid the rain if possible but don’t let it ruin your day! Go for leather if you don’t want the risk..

After the big day
Beautiful shoes deserve to be worn so if you love them, wear them again! Ivory and white shoes can look great in the summer with a pair of jeans, or if they’re truly bridal why not dye them a fab new colour, or black for glamorous evening wear? Marilyn (see below) comes in three beautiful shades, Ivory for the big day and sumptuous mink and teal if you love this shoe so much you need to buy all three!

If you do want to keep your shoes as a memento why not have them framed, either on their own or with other items like your jewellery, invite or flowers. This looks fab and makes a chic artwork of your day. Alternatively you could buy a keepsake box to safely store your mementoes and add a stylish touch to your room.

All the best in your shoe shopping!

The Rachel Simpson Team xx

(Note from Emma & Charlotte) – We hope you have enjoyed this post as much as we have – thanks so much Rachel for the advice! xxx

Yes its summer, but its also the UK & we all know what ’summer’ can mean. I still remember the flooding that has plagued us for so many years now.
So unless you are getting married abroad, you will be keeping a close eye on the weather for your day & will be prepared for, the RAIN.

Its a dampening thought, but let’s not dwell. Let’s find some super brollies to brighten your spirits & help you feel prepared!!

I have found Umbrella Heaven.

A Duo is perfect to assist on the day for both of you!

They can also be a great photo prop if you like!

Or maybe you want to rescue more of your wedding party from the weather? How about a package deal of brollies?!

You could try Hire-a-brolly.co.uk

The do different types of packages from a Silver package at £54.39 which includes 10 umbrellas, a free Golf size umbrella worth £4.99 in hire & a Bride’s keepsake umbrella purchase.

Handy.

Have you found a great supplier you would like us to share with other Brides to Be?
All recommendations welcome!

Stay Dry.
Charlotte xx

I love a Fab Find!
Its even better to share them!!

Here’s No 1.
Joy Jewellery, Bali.
I know I know, Bali?! Well yes. Bali.
Of course, they are stocked in the UK, but these are fabulous pieces for wedding jewels or gifts.
How the hell do I know? I have some! I’m a BIG Bali lover having spent quite a bit of time there. So i can vouch for these beauties.
And as you can see.. I continue my love of keys!

Click here for the stockists.

No 2.
This isn’t a new one for you, but I have been sporting this shade all week & have had loads of love for it!
Nails Inc’s Jermyn Street, helllooooo…..

Go on, get your card out!

Enjoy
Charlotte xx

What do you buy people for gifts at your wedding?!
Mother, Father, Bridesmaids…..
Its not something I have been pondering for long,
but in response to a friend, I have come up with 3 Things.

Here are 3 necklaces you can get as gifts.
Inspired by my friend, Victoria.

“I’ll have 2 for that price” (Budget-love)
At Topshop £8.50

Mirror Mirror on my neck..

I’m the fairest of them all!

“Its for someone special” (Mid Range-love)
Dinny Hall Silver Tiny + Small Lotus Petal Pendant Necklace £45

Cha-ching on thie Visa (pricy-love)
Tiffany & Co Silver Heart pendant Necklace from £145

I’m ever so slightly in love with this necklace now!

I may have too many Bridesmaids to go Cha-ching, but you might be able to….

Good Work Epps.
Love Charlotte xx