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Floral Flourish

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Flowers are a vital part of any celebration, adding colour and texture or perhaps even as a dramatic flourish. The emerald city inspired bouquet above from Idotakeu would certainly add drama to your outfit. Many brides choose neutral colours to compliment their dress, such as cream roses which were popularised by the Victorians as a wedding flower, as they became fascinated with the meaning of different blooms. The wedding rose is said to represent true love.

However some brides choose a brighter bouquet and use this colour throughout their designs for their wedding festivities. A fabulous example can be seen above in the brooch bouquet created by Lionsgate Designs Beautiful flower garlands are draped around the shoulders of the bride and groom by their mothers in Thailand whilst they are at the altar, adding plenty of colour from the start of the wedding celebrations.

Perhaps you will choose a dramatic orange colour to accent your theme, picking marigolds to feature in your bouquet or even choosing these fabulous orange flower shoe clips from Chloe & Maddie, as seen above. Marigolds were dipped in rosewater and carried by brides in Tudor England. The brides would then eat the marigolds as they were considered as an aphrodisiac. I would not suggest that modern brides follow this tradition!

A Christmas wedding would perhaps take advantage of the abundance of ivy available, especially as the Ancient Greeks considered ivy to be a symbol of their never ending love for their spouses. Mixing ivy with cranberry coloured flowers would be a great combination for a winter wedding, like the garland worn in the flower girls hair above from The Red Magnolia .

Herbs can also be used in your wedding flowers as they were by the Ancient Roman brides as a symbol of fertility and to scare off evil spirits. The headdress above from Stitches and Scribbles is reminiscent of the olive headbands worn by Roman emperors. Artemisia is a bitter herb and is used in bouquets by brides in the Middle East as it’s bitterness is considered to help the couple through bitter times as well as sweeter times.

The best known tradition of wedding bouquets is of course the bride tossing her bouquet as she departs from the festivities. This originated from the Victorian Age when the bride would throw her bouquet to a friend to ward off evil spirits, keeping her safe and bringing her luck. In more modern times this tradition has come to mean that whoever catches the bouquet will be the next to marry! Yet I would be loathe to toss away the beautiful bouquet created by Hair Bows Wonderworld, featured above.

The Icing on the Cake

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A Wedding cakes is a chance for the bride and groom to indulge theirs and their guests tastebuds, with a slice of sumptuous calorific indulgence. Imagine being able to create a cake made up of your favourite flavours, decorated beautifully with icing or frosting, that co-ordinates perfectly with your theme for the day. Although people think that Wedding cakes should traditionally be white, to signify purity, like the cake above from Cakes by Robin, current trends are moving away from tradition.

Another connection to suggest that Wedding cakes are traditionally white is that the cake created is a visual link between the bride and the cake. Yet white icing was often the only choice for brides in times gone by, with the finest refined sugar being used, which was not widely available. Therefore the whiter your cake the more affluent your family were, so the wedding cake became a symbol of affluence in Victorian times. The fabulous six tier cake above from Pink Cake Box in New York would certainly recreate the feeling of affluence so desired in a wedding cake in Victorian times.

Whilst the general assumption is that a wedding cake should be white, more brides are choosing elaborate designs to reflect their choice of decorative style for the wedding celebrations. Cakes are no longer three tiers of white icing but artistic creations in full blown colour, but of course white iced cakes can be beautifully artistic aswell. The fabulous cake above from Wildflowers by Lori is an explosion of colour, aptly named New Orleans Wedding, with thoughts of Mardi Gras and exotic headresses owing to the bright sugar crafted flowers and berries.

A wedding cake really is your chance to explore flavours, style and colour and by working with your baker/designer you really can have the cake of your dreams. Perhaps pink butterflies would be your theme, like the beautiful cake above from Decadence Wedding Cakes.

Save The Date

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When I got married 12 years ago wedding invitations were sent and only a handful of people had prior knowledge of the date. However in the past few years ‘Save The Date’ cards, like the above from Artcadia Wedding Stationery, seem to have become the norm when thinking of wedding stationery.

Yet as these ‘Save The Date’ cards are a relatively new concept brides can easily be confused as to the etiquette regarding to whom and when to send these cards. The above bookmark style cards by nmi Photo Creations are especially creative.

Traditionally wedding invitations are not sent until 6-8 weeks before the wedding. Yet by sending a ‘Save the Date’ card, like those above by The Little Stationery Company, you can give your guests a heads up of the wedding date, 4-6 months in advance. This is particularly beneficial as guest lists become more spread out throughout counties, states or countries. Therefore by providing the date of the wedding in advance people can start planning necessary travel arrangements.

Many weddings are held in the Summer months at peak holiday time, so by sending a ‘Save the Date’ card you can avoid the main wedding party and important guests being on their summer holiday at the same time as your wedding. This great card by Serendipity – Beyond Design is perfect for a destination wedding. Obviously this is also an important consideration if your wedding is to be at Christmas or during other key festivals or holidays.

Whilst etiquette suggests that an r.s.v.p. is sent in response to your wedding invitations there are no rules for responding to ‘Save the Date’ cards, like the above typographically-inspired cards by ABSINTHE Custom Print. However you maybe able to gauge a response from speaking to your guests, enabling you to have a preliminary head count.

When you have sent your ‘Save the Date’ cards you need to remember that these people will be those who receive an invitation to your wedding, so you need to be very sure of your final guest list prior to sending these. The above cards from Ello There are a fun way of confirming your head count. However you can add to your guest list after sending ‘Save the Date’ cards.

By sending a ‘Save the Date’ you can provide your guests with a first impression of your festivities, as these are often in the same design as you wedding stationery. The above card by ABSINTHE Custom Print announce a very formal upcoming event, whereas the below card by eb1 lets you know the wedding is likely to be more close and intimate. These notes can just say the couple’s name and the date of the wedding however it may be a good idea to include the venue location so that guests will be able to consider travel arrangements in advance.

So when you have booked your venue it’s time to choose your ‘Save the Date’ stationery and let your guests know the date of your big day.

Silvia Campbell

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As a child my favourite story was a Grimm’s Fairytale, The Elves and the Shoemaker. I loved how the elves helped the man make beautiful shoes that would turn his life from rags to riches. Today, as an adult, I still love this tale and share it with my children. But in real life can shoes turn your life from rags to riches, maybe not, yet they can make a ‘fat’ day seem slimmer, as shoes will always fit even if you did eat an extra chocolate brownie.

After some searching I have found a shoemaker, who may wish upon a visit from the elves at her busiest times. Silvia Campbell designs and makes beautiful bespoke shoes from her studio in London. Her design career began with a degree from The University of the Arts, London College of Fashion which then led to work experience with John Lobb Ltd a company renowned for the finest hand made to measure shoes and boots. Silvia Campbell then progressed to work for a shoemaker in the dance world, Freed of London Ltd and learnt about making shoes that are strong and comfortable yet elegant and fashionable.

Maybe you had planned on splurging on a pair of Jimmy Choo’s for your wedding day but imagine having a pair of shoes made specifically for you, that fit perfectly and are completely unique. Silvia Campbell offers a bespoke design service for brides and understands the importance of the need for comfortable shoes to take you from the walk down the aisle through to dancing at midnight as you celebrate the most important day of your life.

When you commission Silvia to design and make your wedding shoes she will meet with you to measure your feet and discuss your ideas of the design you would like, assisting you in choosing the shoe shape and heel height. Silvia will use this information to create her initial designs and a specific price proposal before your second consultation. When you visit Silvia for your second consultation she will discuss the choices of the material for your shoes and it is also very important at this stage to share your opinions of designs presented to you. Unlike mass produced shoes, Silvia Campbell shoes are designed uniquely for you and you can say what you do and do not want.

Now that you have confirmed your designs Silvia will produce a mock up to ensure a perfect fit and for visualising the final design. However this mock up will not be in the material of the final design. This mock up pair will also be vital for you, as a bride, to take with you for dress fittings ensuring the hemline of your dress is set at the correct length for your shoes, as the mock up pair of shoes will be the correct heel height.

Once your shoes are made they will be ready for a final presentation for you and Silvia will also advise how to care for the shoes. Leaving Silvia Campbell’s studio with your own unique shoes for your wedding day would surely be a fairytale itself.

Beautiful bespoke shoes may seem like a luxury but imagine walking down the aisle in perfectly fitted, unique shoes. Art really is one of life’s essentials.

Tiara Trauma

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As if you didn’t have enough decisions to make whilst planning your wedding you will have to think about what to wear on your head. For the groom this is fairly simple as most choose to avoid a hat unless you are having a grand affair and a top hat is required. Yet for the bride the decision about headwear is complicated and it is better not to choose a tiara before you have chosen your dress. However if you have chosen a vintage inspired gown then this headband from Chez Bec would be the perfect accessory.

Firstly a bride will need to think about how to wear her hair, up in a french pleat, half up or half down or fully down. Obviously this may depend on the style of dress you have chosen or you may have already chosen a beautiful tiara, like the slightly unusual motifs of pearls and crystals used in the design of the above tiara from Tiararama.

Whether you choose a tiara, hair slides or combs, veil or fascinator there is plenty of choice in styles available. Pearls are a traditional stone for wedding jewels and look great worn in the hair, as shown above in with the gorgeous tiara from Be Something New .

Yet you may want your headwear to add even more sparkle to your wedding day. Many jewellery designers can create bespoke tiaras, combs or headbands in a choice of Swarovski crystals to add colour to your day, as seen in the combs above from Tilley Jewels Bride.

Maybe pearls or crystals are not the look you are after but require a more dramatic statement piece. A fascinator is a great alternative to princess fairytale inspired tiaras, featuring feathers, netting and even pearls, crystals or rhinestones. Fascinators are also proving a popular choice for Mothers of the Bride and guests as an alternative to hats. Whilst you could stick to bridal creams and whites, a fascinator maybe your chance to add some drama, especially with this fabulous peacock feather fascinator from Nyjole J Walters Jewellery Design.