Christmas Wedding Inspiration

Christmas weddings can be so much fun, but they don’t have to be all snow and icicles, or tinsel and mince pies!  There are so many themes to play with, and you can be as subtle or a playful as you want – you won’t be short on avenues to explore.  Wedding venues and suppliers are often much cheaper in winter time, so it’s also a great way to save money whilst not scrimping on all the trimmings.  Likewise, if you got engaged around Christmas time, a December wedding seems like a natural progression.  I’ve put a Christmas wedding mood board together for some inspiration – if I was getting married at Christmas time, this is exactly what I would want my wedding to look like!    

Bride Beauty – Nail Trends

Gone are the days of French manicures!  With nail art becoming increasingly popular, WAH nails have recently opened their very first standalone store-come-studio in Dalston (where you can do a day’s masterclass and buy lots of cool tools for your talons afterwards), and brands like House of Holland are endorsing the trend by adding nail art stickers to their repertoire.  Wedding nails are not what they used to be. 

Wedding Stationery Wish List

Nothing helps with wedding planning better than gorgeous stationery!  If you can’t fit your entire wedding on your Christmas list this year, try some of this stationery instead to help get you started! 

Afternoon Tea and a Show on a Budget

I recently stumbled across the Arts Theatre in Soho and thought it would be a great hen weekend idea.  I’d never even heard of it before so was surprised to find it tucked away in the heart of the west end, just a stone’s throw away from Leicester Square tube. 

Wedding Fitness - Yoga at the V&A

Since I kick-started my wedding fitness yoga plan with Yoga at The Shard back in July, my fiancé and I have been dutifully going every week to Yogasphere's City sessions on Saturday mornings at a luxed up gym near Bank tube.  The teacher is great and the gym that hosts Saturdays offers complimentary luxury toiletries, hair dryers and GHDs – so I was sold.  There are other classes we could go to with our membership, but I’ve never been that good at committing to weekday classes, and to be honest the Saturday morning classes have stopped me going out so much on Fridays…  which has been great for wedding budgeting as well as fitness!   

Wedding Cake Considerations

Your wedding cake is definitely something you can save money on if you shop around.  Before you get carried away, here are some top tip cake considerations before you commit: 

ASOS To Launch Bridal Collection

I promise I have more real weddings on the way, but this was too good not to share!  Following their SS16 press day last week, news hit that ASOS is to launch a Bridal Collection after the super successful launch of their Bridesmaids Collection earlier this year.  Starting with a capsule collection of 18 pieces, it features everything you would expect from ASOS; edgy cuts, flattering and wearable shapes, and very reasonable prices.  There are no specific trends and each piece is dreamily unique; inspiration looks to be taken from fashion forward wives like Kate Moss and, my fav, Olivia Palermo.  There is guaranteed to be something for everyone and every budget, with prices starting from just £60.  However, beware, there are no strapless boob tube dresses here …although there is a delightful mid length princess dress and a few frills.   

Not content with swallowing every other area of the fashion market, while continuously reporting increased like for like sales, ASOS continues to make fashion more accessible and eradicates the daunting prospect of trying on bridal gowns for the first time.  Don’t get me wrong, going dress shopping is definitely a fun part of the wedding process, if you find the right dress(es)… if you don’t, it can be wholly different and depressing experience.  I’m a big fan of trying on clothes in a relaxed environment in the comfort of my own home - the chaos of going dress shopping anywhere near Oxford St or Westfield generally makes me want to hide in a pub somewhere, and I never get any shopping done! 

On the other hand, it’s so easy to get carried away in bridal shops, and commission driven assistants don’t make me feel relaxed – ASOS makes it easier to stick to your budget from the outset and delivers fast and reliable free shipping.  Anything that is at my convenience is a winner.  Additionally, anything that makes getting married easier and facilitates me to do it my way, will always come with a high recommendation from me.  

The Bridal Collection will be available from March 2016, also including accessories, just in time for a summer wedding.  

Their Bridesmaids Collection was suitably photographed with the models carrying cute bouquets and featured some great wedding hair, so I can’t wait to see how they shoot the Bridal Collection!  

Take a sneak peek at the new collection below - I've got my eye on the cute short lace number for my pre-wedding drinks.   No more fashion posts for a while after this, I promise. 

Lx


Tea length princess dress - £180
Short lace dress - no price available yet

Vintage style lace dress - £250
Draped boho dress - £180
Beaded crop dress - £95

Lace dress with sleeves - no price available yet
Full skirt strappy dress - £250
Beaded crop top - £75
Silk skirt - £85  

Trends from New York Bridal Week

Whether you are going for a quickie elopement, a full blown ballroom affair, or a three day weekend party, the catwalks were full of inspiring and captivating looks at the latest New York Bridal Week in October.  There was so much going on this year it was hard to pick my favourites, but there was something for every type of bride and every type of taste.  Here are some top trends spotted this year: 

The Chosen Wedding Fair

It's wedding season and my 3rd wedding show in a month!  Now I am more accustomed to going to wedding fairs/fayres (depending on which one you’re talking about!), I was looking forward to checking out The Chosen Wedding Fair last week, as it was being hosted in the Islington Assembly Halls right next door to where I’m getting married next year. 

Make Your Own Wedding Ring

I don’t normally blog about things I haven’t done personally but this sounds so fun!  It’s on my wish list!  In November, the lovely ladies over at The Workbench are running a weekend ring making brunch.  They do jewellery making pop ups regularly in and around London and this one caught my eye (details below) as I love jewellery and I love brunch!  I saw it on Instagram last week and thought it would be great as a hen do activity, or couples therapy in the run up to the wedding – you could even make each other’s wedding ring!  How cute and utterly sentimental! 

The Vintage Wedding Fayre – Highlights

I’m always charmed with anything labelled ‘vintage’ so when I saw The Vintage Wedding Fayre pop up on my Facebook last week I was intrigued.  Delighted to find out it was only 3 stops away from me on the tube, I popped along on Sunday for some inspiration.

Do Wedding Separates Like Olivia Palermo

I defy any bride to hide her jealously when looking at a picture of Olivia Palermo on her wedding day.  Effortless, natural, comfortable… what more could you want for your wedding day?  Aside from the fact she is absolutely stunning, I love her style.  If someone could play me in a movie about my life, it would be her.  Particularly the part where I get married, even though no doubt I will look nothing like her on my wedding day!

Highlights from Brides The Show – until Sun 4th Oct

Last night my sister and I popped along to the opening of ‘Brides The Show’ in Islington.  I subscribe to the Brides magazine, so the event had been built up in my subconscious for months via their strategic marketing…  I’ve only been to one or two smaller bridal shows before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Condé Nast didn’t disappoint.  We ended up having a great night which consisted of quite a few freebies, including but not limited to; piña colada ice cream, a 20 min make up trial, a choux pastry lesson, and a few glasses of bubbly. 

Wedding Décor Inspiration from Mykonos

I just returned yesterday from my hen do in Mykonos and I wanted to share a quick post of some wedding décor inspiration I spotted on my travels.  I fully intend on doing a post of what I got up to in Mykonos, but this is just some photos of some details that inspired me – and could be easily adopted and adapted to enhance any wedding.  The shops and restaurants alike are all very tasteful and stylish in the town, so I wasn’t stuck for inspiration. 

Hen Party Packing – In My Suitcase

I’m packing to go on my hen do tomorrow and I’m on my 5th practise pack!  This was so hard because I’m leaving a rainy and cold London to go to warmer climates in the med, and I only have carryon luggage – for 6 days! 

Autumn Theme Wedding

 
Have you recently got engaged or are you just deliberating over ‘setting a date’ next year?  At this point, summer may seem too soon, but autumn may be the perfect answer.  With warm hues and comfort food, there’s so much more you can do to be creative with autumn than summer.  It’s also likely that an autumn wedding will be slightly cheaper than a summer wedding – and you’ll have more flexibility/availability with your dates.  In case you missed my autumn theme I ran on Instagram the other week, here is a summary to give you some inspiration to fall in love with: 

What to Wear – Other White Dresses

If you are getting married this side of next April, you should think now about your pre-wedding outfits.  That is; hen party, finishing up work drinks, rehearsal dinner, and wedding-eve drinks – basically anything in the lead up to your wedding that will be focused around your wedding!  And you better look good at all of these things, because you are the centre of attention, whether you like it or not. 

20 Questions to Ask Your Caterer

I’ve only recently found out how important it is to go with prepared questions when you go to meet with your caterer or venue…  we’ve now been to see them 4 times, and we still don’t have everything straight yet!! 

Bride Beauty - Cucumber Eye Pads

If you’ve never used eye pads before, these are a must in the lead up to your wedding.  I would recommend these as a simple relaxation treat, combined with a high performance eye cream to combat tired eyes.  My eyes feel drained at the end of the week from staring at a computer screen all day long in work, but eye pads really help to make me feel more energised. 

Nautical Theme Wedding

In case you missed my nautical theme I ran on Instagram last weekend, here is a whistle-stop summary: 

Real Weddings - Rachel & David

Rachel and David’s Scottish country wedding was everything you would want your wedding to be – whimsical, warm, rustic, romantic, relaxed, and personal to them.

Trending Bouquets - Wild and Rustic

Wild and rustic bouquets could have many interpretations, but something more boho has been overtaking Instagram this summer.  As soon as spring was over, wild and rustic boho bouquets were a thing. 

Virtual (and free) Makeup Trial App

Can’t afford a makeup artist?  No problem!  L’Oréal have created a revolutionary app called… wait for it, L’Oréal Makeup Genius.  This is, in L’Oréal’s words, the first ever virtual makeup tester. 

London Hen Party Hot List

The good thing about having your hen do in London is that the options are endless and there is always something new going on, plus endless pop ups!  The bad thing is that London can be expensive!  There is no way to avoid this, but careful planning is key – keep your hen party busy the whole day/weekend, and you’ll be able to stick to your budget better.  Here are some cool things going on in London at the moment that would make for fun hen parties: 

Partner Cocktails for your Wedding

It’s easy to forget the little details when you’re so busy doing all the big details!  A wedding cocktail is an easy way to personalise your day, with minimum effort from you!  Simply brief the bar beforehand and tweak the name to suit you!  Usually your bar or caterer will do a deal with you for bulk buys (e.g. to include 100 x of the same cocktail).  Also consider swaps to unbranded spirits or juice, no one will notice in cocktails and you’ll save a fortune. 

Wedding Fitness - Yoga At The Top of The Shard

 

On a murky Saturday in June, my fiancé and I officially started our fitness ‘wedding prep’, daunting enough anyway, without having to do yoga at 1000 feet – at the top of The Shard!  I have dabbled in yoga in the past, but was always a little intimidated in class by my lack of flexibility, and my impatience with, as well as un-relatable hippie teachers.  My fiancé booked it as a little treat to kick start our fitness plan in the run up to the wedding (10 months to go at this point), but I can’t say I was initially looking forward to it.  However, seeing how excited he was about it (naive – since he had never done yoga before!) was motivating, for the yoga and the wedding!  It was a nice sentiment; something we could do together as a time out from all the wedding stuff.

Bridesmaid Gifts - Trending

There seems to be a trend at the moment for alphabet jewellery; proving popular because they are personal, yet no pre-order necessary!  Instant buys and perfect bridesmaid presents!  Alphabet jewellery is nothing new, but the classic designs were somewhat old fashioned, if a little bit eighties, so I’m glad they’ve had a revival!  A lot of designers are also designing these like charms, so you can even buy a few and add them together, or build them up over life events (e.g. wedding, anniversary, first born, second born, etc.) for yourself rather than gifting them. 

Bride Beauty - DOs and DON'Ts for your Wedding Day

Having worked in beauty for a TV shopping channel, fragrance for a Japanese high fashion company, skincare for a luxury global brand, and for a family run perfume house – and having been bridesmaid 3 times – I wanted my first blog post to be beauty tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way.  So here are my learned-the-hard-way DOs and DON’Ts for your wedding day: