Geometry of the Heart Wedding Inspiration

A new moodboard to cheer you up in the lull in between Christmas and new year – perhaps as an antidote to the festivities…! 

So You’re Engaged! My Advice

Whether you’re a newbie or you’ve been enjoying your engagement for a while… Congrats!!  Such an exciting time! 

Happily Ever Hygge

It’s the year of hygge apparently, another Danish trend that I am more than happy to buy into with the promise of a simple, happy, and beautiful life – and it’s particularly perfect for a winter wedding. 

Honeymoon Essentials – Sun

This is my fourth and final instalment of honeymoon essentials – sun care. 

Lauren & Andrew – Forever Ures

I love blogging about weddings I’ve actually attended, and Lauren and Andrew’s day was no exception.  It was a blustery day in Scotland in July, but as soon as I arrived I could feel the warmth of the wedding filling the hotel.  That sounds cheesy, but with both families welcoming us at the door, the soft lighting, the calm and comfortable atmosphere of the open plan hotel entrance, and a warm reception from the hotel staff, I was quite at ease from the minute I arrived.  It was such a relaxed and calm ambience, much like (and credit to) Lauren and Andrew themselves, and I could really feel the love for this special couple. 

Hidden Garden Styled Shoot

I was charmed and enchanted by this styled shoot when it landed in my inbox recently, not least because of the dreamy ethereal images, but also because of the location.  It looks like a secret garden somewhere in the depths of the English countryside, but it is within my postcode in East London! 

Favourite Cakes – Archive Highlights

A collection of some of my favourite cake pics for inspiration – not from my own wedding.  Credit firstly to the title image above, a cracker by The Meringue Girls from Brides The Show earlier this year. 

Cuba – A Revolutionary Honeymoon

If the thought of going on your honeymoon to Bora Bora bores you, and the idea of the Maldives is monotonous, let me tell you a bit about my trip to Cuba.  Hands down one of the best holidays I’ve ever been on, a very close second to my honeymoon. 

High Tea at the Corinthia

There’s so many places that do a ‘high tea’ these days that it’s hard to distinguish which ones are worth splashing out on – I was back in Scotland last week and even our local garden centre does one for under a tenner! 

Bride Beauty Wish List

Here’s my current beauty wish list, just in time for Christmas!  Perfect for any bride-to-be as additional wedding prep, but also great stocking fillers for those who are now wives, too. 

Vintage Tea Party Inspiration

This is a styled shoot that was submitted to me for publication and I just couldn’t resist!  I thought it would be great inspo for a bridal shower or hen party, as well as for a wedding.  

Umbrella Styling with Brolly Bucket

Besides of the obvious practicality of brollies at weddings, I have been drawn to them recently for styling purposes.  Now that we are well and truly into autumn, nearly winter in fact, I have seen a lot more of them on my Instagram feed. 

Honeymoon Essentials – Fashion

This is my third instalment of honeymoon essentials (see the first, my travel essentials, here, and the second, my beauty essentials here). 

Fall Wedding Inspiration

Autumn nearly escaped me!  I haven’t done a moodboard in ages so here is my dream styling for a fall wedding – a rustic woodland theme with diffused warm tones.  Forget the clichés, keep the pumpkins to a minimum, and use nature for a more authentic theme and a more contemporary feel.

Reasons to Honeymoon in San Sebastian

Until recently I had never even heard of San Sebastian.  I pictured somewhere in California or South America (like San Jose or Santiago), and I was almost fooled still by googling pictures.  However, it is a tiny hidden treasure on the north-west coast of Spain in the Basque country, nestled in between two glorious half-moon sandy bays.  Now, I’m not talking Benidorm, Salou, or Marbella here, this is a side to Spain I have never experienced before.  This is where Grace Kelly holidayed – and it’s still at that level today. 

The Chosen Wedding Fair – Oct 2016

The Chosen Wedding Fair, unlike some other fairs, is not somewhere you can just buy your way into if you are a wedding vendor.  The stalls are hard to come by, and you must prove yourself to be there.  Style and bespoke design is the currency, money secondary.  Thus, this show is always an interesting mix of smaller more bespoke vendors.  Add to that mix that the fair grows in popularity every season yet the size of the venue does not, and you have a pretty little semi exclusive wedding fair.

I Won at the Wedding Blog Awards 2016!

Where to start?!  It still hasn’t quite sunk in that I am the winner of the Rising Star Wedding Blog Award 2016!  I was just thrilled to even get a nomination, so I am absolutely gobsmacked that I actually won!   

Candy Made Cool

Struggling to come up with an original idea for a hen party?  Or perhaps you have a few hens with eggs in the oven?  (Thus need something not completely centred around alcohol?)  I’ve found the perfect hen do – and it doesn’t involve a weekend away.  

Honeymoon Essentials – Beauty

This is my second instalment of honeymoon essentials (see the first, my Travel essentials, here).  Beauty is a tough category; the key is to take multi-purpose, multi-functioning, high power products.  They may be more expensive short term, but they will last longer and save you invaluable minutes getting ready, so you can be savouring every minute drinking cocktails on the beach with your hubby.  

Brides The Show 2016 – In Pictures

An assault of colour, petals, glitter, rose gold, lace, cake, and all things lux, with a few glasses of bubbly thrown in.  Brides The Show is one of my favourite wedding fairs.  For the exhibitors it’s go big or go home, so it’s always such a treat for the senses. The stalls are well curated, but with such stiff competition each supplier needs to scream the loudest with their display yet still remain classy and elegant.

Guest Post - Grow Your Own Spring Bouquet

With a huge range of exquisite and fragrant flowers available, growing your own spring wedding bouquet is easier than you think.

A Tropical Tahiti Wedding

 
Whilst on the honeymoon of a lifetime in French Polynesia, we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a few weddings.  We travelled from Tahiti, to Mo’orea, to Bora Bora, then back via Tahiti again, and saw at least one wedding on each island.  With such idyllic paradise surroundings, it was totally dreamy!  All of the above, combined with being on honeymoon, was an absolute dream come true!  As a newlywed and as a wedding blogger now launching my own professional wedding services, I was absolutely beside myself.  It was heaven! 

Belle & Bunty – New Collection Preview

I have been furiously trying to find something red carpet worthy to wear to the Wedding Blog Awards, and on a recent visit to Belle & Bunty I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of their new collection from the store’s Studio & Sales Manager, the lovely Tara. 

Their new 2017 bridal collection continues to offer their signature design characteristics: ‘unique and feminine design in flattering, flirtatious cuts, fusing modern contemporary style with a vintage inspired look’.  However, this particular collection draws inspiration from the New York disco scene of the late 1970s, and in particular Studio 54 dwellers and divas.  The new collection is aptly named, ‘Young Hearts, Run Free’ – think gold hues, hoop earrings and lots of shiny disco balls.  

Here are my favourite looks: 

Fun and Flirty

Would you dare to wear silk dungarees to your wedding?  This looks super cute on the model but I’m not sure I could pull it off just so well!  I’m getting vibes of a low key barn wedding with scattered decorative hay bales everywhere, although I don’t think that was quite the vision they were going for!  A change of top underneath would dramatically change this look and could take it from day to evening.  My advice would be to switch this up as your evening outfit so you can boogie the night away, 1970s style.  Le freak, c’est chic.  

On Trend Off the Shoulder

This dress is so utterly effortless, a vintage inspired classic yet so on trend right now.  It’s a total show stopper without being too fussy.  It’s also ideal for any bride conscious of showing too much arm, and a great alternative to a cover up in summer time.  Make an entrance in this coming down the aisle at a relaxed garden party wedding, great for a summer soiree.  The belt in the pictures below is removable.  

Smart in the City

Having a low key city wedding?  Or perhaps you are having the legal bit done first then flying off somewhere warm for your ceremony?  This stunning silk suit is just the thing.  Cover up for the town hall, then reveal a chic lace cami underneath come party time.  This is also a great outfit for a rehearsal dinner or a drinks reception the night before your wedding. 
 

Blush Rose

As well as playing with shape, the girls at Belle & Bunty have also introduced the colour Rose this season, a new fresh pale peachy pink hue.  The dress style is kept simple here while the colour does the talking.  An uplifting blush tone with just a hint of that 70s gold.  This colour suits a tan, so I can imagine this dress would look gorgeous on a beach somewhere warm at sunset. 

A Few Other Favs

With every post I find a new idea and want to get married all over again!  I would love a pair of the dungarees for some fun country dancing, perhaps with some chic wellies too! 

See the new 2017 Belle & Bunty bridal collection in full by clicking here.  

The designers behind Belle & Bunty are London based Alice Shreeve & Hannah Coniam-Thompson.  After Graduating from London College of Fashion, Alice and Hannah first debuted their Ready-to-Wear collection at London Fashion Week in 2003.  They went on to launch their range of modern yet vintage inspired wedding dresses in 2010, after Alice & Hannah both got married and designed their own wedding dresses.  ‘The Belle’ and ‘The Bunty’ styles remain in the range as bestselling designs.

P.S.  I’ve been shortlisted for a Wedding Blog Award!!  I’m beyond excited!  Don't forget to vote me for 'Best Rising Star' here!  (Voting closes 30th September.)  Thanks so much!!  xx

Never miss a post by subscribing to my blog – there’s a big box just below, underneath the comments, where you can enter your email address and you’ll get every post delivered straight to your inbox!

 

Honeymoon Essentials – Travel

No matter how much I try to prepare, plan, and pre-pack, I always end up taking too much on holiday!  And my honeymoon was no exception.  In my defence it’s because I want to be prepared for every eventuality when I’m away, so I pack something for every scenario imaginable…!  Toga rave anyone?  Nope, they don’t do those in Bora Bora, so why did I pack a neon pink Grecian drape dress then? 

Hayley Paige Trunk Show at Mirror Mirror Couture

Hayley Paige wedding dresses, famously stocked at Kleinfeld Bridal in the US, are coming to Mirror Mirror Couture in London for a trunk show!  Favoured by celebs such as Chrissy Teigen and Carrie Underwood, the princess style dresses are a must try on for any bride to be.  They don’t suit everyone, but Hayley Paige’s beautiful gowns are what wedding dreams are made of! 

Kensington Roof Gardens Wedding Event

The Roof Gardens is regularly frequented by every Sloany Pony I know, so I was keen to take a look when they hosted a wedding event last Saturday.  A Made in Chelsea favourite from the earlier episodes (Binky celebrated her 23rd birthday there in June 2013), it has since lost some of the ‘trendy’ crowd, but that’s no bad thing.

Wedding Stationery Trends for 2017

Wedding stationery has become so much more than just an invitation.  The save the date sets the look and feel of the day and the invite itself reflects the couple’s personality and has increasingly become part of the wedding décor theme. 

Zoe & Iain – Idyllic Ibiza Nuptials

To my side of the family, my wedding was a destination wedding since most of our family had to travel from Scotland to London to be with us.  On my hubby’s side however, Zoe and Iain totally trumped us and had the most gorgeous, desirable destination wedding I have ever seen in real life pictures!  Unfortunately, we weren’t able to attend each other’s big days due to travel and wedding commitments (our wedding was late April and theirs was early June this year), but I just could not pass up the chance to blog about this idyllic Ibiza wedding. 

I’m Shortlisted for a Wedding Blog Award!

I was truly touched by everyone's messages and well wishes when I posted in July that I needed help to get nominated for the Wedding Blog Awards (click here to see the post).  I am now delighted to tell you that I’ve been shortlisted!  I found out on Friday and could not be more thrilled.  Sorry for all the social media spam if you’ve seen this already, I am just too excited…!

Wedding Speeches – A Checklist

After my own dad didn’t mention me, or my new husband for that matter, in his Father of the Bride speech, I wanted to put together a few bullet points of things that definitely should be mentioned in wedding speeches.  From my own experience (and as a regular wedding goer), I hope I can help to point the men in your life down the right path.  This is by no means a formal etiquette guide, but gents should use this as a basic starting point; a checklist to keep everyone happy!  (Including the bride!) 

Wedding of the Year Heats – We Won!

I’m delighted to share with you that we have won the heats for the Wedding of the Year competition with Your London Wedding Magazine! 

Winter Wedding Décor with QVC

About a month ago I popped along to the QVC Autumn Winter press day, which seemed strange at the time as it was one of the hottest days of the summer in London!  After nearly melting into a puddle on the tube, I got off at Oxford Circus and headed into Soho.  It was worth bearing the heat though, as I was greeted with a gorgeous winter wonderland of new and exciting products and brands from QVC, which were both gorgeous and enchanting. 

Best Bouquets – Archive Highlights

When I was choosing my wedding flowers, I picked my favourite flora rather than my favourite colours.  My stipulations were that it should be organic, delicate, wild, green, leafy, loose, and natural…. And then later down the line after a few mock ups, I swayed towards more blues and purples than pink tones. 

Bride Q&A – My Real Answers

So now that I’ve lived through, and survived, my own wedding, I wanted to turn the tables on my previous ‘Real Brides, Real Answers’ post, and give you my honest answers to the very same questions. 

Châteaux Romance in the South of France

I was holidaying recently in the south of France, so I took the opportunity to do a wine tasting tour in the Saint Emilion region while I was staying in Bordeaux.  The area is the most prestigious and exclusive for wine making, but with over 800 châteaux, and its own class superiority system, I hadn’t a clue where to start!  I signed up for one of the top rated tours on TripAdvisor, with the hope they would show us a good time as well as some fine wines, but also some good photo opportunities for wedding venue inspo. 

Bride Beauty – Natural, Organic & Vegan

If you are concerned about what you are putting into your body, why would you not care about what you are putting onto your body?  From personal health benefits to environmental factors, there are many reasons to go natural, organic and/or vegan, aside from looking your best on your wedding day. 

Lavender Wedding Inspiration

Aside from being an utterly gorgeous colour, incorporating lavender into your wedding can also enhance your day in so many other ways, including scent and taste. 

How I Saved Money on My Wedding

This article was written as a guest contribution for Cassiefairy.com.

The blogs and magazine articles I like the most are real weddings and honest accounts of what other people did for their wedding.  Trials, tribulations, likes, dislikes, what went right, what went wrong – I just can’t help having a nosey.  All of which I found most helpful, so I wanted to share the story of how I saved money on my wedding with the hope to inspire and help others.  It needn’t cost the earth, and it can still be amazing! 

Wedding Poptails

Have some fun with your wedding and grab some poptails before the summer is over.  Super fun alcoholic ice lollies are a great alternative to a signature cocktail if you don’t have the means or money, or if you’re short on space at your venue.  Plus they come ready made, so no need for a bar tender.  Think Calippo meets Pimm’s!

Paris – Romantic Photo Opportunities

Paris is only as romantic as you want it be, but there are lots of opportunities in Paris to create the perfect picture and radiate the romantic side of Paris in the background. 

Wedding of the Year Nomination!

I didn’t want to bombard my blog, but I wanted to share with you that our wedding has been nominated for Wedding of the Year with Your London Wedding Magazine (July/August edition)!  The full article and pictures published are below. 

Wedding Décor Trend – Pineapples

It’s summer, and there has been a new tropical wedding trend sweeping Instagram and Pinterest – pineapples.  With the weather in the UK somewhat unpredictable this year, it seems a cute way to make your wedding that little bit more exotic. 

I Need Your Help!

You may have seen on my social media that a few weeks ago, I took a leap of faith and left my 9-5 job to pursue my own business – Devine Bride!  I was scared 2 months ago when I handed in my notice, I was scared 2 weeks ago when I finally finished up at work, and I’m still scared now, but also excited to grow my business. 

Dublin Hen Party Inspiration

I was in Dublin last weekend for a 30th birthday celebration, so I took the opportunity to do some business research.  This mainly involved checking out fun things to do so it wasn’t very difficult, and went hand in hand with the indulgences of the weekend! 

Wimbledon Wedding Inspiration

In celebration of Andy Murray’s well deserved win at Wimbledon today, I’ve put together the above moodboard for a fun Wimbledon themed wedding! 

A Bora Bora Beach Wedding

As I lay on the beach on Bora Bora on my honeymoon, I honestly felt so lucky and just thought, what could be better than this?  What could be better than spending your honeymoon on the paradise beaches of Bora Bora?  Actually getting married there, of course!