Aisle Design

from Ruffled

Simplicity really is key sometimes.

You can do it put your back into it...go on, make your own cake stand

I found this over at Betty Bee and thought it might be worth posting and linking to because good quality, affordable cake stands can be a challenge to source sometimes.

Although I haven't tried this myself yet it looks reasonably straightforward and if you can find plates cheaply at a car boot sale or charity/vintage shop you should be able to do for under £10.

Head over to Betty Bee for the full how-to guide and if you do make one let me know how it goes. As in, is it as easy as it looks?!

Black wedding dresses

I salute anybody brave enough to rock a black wedding dress. In fact I wish more brides wore black at their wedding, it's so dramatic and glam.

Crystal Clear Imagery via Style Me Pretty

Technically this is an engagement shoot, but it's pretty enough to be a wedding dress so I'm including it.

 Sarah Yates Photography

Vera Wang shot by Jose Villa via Once Wed

When I looked into it though, it seems it's pretty tricky to find black wedding dresses that aren't gothic. Surely there's a market for them? I know Vera Wang does a splendid black wedding dress but unless you're got that kind of budget there doesn't seem to be a lot out there. Certainly not in the UK. 

So designers are you listening? We need some classy, elegant, fun, sexy, whatever, black wedding dresses. As much variety as with the white dresses please.

Thoughts? Am I alone in this? Is this why there don't appear to be many decent black wedding dresses out there? 

Black & white mood board

Inspired by one of my brides (whose upcoming wedding is epic let me tell you), this board is all about the black and white lovin' with a slightly dark undertone...

from top left:
Helt Enkelt, notonthehighstreet.com, Lacklusterco on Etsy

Crystal Clear Imagery via Style Me Pretty

BHLDN

Loft wedding

 Kellie Kano & Elissa Keno via Elizabeth Anne Designs

Exposed brick work, ribbon tree and creamy pastel shades? I am in wedding heaven.

Hair envy

It's all about plaits (braids for you US folks) and buns for me at the moment. Elegant but relaxed. Perfect bridal hair.


from ...love Maegan


from HappyNess original source unknown


from Loveology original source unknown


from Once Wed


from Elle Magazine


from A Cup of Jo

Inky indigo

from top left:
indigo dress image from bluepoolroad
cameo from Iris Schwarz on etsy
blue bottles from Savoir Weddings props
extract of indigo plant applied to paper
indigo and mint image from jed root
made up eyes from pinterest


I've always been interested in colour but since becoming a wedding planner and stylist I've looked at the concept of colour and colours in general in a whole new way.

I've always liked blues and greens best. As testified by my teal obsession. Recently it's the deep, evocative, inky indigo that's making me swoon.

You can see some of my other mood boards here.

What do you think of indigo?

A watercolour wedding

via Vanessa Knox

I haven't done a If I were getting married for a while and whilst browsing on Pinterest I realised how much I'm liking this watercolour/ombré effect lately.

Think lots of colour used boldly but softly faded which sounds like an oxymoron but I think you know what I mean?

So, it got me thinking about how could you use this as inspiration for your wedding day.

the hair

Dark at the roots, blonder at the tips. Love it. A little bit grungy but still glam. Would work well with a relaxed beach wedding say.



via Bit and Bino

the cake

Who hasn't seen this divine creation in blogland. Too pretty to eat.



via Maggie Austin Cake

the flowers



via Design Sponge


Other ways you could incorporate the watercolour/ombré idea.

- fabric back drop for photos or the ceremony

- with napkins or table decoration

- with a garland or bunting

Obviously you wouldn't want to go overboard with this and it would be more a look to inject subtly but what you think?

Teal and purple

I am obsessed with this duo...




From top left:
purple dress from Dior via House of Design & Style
cake from Maggie Austin via Postcards and Pretties
lilac hair source unknown
purple hearts from Red Bubble
tablescape from style me pretty
canvas from maechevrette on etsy

You bring peace to my heart...

Not everybody's cup of tea but certainly a day for some gratuitous heart action. Whatever you get up to this evening, have a good one.

from top left...
DIY heart luminaries via Creature Comforts
Bridesmaid hearts via Green Wedding Shoes
I Heart You origami bouquet via My Bohemian Summer
Red velvet heart cake, source unknown
Origami heart garland via Oh My!

See other Monday Medley's here.

Making me smile today...

For the romantic in you - a perfect ceremony reading

Sonnet 116 Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

william shakespeare

Random things I have been admiring of late...

I discovered this image by Dominique Bader over at Love My Dress today and I don't know what it is about in particular that I like so much. The dress is pretty fabulous, the pose works really well, and I really like the way it's cropped just below the shoulders. It makes me want to know more and that's the way a good photo should make you feel I think.




Heart confetti? Lovely.




The polaroid coasters I found over at appletea and you can buy them here...




A perfect Valentine's gift, no?




Some people really are so ridiculously talented.



Happy thank-god-February-is-nearly-here-so-spring-must-be-too Monday lovelies.

Some pretties to start the week with

Good morning all! Hope you've had a grand weekend. I've got lots of lovely wedding work to get on with today and I'm going to squeeze a trip in to see my friend's new born baby.

Here's this week's monday medley

the bouquet

The first blog beauty to present to you is this creative and quite frankly adorable origami bouquet called I Heart You. Such a cute idea and could be adapted as a bridal bouquet quite easily I reckon.




the dress

I'm seeing more sparkly embellished detail in dresses at the moment and this is definitely something I can get on board with, especially when on vintage inspired and neutral coloured dresses. So glamorous and interesting at the same time. Found via the wonderful {this is glamorous}




the diy bar

A french fry (or chip for those from Blighty) bar to be more precise. What a truly good idea. And you can apply it to any food I guess.




the centrepiece

I discovered these on an Etsy trip. Particularly like how it's called Hussy reclaimed succulent stiletto.

I'm always on the lookout for original wedding decoration and these would certainly be interesting centrepieces.



Have a good day!

Savoir Weddings trends 2011

Way back when 2010 was still fresh I wrote a post on what I thought would be big in weddings in 2010.

And I thought it about time to compile my list for 2011.

I'm just a wedding planner admittedly, not some kind of wedding guru so these wedding trends for 2011 are just what I think, and I have to admit, what I want to see more of.

2011 is going to be the year of Personalisation. So much so I'm pretty sure I just invented a new word for it.

Since I have been wedding planning the industry and indeed weddings have become more adventurous, fun and well, interesting. 2011 brides are more conscious of their options than ever before and increasing numbers of couples are going for what in the past only the quirky couples did.

Brides are increasingly influenced by the amazing blogs which are showcasing beautiful and personal weddings, more than done justice by the work of some exceptional photographers.

More and more couples are aware they don't have to follow the rules and can have a day that incorporates all that is them. This = personalisation and I reckon 2011 is only going to get more exciting.

Which sort of leads me on to...

Eclectic weddings



A little bit 20s, a little bit 50s? This couple mixed up quaint vintage tea cups with some retro style for an elegant and individual day. Check out photographer Chloe from Caught The Light's blog for more.

I think we're going to see more couples mixing styles, periods and themes to create a truly personal day. It's not going to be about the modern wedding, the shabby chic wedding, the marquee wedding. It's going to be about the mix and match.

The vintage inspired look will develop in 2011. Yes there will still be tea cups, bunting and the like but I don't think it's going to be as themed. I see couples bringing in aspects they like and mixing them up more with more modern trends - a bit of a modern vintage.

Wedding styling has evolved so much in just the past couple of years and judging by the creativity and wants of my clients alone I think we're going to see more and more confidence in the way couples style their wedding. Wedding styling will be less about 'getting the look right' and more about artfully incorporating different styles that the couple likes.

Mixing it up is going to be the way forward.


Colour pops

I've blogged about this before and I think 2011 weddings will definitely be incorporating pops of colour. This 'trend' is versatile and works with all sorts of wedding style from modern to rustic to vintage, hence the reason we'll see more of it.





Bow ties and interesting boutonnieres will reign supreme



2010 saw more grooms embracing the bow tie look. In 2011 I think we'll be seeing more and more grooms exploring their stylish side with quirky boutonnieres.


DIY ain't going nowhere



Brides are going to be getting their craft on just as much if not more than in 2010 like the bride above who made the most incredible bouquet. Maybe it's partly down to budget and the fact doing some things yourself is just cheaper. But it also allows a lot of brides to really explore their own talents and time permitting many really enjoying crafting decorations for their weddings.


DIY flowers

Not that I anticipate florists will become obsolete, just that for budget brides, doing the flowers yourself is a a great way to save money. I think florists will start to offer consultations and sourcing flowers for brides and allow them to pick up and arrange themselves. Especially if the single- bloom-in-bottle sticks around, as this is obviously a lot easier for a flower arranging novice to achieve.


Say goodbye to round tables







One of the first things most clients say to me with regards to the venue is - 'we don't want round tables', or ' we don't want a top table'.

Think the bride and groom sitting at their own 'sweetheart table', a mixture of different size tables and chairs, no seating plan.

All of which makes for a more flexible and relaxed evening and is perfect for complicated family dynamics. Plus it looks interesting in photos and allows for unique table design for each table.


Food will be less fancy

Again this is perfect for the budget savvy bride. Formal 3-4 course wedding breakfasts are going to be even less common than they already are. Buffets, finger food, Mediterrean style table plates - anything that's more sociable and cheaper (less catering staff costs) is going to be popular. Taste is going to reign supreme over formality.


Cocktails



I always recommend serving cocktails to my clients. They are a perfect opportunity to have fun and be creative and they're great if your budget restricts what time you open the bar. You can be much more economical with the alcohol and no one will know!


Dessert tables



Perfect if you've served buffet style food - why not extend it to dessert. Often cheaper than a 'proper' wedding cake, you can serve a variety of sweet treats and it's a great styling opportunity.


Videography

People communicate so much online these days and if you're better at your modern technology than me you can create yourself a pretty unique little save the date (or hire someone to do it for you) This concept could work well for invitations as well I think.

Save the Date: Blair and Maggie from Squid and Beard on Vimeo.

On the whole filming notion - I expect we'll see more wedding videography as couples look for this in addition to having a fabulous photographer.


Playing around with the timings and traditions

For example:

- both parents walk the bride down the aisle
- have speeches during a drinks reception not before the wedding breakfast
- cut the cake before the meal
- have the bride give the first toast

We've all been to those weddings where it looks pretty and all but it's very predictable and there's just no surprises.

I'm not saying we'll see tradition disappearing altogether, just that couples will and should play around with the key moments of the wedding reception especially. This is a key way to keep guests entertained and enjoying themselves.

After parties




Many venues have strict kicking out times and whilst for many by 11.30pm they're ready for bed, others want to carry on partying and an after party is the perfect way to do this. At a bar, your house, another carefully selected venue wherever you choose to do this you can guarantee it will be more relaxed and as they're be less family members and more friends present, you can really let your hair down.

The desire to end your wedding when you're ready rather than the venue permits, is definitely part of the appeal of hiring a country house for a weekend or longer and again this is something I'm hearing more of from my clients.

That's it! I'm going to have to stop here or else this is going to turn into the longest post of all time. I'm dying to hear what you think will be big in 2011. And for that matter what do you think we'll be seeing less of?

How to ensure your wedding reception rocks

The key ingredients to a successful wedding reception

First things first. It's a party. Whether it's fancy and formal or laid back and casual, it's a party. Ok, a party with a big budget and a lot of pressure to be great, but a party nevertheless.

Once you realise this you can break down the key components and ensure your wedding reception kicks ass.

I have thrown many many parties in my time, from Halloween parties to 20s parties to informal gatherings to big-fat-last-all-night-hootennanies. Some of them have been great and others not so much but if there's one good thing that's come of them all is that I know you have to plan a good party. And that definitely applies to your wedding reception too.

I don't mean plan in a Monica from Friends way, I just mean you can't rely on the assumption that as all your favourite people are there, the party will just work. No, in my experience, it needs some careful consideration. But the sort of planning that ls flexible and leaves room for spontaneity and fun.

So, the key ingredients to a successful wedding reception are three fold:

1) Enough, and decent food and drink
2) A comfortable, well lit and well styled space
3) A well thought out sound track

I have said before and definitely will again, wedding guests should be treated like toddlers - they need regular feeding, watering and entertaining. And if you get that right, you'll have a killer wedding party.

So..

Food & Drink

- Feed people small amounts often rather than make them wait for one big wedding breakfast. Definitely don't leave it until 6pm to feed guests if you're ceremony was at 1pm. They will get bored, irritable and some inevitably too drunk by this point.

-Similarly if you're serving a light buffet or tea party early afternoon, don't provide too much food or else no one will be hungry for the main meal that you've spent the most money on.

- Keep guests watered often. If you have to stagger bar opening times because of budget serve mini cocktails or something similar to prevent guests from getting parched and give them something to talk about.


A well styled space

Okay, so firstly you have to work with your wedding venue, not against it. Really look at the space your guests will be eating, dancing, and drinking in. This is the room to concentrate on. From grand halls, to barns to marquees there aren't many spaces that with the right styling, can't be made into the ultimate party space. So look at your wedding reception room. What does it feel like? If it wasn't your wedding how would it make you feel? How can you work with the space to enhance the atmosphere you want your wedding to have? Think about lighting, comfort, warmth, journey to the toilet and out for a cigarette. Try to imagine the 'journey' your wedding guest will go on.


Your wedding soundtrack

Obviously music is very important to me and this is the one area I would obsess on were I getting married. From when the guests arrive, to during dinner, to the after dinner dancing, to the full on party when the oldies have gone home, I would plan nearly every single song.

We've all had those nights out with friends in a bar when the music just isn't quite right. Maybe it's too loud, too cheesy, not cheesy enough, whatever it is, it just kills the vibe. And even though you're out with your best friends, the night just isn't working. Well the same thing happens at a wedding reception. So you have the think carefully - the music you have at your reception should definitely be what you as a couple love - but you also can't turn off your guests. Unless granny loves a bit of dubstep, chances are you should save that until later. But I'd advise really exploring your music options as there's plenty of songs and genres that all generations love.


That's it! What do you think? Any other key aspects to successful party planning?

I would have loved to work with this couple!

I don't tend to feature real weddings at Savoir Weddings much. There are so many awesome blogs that do that, I prefer to leave it to the pros.

But I've had to make an exception for this wedding. I 'met' Angie the bride, through being involved in Hi Fi Weddings weekly mixtape masters and have been reading her blog ever since. And recently she's been posting her wedding pics up, and I just had to feature them here.

For one main reason - Angie and Josh's wedding is a perfect example of a unique, personal and creative wedding - what I'm also banging on about here and to clients.

Yes your wedding should be stylish and yes, (if you want), you should put a lot of effort into making it a brilliant day for you and your guests. But a truly great wedding is one that represents the couple. Not one that would be fabulous on a blog or magazine spread, but one that is a prefect 'fit' for the couple getting married.

And this of course is the challenge. Incorporating ideas and trends into the best day for you whilst keeping in budget and ensuring all your guests are happy is the tricky part. Which brings me back to Angie and Josh. Now whilst I can't say I know them well (in fact I doubt Josh has heard of me!), I can tell this wedding was the perfect wedding for them.

It looks gorgeous, but personal, not like everything was created just to look good. And most importantly, they look so happy.

Take a look for yourself and then head over to Angie's blog one cat per person to find out more about this lovely lady and her big day...

All photos are by the rather talented Tom Schirmacher.

















What do you think? Just amazing right?