Europe Weddings

Picking a favorite wedding in our new Fashion & Beauty E-Mag would be complete torture for me because I love them all in an embarrassing way, but this one made my heart do flips. Flips for each image by David Jenkins, flips for how the stylish Bride paired her David Fielden gown with a white blazer, and flips because this wedding is just the epitome of classic elegance…with a stylish twist. It’s seriously a dream, and the gallery? Beyond. Believe it or not – it just gets better, because we have another fab giveaway from BHLDN below!

Serious swoon fest, right? If you are looking to recreate the pretty for your own party, we think this sparkly BLHDN clutch would be the perfect compliment. And because we are on cloud nine with e-magazine happiness, we are giving it away (a $250 value)! Just lets us know which wedding from the e-magazine is your favorite (we know it’s hard) in the comments below and we’ll announce a winner on Friday, July 6th!

From the Bride…Despite both of us being from Toronto, Matt and I chose to host our wedding in London, our home together for the past four years. We wanted our wedding to reflect the excitement and elegance of the city. We chose the central London venue, the In & Out Club (navalandmilitaryclub.co.uk), not only because it is a beautiful English club, but it would also host our civil ceremony, reception, a seated dinner and dancing all under one roof. Guests were free to roam the grand house and find tucked away parties in different rooms. There were leather sofas by the grand fireplace in the bar where dancers could rest their feet and girls could slip out of high heels.

I loved the portraits on the wall and the elegant rich colours. Set with massive amounts of flowers and candles this would be a romantic spot in the beautiful St James Square near Piccadilly Circus. The venue is a spectacular place, but like many London clubs it is a bit tired and frayed around the edges. While this is certainly part of the charm, we needed grand flowers to showcase the venue. Moyes Stevens (moysesflowers.co.uk) did a fantastic job with the flowers creating something truly unusual and bespoke to the venue. We had a few large displays around the club which made the rooms feel even more glorious and elegant. For the tables, I preferred low arrangements so guest could see over each other and conversation would not be interrupted. I chose tulips as they are one of my favorites and perfect for a spring wedding. My bouquet was a mixture of pink roses and peonies.

We were very much inspired by a 1920s, Great Gatsby-style party. I wore a vintage influenced dress by David Fielden (davidfielden.co.uk) which I altered to make almost entirely backless. The dress was light and easy to wear and dance in which made me very relaxed throughout the evening. Shoes were Dior pumps. Arriving and leaving the venue I wore a white blazer from The Kooples (thekooples.co.). The straight edges of the blazer gave the outfit a very modern, urban look in contrast to the vintage style elsewhere. The dress code was black tie, which I think looked fantastic in the venue.

For the ceremony I wore a birdcage veil which was custom made by Vintage Rose (vintagerosebridal.co.uk). We arranged the chairs in a semi-circle which felt really intimate and small despite there being 108 people. The ceremony was short and sweet which both Matt and I appreciated as well as our guests. Sparking wine and Pimms were served in true English style at the reception. For dinner, I wanted it to feel like a classic dinner party which encouraged conversation amongst the guest rather than being interrupted by speeches. There was no classic head table – each table sat 12 people. Matt and I sat at a round table with our wedding party, their guests and a few close friends. Since we were marrying at Easter, we wanted a subtle holiday theme to the meal. For place cards, I hand gilded gold eggs and my mother wrote each person’s name on card which we tied to the eggs with ribbon. The wedding cake was made by Katerina Janakova at Villandry (Villandry.com) which was an almond and lemon cake with marzipan icing. Katerina dressed the cake with flowers that mirrored the embellishment on my dress.

We had the fantastic 1920s French jazz band Benoit and His Orchestra (benoitandhisorchestra.com) play in the evening. The music was lively and although few people knew how to dance to the 1920 music, everyone was dancing. The music was also not overwhelming for those that preferred to sit in the bar with a cocktail and chat with other guests. At 12am the guests departed in black taxis. A few of us gathered at the Green Room in the Gore Hotel (gorehotel.com), another classic London venue in Chelsea for a nightcap to close a wonderful celebration Matt and I will remember forever.

Venue: In and Out Club, St James Square, London, England / Dress: David Fielden / White blazer: The Kooples / Shoes: Christian Dior / Veil: Vintage Rose / Photography: David Jenkins / Flowers: Moyes Stevens / Cake: Katerina Janakova at Villandry / Band: Benoit and His Orchestra

Up next on our agenda of pretty is an English Garden wedding that just happens to be the epitome of garden galas. Soft, romantic, delicate – it’s just perfection. We have Green Photographic to thank for bringing us all the lovely via their gorgeous images, but remember this is just a snap shot of the pretty from across the pond – there is so much more waiting for you right here!

From Green Photographic… Abby and Alex were married on 19th April 2012, at Rosteague in Cornwall, England. Abby’s bridal preparations were in a sweet, vintage-style room with antiques and a four poster bed. It was raining a little in the morning, and then the sun came out just in time for the civil ceremony in the corner of a walled garden, under a thatched roof. Rosteague is a private manor house with an Elizabethan facade on Cornwall’s south coast. The Cornish translation for the property is “fair heath full of riches”. The house’s first resident, Ralph de Restak, built the property in 1363. The house and grounds are available for private hire for weddings.The venue has lawns over looking the ocean where they had some welcome drinks and photos. Their photo shoot took place in the grassy field with the ocean in the background, the horses’ stables and with the family MG car.

Abby is such a classic beauty that she made the photography very easy for us! Abby and Alex planned this wedding by themselves with the help of many family members. Both the mothers made the cake, and Abby’s dad iced it! The cake decorations and many of the details were sourced from Etsy and Folksy. The flowers were from Susanne of the fabulous ‘The Blue Carrot’ who grows all the flowers just up the road in her walled garden — they are as local as you can get!

Wedding Photography: Green Photographic / Wedding Venue: Rosteague in Cornwall, England / Floral Design: The Blue Carrot / Event Design + Planning: DIY by the Bride & Groom with Help from Family + Friends / Wedding Dress: Annasul Y / Bride’s Shoes: BHS

We’re taking a little cyber jaunt across the pond for this perfect-in-every-way photo shoot by Caroline Joy Photography. With lush landscaping, loads of pretty petals, mismatched vintage china, and a poofy cocktail style hat a la Kate Middleton, it’s no wonder we’re totally smitten with it! And once you get a peep at all the pretty in the full gallery, we know you will be too!

Click here for the FULL photo shoot!

From Caroline Joy Photography… I’m so excited to share this wedding shoot set in the gorgeous English countryside, just outside of London. Special swoon-worthy items to note: the mismatched china settings, the ponies meandering about, the soft tones of pink and cream in the floral design, the bride’s Kate Middleton style veil/cocktail hat, the quaint English manor with unruly gardens and low stone walls, the ribbon table runner, the thatched roof houses and the detailed cupcake designs. Fun fact: Highclere Castle, where Downton Abbey is filmed, was right around the corner from this shoot! :)

Photography: Caroline Joy Photography / Photo Shoot Location: A Private Residence in Highclere, UK / Event Styling: Jillian Manger of Mimi Nicole Event Design Boutique / Floral Design: Blush Floral Design / Wedding Cakes: Gifted Heart Cakes / Wedding Dress: Blue by Enzoani “Caldera” / Cocktail Hat: Beverley Edmondson Millinery

A Scottish soiree that is easy on the eyes (to say the least), I have a feeling this fabulous fête by Craig & Eva Sanders will be making a beeline to your favorites folder. If you must know, it’s already in mine. Feminine, flirty, and just enough fancy to make your heart flutter, believe me when I say you’ll want to twirl around the full gallery of images a time or two!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… Our wedding day was even better than we could ever have dreamed. Everything came together beautifully, and the sun was even shining all day, which can be rare in Scotland! We wanted our wedding to be simple, relaxed, glamorous and elegant with a hint of a vintage feel — a great party with our family and closest friends, good food, wine and music to dance the night away! We also wanted the day to be a true reflection of us with a personal feel. We booked all our vendors, and then I began work on all our DIY touches. We were super lucky in that having done our research, all our vendors shared the same vision as us, and I knew Craig and Eva would capture the day perfectly with the whimsical quality to their photography.

Our DIY touches included save-the-dates, which I made from luggage tags attached to champagne corks and the tag line “He popped the question!” We continued this idea with our champagne cork place settings and the mini luggage tags on our favours. The invitations were hand-written on brown card with a touch of lace and pearl detailing to reflect the styling on the day and tie in with our DIY table number frames, table plan and guest book table. We worked with a muted colour palette of whites, pale pinks and greens. Kim at Little Botanica did a fantastic job with the colours in her floral design and presented everything so beautifully. I continued the muted colours in our sweet table. I made the mini cupcakes, meringues, tablet and truffles and some DIY paper bunting completed the look.

We both love jazz music and the Ritz Trio, who tied in with our wedding party in their white tuxedos, created the perfect ambience. Walking back up the aisle as husband and wife to Louis Armstrong’s “A Wonderful World” played by our jazz trio was a very special moment. And I have to mention the dress! As soon as I put it on, I knew it was the one — it was just beautiful with layers of tulle and pearl detailing at the waist. It was the dress I had been searching for — perfect!

Wedding Photography: Craig & Eva Sanders / Wedding Venue: Glenskirlie House & Castle in Banknock, Stirlingshire, Scotland / Floral Design: Little Botanica / Wedding Stationery, Styling + Sweets Table: DIY by the Bride / Celebrant: Leslie Mitchell / Wedding Cake: Marks & Spencer / Jazz Band: Ritz Trio / Wedding Band: A-Side Soul / Wedding Dress: Ellis Bridals via Cuco Bridal Wear / Jewelry: Tom Coll Jewellery / Makeup: Debbie Slater / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Biba / Tuxedos: Slaters Menswear

I love the bohemian meets English tea party vibe of this spring wedding inspiration from Jess Petrie.  Two ideas that I never would have thought to pair up but that work oh-so-well together.  Jenny Packham‘s gowns do have an ethereal, fairy goddess feel to them so it actually makes perfect sense and this beautiful model in this beautiful dress is a serious knock-out.  The entire inspiration shoot is perfect for the nontraditional bride who craves total romance!  See it all in the full gallery!

Click here for the FULL photo shoot!

From Jess of Jess Petrie… I fell in love with this dress. The creams, coffees & golds, the detailing & the craftwork — utterly gorgeous. And Kamara, the model, worked this dress and rocked the headpiece to perfection. The idea behind this styled shoot was to show bridal with a bit of difference — no traditional white for a gown or a veil, but instead a rather classy boho chic headband with gorgeous detailing and a dress oozing glam with the gold and soft dreamy textures and fabrics.  Her name is Eden…

I thought the candy buffet would work well with the theme, as it is an alternative way to entertain and fill your guests with loving treats and sweets — a perfect combo. Why not hop into Rita, the happy camper, and take off for a few hours after your ceremony or at sunset? Find a quiet location and have some photos taken — how romantic.

Photography: Jess Petrie / Venue: The Bear Inn in Belper, Derbyshire, England / Floral Design: Swallows & Damsons / Wedding Cake + Cookies: Butterflies & Angels / Cupcakes: Cakes From My Kitchen / Cake Pops: popalicious cake pops / Cards + Stationery by I Am Nat / Retro Signs + Sweets Buffet: Sweetest Pear / Rita the Happy Camper Rental: Candy Apple Weddings / Wedding Dress: Jenny Packham “Eden” via The White Room / Headpiece: Debbie Carlisle Bouquets “Florence” via The White Room / Garter: Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe / Hair + Makeup: Jenn Edwards (info@jennedwards.com) / Model: Kamara Thomas

Ladies and gentlemen, I present you the happiest, prettiest Bride in all of Scotland. When looking through the images captured by Archibald Photography of her classic nuptials, you can almost feel her joy as she marries her kilted hubby. Her big day turned out just as lovely, just as timeless as she is herself and you can see every smile in the full gallery of gorgeous!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… My husband and I had a traditional Scottish style wedding at our favourite place, Cameron House, which sits right on the banks of Loch Lomond. We had  a fantastic humanist ceremony, which was laid-back and full of laughter followed by a full Scottish wedding: 12 p.m. until 2 a.m.! We wanted all closest friends and family to be involved, and as you will see below, they helped make it the best day of our lives. We chose our venue easily, as my family have been going there since I was a child, and Fin and I walk the dogs by the loch at the weekend. It is in the most stunning setting with views over the loch to Ben Lomond. The interior of the hotel is a modern, sophisticated Scottish theme which we love — tartan carpets, open fires, The Great Scotts bar, and it is surrounded by the banks of Loch Lomond. The bridal party were all dressed in subtle tones and lace, while the groomsmen were all in their own tartan kilts or trews — all true Scotsmen, of course!

Our wedding was planned to be outside, but this is Scotland, so it ended up taking place inside, and it was just as beautiful. We managed to get all of our photos and a cocktail hour outside before a mad dash for cover to start the wedding breakfast. After the meal, we had a full celidh with traditional country dancing before our band took over for the rest of the evening. You could say quite a lot of the wedding was DIY, including the save-the-dates, orders of service, menus, homemade Scottish shortbread favours, flowers and cake. I loved choosing all the extra details (even if we didn’t get a chance to use all the outdoor decorations), and my mum and bridesmaids were invaluable when it came to baking, flower arranging, tying string, etc!

Wedding Photography: Archibald Photography / Wedding Venue: Cameron House in Loch Lomond, Scotland / Flowers: DIY by the Mother of the Bride / Wedding Cinematography: AM Wedding Films / Wedding Invitations: Strawberry Sorbet / Wedding Cake: DIY by the Groom’s Sister / Officiant: Leslie Mitchell / Ceremony Music: Scott Manson (A School Friend) / Band: The Vinyls / Cars: Ivory Choice Bridal Cars Ltd. / Save-the-Dates, Programs, Menus, Shortbread Favors: DIY / Wedding Dress: Dakota by Enzoani / Custom Lace Overlay: Opus Couture / Bride’s Shoes: Debut / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Zara + Custom Waistbands / Groom’s Kilt: Hunter Tartan

Since the Royal Wedding (or if we’re really being honest, since the first time my nine year old eyes first spied Prince William), I have had a slight love affair with all things British. And thanks to this intimate, yet beautifully grand, British fête I DO Wedding Consulting sent over – the side of my heart that lives over the pond has grown in spades. Captured by Micaela Scimone Photography, the soiree is the bees knees, absolutely cracking, and oh-so-ace. Best of British to you if you think you’ll be at all productive once you’ve visited the full gallery!

I wanted a very traditional, English venue in the center of London. I love this city and we wanted to showcase it in the best light for our American guests as well. My husband had been to a wedding at this venue years ago, which is a very historical house in the middle of London’s St James area; however, they only have a few weddings per year at this venue but we were lucky enough to be one of them.

The colors and style were driven by the venue, built in 1756 for the Spencer family. The house is very grand with stunning architectural detailing. We did not want to detract from the interiors and architecture, but instead complement it. I knew that I wanted a dress inspired by the past, and I chose one that felt very antique and rich in history – yet it is a new dress.

Our wedding was a mix of English and American traditions. For example, we chose to walk down the aisle to a Marvin Gaye song – sung by a fantastic singer from New York City, but we also had several traditional English traditions such as a toastmaster and a formal dinner prior to any dancing.

The dinner in the Great Room, with red damask fabric lined walls and artwork owned by the Queen of England was something special. And our dessert buffet was a bit of America that the pastry chef had never seen in the UK.

Venue, catering + desserts: Spencer House / Event Planning + Design: I DO Wedding Consulting / Photography: Micaela Scimone Photography / Videography: Quintessentially TV / Floral Design: John Carter Flowers / Entertainment: Strong Sensation Band / Chuppah: inGenious Productions Ltd. / Marquee: Peppers Marquees / Lighting: Focus Lighting and Productions Limited / Invitation Printing: Mount Street Printers / Wedding Cake: Peggy Porschen Cakes Ltd.

Planning a long-distance wedding isn’t always easy, but this adorable duo didn’t let a few thousand miles (or more) get in their way.  Instead, they enlisted the help of some of Ontario’s finest vendors, including the amazing Hazlitt Vintage Rentals and The Little White Dress, and drew upon their own crazy talented DIY skills and creativity to throw the sweet, vintage wedding of their dreams.  All captured by Young Hearts Photography, the gallery is literally overflowing with magical moments for us to enjoy. Click here for more.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

Oh, and we’re not done yet.  We have a breathtaking film from Nataschia Wielink Photo + Cinema to seriously sweeten your Monday. Enjoy!

From the Bride… To say that I was anxious and overwhelmed at the thought of planning a wedding remotely while living overseas was an understatement. Our family and friends would be coming from all over the world for our wedding, and I wanted it to be a perfect reflection of us. Luke is from Australia and I’m from Canada, but we now live together in Hong Kong. This meant that not only would there be a lot of traveling involved during the planning process, but also a lot of emailing, using Skype and relinquishing control to others (which I don’t do well). I was so overwhelmed with the thought of planning the wedding that we were engaged for nearly 5 years, looked at locations in 3 different countries, and had planned and canceled three different dates, before we finally settled on Canada as our location. Since our entire love story unfolded in Asia, we felt it was really important to bring all the things we love about our “home” to our families who have not yet been able to visit us in Hong Kong. With friends and family scattered all over the world (and some who hadn’t seen us since we’ve been together) the most important thing for us was to have every single detail express who we are and help those that only knew us individually to understand our love and connection.

To help be my eyes, ears and my super hero in Canada I enlisted the help of wedding planner Kate Vanderlugt of The Little White Dress, and from there our wedding visions grew into a dream come true. She not only understood our vision and brought it perfectly to life but she became a great friend in planning process. It was all the little details that made our day unique and that was what I focused on. Luke was a superstar groom. He designed our invitations, made our cake topper, molded and painted our photo booth props and became a master of the sewing machine! He sewed our vintage floral napkins, our linen table runners, and all the ties for the groomsmen  – as well as embroidering them! Our venue didn’t allow our guests to throw anything as we walked back up the aisle, so I made little paper flags with lots of fun sayings and our initials for our guests to wave. I also enlisted the wonderful Selena from Hazlitt Vintage Rentals to complete that vintage travel vibe we were going for. She had just the right pieces – from tables and suitcases to the tandem bike that we used for photos! For dinner, Luke and I felt it was especially important to bring our favourite tastes of Asia to our guests, and we then followed it up with a yummy dessert bar with my favourite homemade squares that my mom and grandma baked. Our guests’ favourite part of the evening had to be our photo-booth-turned-guest-book. I created a scrapbook station with tons of stickers and letters and such and the guests had fun all night taking photos, having them print out and creating funny pages to help us remember the night.

Although there were a lot of frustrations leading up to our wedding, it truly was a day that far exceeded even my wildest dreams. I kept saying, leading up to the day, that although it was the day that I got to marry my soul mate it was so much more than that. It was also being able to be with and share in the love of all those closest to us whom we seldom get to see as we celebrated such an important moment in our lives. I have to thank Kate from The Little White dress for really understanding our vision and making it come to life. And I also need to thank Young Hearts Photography and Nataschia Wielink Photo + Cinema for capturing the day — the happiest of memories that we will have forever.

Wedding Photography: Young Hearts Photography / Wedding Venue: Bellamere Winery in London, Ontario / Event Planning: Kate Vanderlugt of The Little White Dress / Floral Design: Village Vines Florists / Wedding Cinematography: Nataschia Wielink Photo + Cinema / Wedding Cake: The Cake Box / Officiant: All Season Weddings / Vintage Rentals: Hazlitt Vintage Rentals / Wedding Invitations, Cake Topper, Photo Booth Props, Napkins, Table Runners + Groomsmen’s Ties: DIY by The Groom / Paper Flags, Heart Garland, Bunting + Bridesmaids’ Jewelry: DIY by The Bride / Hair + Makeup: Nova Vita / Bridesmaid Dresses: Dessy (Color: Firecracker)

We’re taking a quick hop, skip and jump across the pond to bring you this heavenly London wedding by My Love Story.  I am quite enamored with this charming beauty with its winter elegance and mod flair.  There is so much to fall head over heels for like the flirty bridesmaids all in white, the perfectly sweet arrangements of tulips and anemones and, of course, incredible personal touches that will tug at your heart strings.  Click here to see it all!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… We knew we wanted our wedding to feel really simple and elegant, so tried to keep this in mind throughout. We live in London, so we got married here to make organising the day as straightforward and easy as it could be. We had a winter wedding, as we got engaged in January and wanted it to be in the same year. The reception venue is a Georgian town house in a beautiful London square with a gorgeous flagstone hallway and big, floor-to-ceiling windows. The fan light on the front door inspired the design for our stationery, and although we were really clear that we didn’t want to have any particular ‘theme’ for the day, the venue probably ended up influencing the look and feel of it all. The things that were important to us were having great food, having all our family and friends with us and everyone having a lovely time. Leon knew of the caterers, Clerkenwell Kitchen, and their food was amazing. They recommended the florist we used, The Flower Appreciation Society. I probably gave Ellie quite a vague brief, so the flowers were a wonderful surprise. Alex, from “My Love Story” was our photographer. He was amazing all day and brilliant to have around in the morning with all my bridesmaids getting ready.

My dress was from The Vintage Wedding Dress Company. I had it altered by a dressmaker one of my friends suggested, Nicola Donati. She added sleeves out of a vintage lace collar that was my great-great grandmother’s. My mum bought all the gorgeous white poinsettias to have up the stone staircase from a local garden centre. The venue is a listed building — it only had uplighter lamps in the rooms, and we weren’t allowed real candles, so I became a bit fixated on tea lights and the right candle holders! My sister found gold tea lights and Leon and I scoured practically every Poundland in north London, buying about fifty million of them! Two of our grandparents couldn’t attend the wedding due to ill health, and our grandfathers had both passed away, so we had photographs of all of their and our parents weddings on the mantelpiece, which all of our families really loved.

My worst decision was wanting to get a black cab to take me to the registry office. It didn’t show up and only told us 15 minutes before it was due to arrive! My bridesmaid did a sterling job of keeping this from me and organising a local taxi last minute. My advice to brides to be would be to think about what is important to you, what will make you happy and once you’ve decided, stick to it! Where possible keep things as simple as you can. I promised myself not to get stressed (this is harder than you think at times), not to let the little things that invariably go wrong bother me and to enjoy the day, which we did.

Wedding Photography: Alex Dimopoulos of My Love Story / Ceremony: Islington Town Hall in Islington, London, UK / Reception: 6 Fitzroy Square in London, UK / Floral Design: Ellie of The Flower Appreciation Society / Wedding Cake + Cupcakes: Primrose Bakery / Catering: Clerkenwell Kitchen / Officiant: Cynthia Green / Wedding Stationery: Designed by the Bride & Groom / Transportation: Addison Lee / Wedding Dress: The Vintage Wedding Dress Company / Wedding Dress Alterations: Nicola Donati / Bride’s Hair Accessory: Jennifer Behr / Bride’s Jewelry: 1950s Vintage Bracelets / Bride’s Fur Cape: eBay / Bride’s Shoes: By Larin / Hair: Hob Salon / Makeup: DIY / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Asos Salon, Darling + H&M / Groom’s Suit: Paul Smith

Good morning my lovely LBBers. You’ll want to put down your coffee before you watch this London wedding from MintySlippers. Why? You will have a permagrin on your pretty little face from the moment you hear what this groom has to say about his lovely bride – and I don’t want to be responsible for spilling coffee on your keyboard. So enjoy, liquid free, and have a fabulous (and hopefully wedding filled) day!

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Gavin & Emma from MintySlippers

We met first as teenagers, both being part of a larger crowd of kids in the area in which we lived. With plenty of friends in common, we had a strong friendship for many years, before finding love with each other in 2008. Fast forward to December 2010 and we were on holiday together in Long Beach, California, staying on the beautiful Queen Mary, the worlds once romantically famous ocean super liner, now a permanent floating hotel in SoCal. It was the last night of a week long trip that had began in Las Vegas, and when walking around the famous deck, taking in the holiday vibe for the final time, Gavin dropped to one knee and made the proposal. Being the final day, Emma was perhaps more shocked that she hadn’t seen it coming than for the proposal itself!

When we began looking at venues, we knew we wanted somewhere unusual or different. Being in our late twenties, we had more or less been attending weddings on a monthly basis for a couple of years! Limited to the venues that were available just nine months later when we intended to marry, and those that could accommodate up to 250 people eating Kosher food, we were desperate not to return to one of the venues already enjoyed by friends of ours (often on multiple occasions!). We sat down to shortlist places we had never seen that would meet our criteria, and came across the St. Pancras Renaissance project. Completion of the hotel had been set for March 2011 and (with half a mind on the issues experienced by couples marrying at the Savoy when its renovation ran badly over) we felt confident that it would be up and at running speed by September 18. The fact that it was stunning (even back in Jan 2011 when we visited it as a full blown building site) and somewhere that no one we would have invited would ever have been to, was enough for us to know that we didn’t need to go and see anything else!

Our inspiration was only to take the ‘must have’ elements required and put any interesting twists on that we could think of. For example, we replaced flowered table centres with blue coloured ostrich feather arrangements bathed in contemporary LED lighting. With such a spectacular and freshly finished venue, we were keen to keep production elements to a fairly subtle level. As for colour, we went with blue to reflect the famous pale blue ironwork of the St. Pancras Hotel and International Station.

One of the most successful elements of the day was the party at the end. We’d chosen a band/dj hybrid meaning we had the flexibility of a disco with the spectacle of live singers and musicians. Combine that with podium corners on the dace floor (and of course the sambucca) and we had a party that was so much fun, the crowd actually booed when carriages were called!

Videographer: MintySlippers / Photographer: Reportage By / Venue: St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, London / Catering: Chives / Shoes: Alexander McQueen / Dress: Ian Stuart / Toastmaster: Jamie Paskin / Florist & Chuppah Design: Black and Cook / Music: Creation Disco-Live

This gem had us upon first glance at that gorgeous bride and her pretty Jimmy Choos. We’re mad for shoes after all but more importantly, we’re mad for great weddings and this Somerset beauty could honestly be stills from an epic love tale. It’s a beautiful ode to the English wedding. One ripe with sentiment and lovely moments caught on film by David Jenkins Photography and we’re cheering from the front row, popcorn and coffee in hand. See more of this love story here.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… The venue is stunning with everything you need in one place: the chapel, accommodations for all guests in a gorgeous Georgian house and beautiful grounds.  Many of the table decorations were done by me, and the flowers were done by my mother-in-law. The flower vases were jam jar pots and tin pots. The wedding was the best day of our lives and if we could afford it, we’d do it every year. Babington House is the perfect wedding venue, and we partied long into the morning, as they have no time limit. Which was what we wanted.

Photography: David Jenkins Photography / Flowers: Groom’s mother / Venue: Babington House, Somerset, U.K. / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Dress: Jacqueline Byrne / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Ted Baker / Groom’s Suit + Tie: Paul Smith / Table Decorations: DIY by the bride

This is such a tremendously sweet wedding.  Not only because of the details which are, don’t get me wrong, as pretty as can be, but for the sentiment and love that went into each and every planning decision that this bride and groom made.  They celebrated their love for each other and for their family members, both those who were present in person and in spirit, in some of the loveliest ways imaginable.  NovaMarkina Photography captured every precious moment and every romantic, vintage detail.  Click here to see them all!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the groom…Our day was special before we even got married, before we even got engaged. Our day was special for a very different reason, our day is the day Alisha’s Grandmother passed away; it’s been 8 years as of this year. So before we planned a single detail, we knew this day would be special.

We planned a day of nostalgia, we planned a day of family, we planned a day of décor looking as if it wasn’t planned, but rather – meant to be – LIKE US! The challenge was to create a special day out of an already special day – create a day that was a bittersweet reminder of Granny Kit – a day that was about us – but also about all of our guests. We started with us..

We like old things – we live in a century home, we go to antique shows and shops, we breathe new life into old things. Our home is proof. We chose the oldest, most beautiful church we could imagine, St. Peter’s. People often gasp when they come in, the beauty of St. Peter’s to us was it’s beauty – we only needed a single decoration – posie pockets. Alisha’s Grandma Jacquie lovingly hand-stitched one by one, then she hand starched them with Great-Grandma’s starch recipe 17 in total, each one as perfect as the next.

Next came the venue – we were sticky on this – how does a couple go about having a massive family wedding in somewhere other than a hall or tent? The London Club was perfect – a tight squeeze for 200, but perfect, established in the 1800’s as an “old boys club” it has maintained its nostalgia, class, and charm while allowing for some updates and female members. The next way we brought “us” into the day was in décor. Not only were most items antiques that we hunted and searched for over a year but they allowed for some DIY too. Table numbers were antique prescriptions with numbers stenciled over top, all the other candles were a mish-mash of old and new, some borrowed that were all unique and beautiful in their own way. The crates around the room added a rustic element that we were looking for amidst the ivory linens and clean candle light. The bottles on the tables are all pharmacy bottles (the groom is a pharmacist – hence why the table numbers and bottles work) they were borrowed from the pharmacy Mike works at and had about 50 years of dust and who knows what else on them when they were dug out of the basement!

A reoccurring theme was a tandem bike which we loved as it symbolized being on the same journey together. The save the dates, the table stationery and cake topper all followed this theme. We brought family into our day by displaying pictures of our parents and grandparents on their wedding days with the verse: “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”. We cut our cake with the groom’s grandparents serving set used at their 50th wedding anniversary and subsequently at all grandchildren’s weddings after.

Now to bring in Alisha’s Grandmother.. Alisha wore her Grandmother’s earrings, the same ones Granny Kit wore on HER wedding day years before.  We danced to her Grandmother’s favorite song, Elvis’ “Love Me Tender” –according to Granny Kit – it was the only REAL love song. In lieu of traditional wedding favors, a donation was made to Strathroy Hospital, where each of the 19 of Granny Kit’s grandchildren were born and where we said goodbye to Granny Kit 8 years ago.

The day was perfect, the nostalgia was there, our family was there, and most importantly, the loved ones who couldn’t be there – were there.

Ceremony Location: St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica / Reception Location: The London Club / Transportation: Checker Limousine + Tourism London / Wedding Photography: Nova Markina of NovaMarkina Photography / Hair: Hair by Lindsey Boyd / Make-up: Janet Entwistle of Face Trends / Floral Design: Olive Lane Floral / Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman via Zappos / Bride’s Hairpiece: Prim and Posies / Bride’s Earrings: Her Grandmother’s (who wore them on her wedding day too!) / Groom’s Suite + Shoes: Hugo Boss / Groom’s Shirt: Nordstrom / Groom + Groomsmen Bowties + Pocket Squares: The Belle & The Beau / Custom Hangers: DIY Brides via Etsy / String Quartet: String Classics / Band: The Doug Varty Band/ Invites, Table Numbers, Guest Book, Drink Flags, Seating Chart: DIY / Cake: IncrEDIBLES by Lani

I don’t believe I have ever adored a wedding more than I do this romantic English affair captured by Marianne Taylor Photography.  The stunning Georgian era setting, beyond gorgeous barn and darling DIY details are the perfect combination of rustic meets whimsy meets beautiful garden party… and I am going c.r.a.z.y for the whole fabulous fête.  Plus, there’s a carousel and, well, that’s always awesome.  So, if you want to spend your Tuesday wrapped up in pretty, you should most definitely join me in the gallery for all of the lovely and then stay tuned for one very fine film by Mark Brown below!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

We’re not done yet.  This film by Mark Brown is sure to put one very large grin on your face this lovely Tuesday morning and fill your day with even more gorgeous.  Sounds like a plan, no?  Enjoy!

From the Bride… Alex and I met on a school skiing trip to Vermont over 13 years ago, I pursued him on the ski slopes and after an initial confusion with my identical twin sister we became childhood sweethearts. 13 years later and with a custom made ring Alex got down on one knee to finally make it official.

Quite early on in the wedding planning we decided that we would like a barn wedding with a relaxed vibe and drew up a short list of venues to visit. As soon as we visited Preston Court we knew it was the one for us, it combined everything that we had been searching for, a barn big enough to house our reception, gorgeous outside space for the drinks reception and an “island” (albeit a small one) to hold the outdoor ceremony. When we saw the beautiful working carousel that clinched the deal for us both! We wanted our day to be very relaxed and fun and the Carousel started a Circus/English fete theme, we continued this throughout the day with outdoor games, pancake and popcorn carts for the evening and a traditional British Mini Cooper with a photo booth inside! This provided lots of entertainment for the guests and some amazing guest book entries for us to look back on.

Both working in creative jobs we threw ourselves into planning and designing all of the little details. After compiling numerous mood boards we realized there was an underlying theme – so many of the shots where from Marianne Taylor’s blog and we knew we had to have her to photograph our big day. She did an absolutely amazing job and managed to capture ever single tiny detail alongside all the emotion and feelings between our guests, every time we look over the photos we are transported right back there.

Our decorations took on a very homemade crafty feel with the use of brown kraft paper and lots of pink accents, we roped in lots of friends and family to help which gave everything a lovely personal touch and meant that so many people were included in our big day. We used a large chalkboard for the seating plan and homemade bunting was used throughout. An assortment of pastel colored paper pom poms lined the entrance to the barn and also hung from a tall tree on the island to create a colorful backdrop to the ceremony. The flowers were placed in an assortment of miss matching vintage bottles, jars, urns, tea cups and even tea pots which covered every surface.

It was so lovely to have all of our friends and family in the same place and keeping numbers down meant the whole day had a very intimate feel and we were able to mingle with all our guests without feeling overwhelmed. One of the most important things for Alex was that we had one long table which all the guests would be seated round. I took some convincing on this matter but it turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the day. When all the guests raised their glasses for our first toast as Mr. and Mrs. Field it was amazing emotional, to see everyone’s faces all around the same table sharing the moment with us.

Wedding Photography: Marianne Taylor Photography / Wedding Venue: Preston Court / Caterer: Relish Catering / Wedding Gown: Olivia Couture via Blackburn Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Bridesmaid Dresses: Reiss / Groom’s Attire: Reiss / Groom’s Shoes: Church Footwear / Floral Design: Euphoric Flowers / Wedding Cake: Neal’s Yard Cheese / Wedding Videographer: Mark Brown / Band: The Kicks / Stationery: The Groom / Photobooth: Mega Booth / Wedding Cars: Kent Beetles

Not only was this wedding totally gorgeous and well thought out, it sounds like it was an absolute blast to attend! This couple took their love of high tea and infused it into every nook and cranny of their big day and the outcome is totally adorable and perfectly unique. Craig + Kate captured all the vintage details of the day including the DIY shabby chic sweetie bar and you have to trust me when I say that this gallery is full to the brim with great ideas for you to take away for your own DIY affair. Click here to see more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Light, floaty, relaxed and not ‘over the top’ were the pre-requisites for the dress. I was incredibly fortunate to find the dress I always wanted on the first trip to Colchester with my mum. Although we went elsewhere and fully enjoyed the dress hunting experience, I kept coming back to the first one. To match the dress’s style, I had a bespoke hairband made to order.

From the Groom…Despite my Grandad being a vicar, we don’t hold any religious beliefs and thought it would be a tad hypocritical to get married in a church. However, with Bex’s parents married 30 years earlier at Layer Marney, we thought it would be apt to follow in their footsteps. Layer Marney is a stunning Tudor building and the ceremony room has many ‘churchy’ features, so it was perfect.

We liked vintage themes but they are a bit like the ubiquitous London bus so we decided to combine it with some homemade touches to create the best garden party we could think of. White and pink were the chosen colors but not the weedy pale pink – a vibrant uber gay pink that you couldn’t miss! Afternoon tea was certainly a big factor around the design of the marquee, surroundings, etc. We wanted to stay away from 3 course meals as we always think it’s too much food, especially on a hot day when the vino blanco is flowing. Plus, we are a little obsessed with afternoon teas and have probably visited all the table names which were famous London hotels e.g. The Dorchester, The Lainsborough and The Ritz. Penny Campbell, head chef at The Food Company and family friend for 30 years, came up with a menu which was scrummy. But one thing that we insisted on was rectangular sandwiches, a selection of different breads and pink macaroons – fussy indeed. And with vintage teas and RSVPs providing a completely random collection of tea cups, saucers, tea pots and plates, there was a huge amount of color in the marquee.

To finish off the food in the evening, we had a proper wood fired hog roast that my mum’s boyfriend made himself. It weighed a ton and was a pain to get up to Essex from Devon but it was well worth it. And with a locally sourced pig it was some of the juiciest pork I’ve had for a long time (no pun intended)! People wanting to dance was really important to us so we chose Funk/Motown as the style. It covers all the age groups and who can resist getting up to dance to a Stevie Wonder classic? Plus, with light filled paper lanterns filling the marquee, the evening had a great atmosphere and seemed to evoke some hazardous hip movements amongst the guests.

The sweetie bar was the best homemade project. Bex’s parents offered to update their existing dresser by getting it professionally painted and finished to match our color scheme (and their house of course!). With trips to Ikea for the jars, Makros for the sweets on an industrial scale and some cheesy pics of us, it came together brilliantly. Bordered by some branches from a Devon forest which my mum decorated with hand-carved hearts, we would say it’s unlikely this would be something typical to a wedding. But feel free to prove us wrong.

Wedding Photography: Craig + Kate / Floral Design: Anne Goldschmidt of Flowers by Anne / Wedding Dress: Benjamin Roberts via The Wedding Shop / Bride’s Shoes: Vivienne Westwood / Men’s Attire: Abigail’s Collection / Bridesmaid Dresses + Shoes: Monsoon / Hair: Louise of Friends / Make-up: The Bride / Marquee: Chelmer Marquees / China: Vintage Teas and RSVPs / Entertainment: The F Word / Catering: Marks Tey of The Food Company

Set in the wilds of London, this wedding is a bright, colorful affair from beginning to end. And what’s more, it oozes total charm that only a hand-crafted wedding can offer up so naturally. Anushe Low snapped all the pretty pictures and there’s a whole lot more to this beauty so you will want to make an afternoon pit stop to the gallery for all the goodness. It’s but a click away.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…We wanted the day to be quite heartfelt and relaxed, where children could play and the older guests could sit and gossip.  As we had a lot of family and friends it was really important to us that the overall feeling was fun and that everyone could cut loose without feeling they needed to be formal. We chose a village pub with a large garden so that we could capture that special Saturday afternoon pub feeling where everyone is just simply enjoying themselves and each others company. Trying to decide on one color scheme was not going to be possible so we went for bright and chose every color under the sun!

From the beginning we knew that we wanted to make as much as possible from the hand cut liberty backed glass decorations to the sewn circle streamers – everything had a touch of us in it. We made and painted large pub signs, stitched table clothes, made matching pillows for the pub benches, giant windmills and sourced 100 different (and slightly imperfect) hankies from China as well as some 1970s beer mats for the tables.

We were so blessed with so many wonderful people helping from family growing flowers (started in November!) to friends endlessly making tissue pom poms and  endlessly tying ribbons to gates/trees/arches. I guess the inspiration was a bit vintage, a bit carnival and very english village fete! We really wanted people to come to the reception and feel special, not to go “wow”, more to feel that we had created everything for their enjoyment. We also borrowed a lot of props with good friends lending us cake stands, linen, and one extra special friend making us a stunning photo booth. We had quite a few surprises with home-made cakes, biscuits and Tom’s dad’s special fudge. Both of us are product developers and we love detail so made sure that there was enough little things that we cared about – red stripe beer to match the table covers, 96 cut glass vintage vases, red and white butchers string trying lace netting to the benches, party festoon light and Chinese good luck charms picked up in Guangzhou. We loved our day and more so when we look at photos of our friends and family among the chaos of color.

Wedding Photography: Anushe Low / Wedding Dress: Candy Anthony / Bride’s Shoes: Office / Flowers: Family + Friends / Bridesmaid + Flower Girl Dresses: Oasis + Next / Hair Clip: Glitzy Secrets / Paper Goods: Paperchase / Vintage Cut Glass Vases: Charity Shops

This sweet-as-can-be e-session by Robbins Photographic totally has me dreaming of romantic trips across the pond with my huz. I’m loving the casual yet flirty vibe of this shoot and think this couple is super duper good looking and oh-so-hip. Oh, and that face to face, laying in the grass pic? To die for! Click here for even more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Robbins Photographic…Gemma is a TV producer and Joe is a camera man. I shot their engagement session along the Southbank by the Thames. We walked around the book stalls, across the bridge past Big Ben & the London Eye over to a park next to Embankment station.

Photography: Robbins Photographic

What could be better than a stroll through a London park and a picnic with the love of your life? Not much, I’d say. That’s why we’re loving this sweet and summery e-session styled by London Bride. This couples lovely Chicago nupitals were planned by A Perfect Event who shared these adorable photos captured by Emily Quinton with us. The retro red and white check tablecloth, the basket full of cherries, the mini-chalkboards, and the cute-as-can-be couple all add up to make the perfect e-session. See even more here!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From A Perfect Event…Here is an adorable engagement shoot in London of my bride and groom, Ariel and Paul. It is so fun and playful, perfect for summer!

Style & Design: London Bride / Photography: Emily Quinton / Wedding Planner:  A Perfect Event

I love so many things about weddings. Details make me weak in the knees. But the detail that gets me every time is the love exchanged from all involved parties. So this wedding by David Bryce Photography just made me melt. Planned in 21 days (yes you read that correctly) to ensure a very special family member was involved, this couple is the perfect example of what weddings are all about. Love. You’ll most definitely want to read the bride’s description, and be sure to get lost in the full gallery of images today – it’s good for the soul.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…My husband John and I were originally planning a large wedding in a fairly grand private library in Edinburgh. We had intended to have over 100 guests, the big white dress, the traditional Scottish ceilidh band – the works. But in April 2010 we learned that the cancer my step-dad, George, had been fighting was terminal. We were devastated, and suddenly our big fancy plans didn’t seem quite so important.

We decided that, to us, two things were key: One, that we wanted to be married, to become husband and wife, to make vows to each other promising to be together forever. And two, that we wanted to make those vows in front of all the people, our families and our closest friends, who we love the most. So we decided just to do it, there was no reason to wait and it just felt right. In 21 days we cancelled all our plans and arranged a whole new wedding for just 26 people. It was amazing, an absolutely fabulous day and we loved every second of it.

Anyway, after 3 short weeks everything just seemed to come together and we had the most amazing wedding day. George was able to walk me down the aisle and we didn’t feel like we missed out on anything despite our tight time line. It can be fun to plan a wedding over a year or two but it can also be fabulous to just go for it – when you don’t have time to stress about the small stuff you just have to go with your gut instinct: it works. George died four weeks to the day after our wedding. We’re so grateful he was able to be part of, and enjoy, our special day.

Wedding Photography: David Bryce Photography / Flowers: Flowers by Maxwell / Ceremony + Reception Location: The Balmoral Hotel / Wedding Dress + Shoes: Monsoon / Wedding Cake: Craig Webster / Cupcakes: Catherine Henderson / Paper Goods, Seating Plan + Guest Book: DIY

I am just coo-coo bonkers for this fantastic British barn bash by Lisa Devlin Photography.  There are so many awesome details that were all handcrafted by the bride and groom.  Of course, when that adorable bride and groom are artists you know each and every little detail will be creative and charming to the max.   My favorite weddings are those that are so unique and personal that you feel like your stepping into the couples’ home instead of a wedding venue.  And this celebration is certainly at the tippity-top of my list of favorites now.  See all the DIY details in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…When Lucas and I imagined our wedding we knew from the beginning that we wanted it to really reflect us as a couple. We work together producing designs for prints and accessories and we wanted to design many of the details of the day and make as much as we could ourselves. We both equally wanted to be involved in every aspect of the planning process and we loved doing this together.

We wanted the day to have a big emphasis on fun, to be casual and relaxed and essentially just a great party for friends and family to celebrate with us. We knew from the beginning of our planning that we wanted to have our ceremony and reception in an unspoiled old barn. We finally stumbled across the beautiful Alpheton Hall Barns in Suffolk which offered everything we were looking for: a blank canvas for us to decorate as we liked and a beautiful peaceful country setting. The barn owner Nicholas was kind enough to agree to all of our requests, helping us to hang our festoon lights above the ceremony/dance floor area, and even fashioned a couple of benches out of some great big logs he had lying around. Covered with old blankets they made fantastic seating! For the venue decoration we collected various items for over a year. We had so much fun wandering around antiques centres and vintage fairs together digging out beautiful old things. It’s one of our favourite pastimes so it was lovely to have an excuse to actually buy many of the wonderful things we saw! We collected everything from old blackboards, glass bottles and jars, to piles of old books, wooden crates and zinc buckets. It ended up looking like a real home from home as we brought in our own sofas, rugs and coffee table!

We really enjoyed getting crafty together and made many of the details, from the drinks flags and table numbers (which we painted onto old books) to the kraft paper banners and confetti cones made from old maps. For our guestbook we collected hundreds of old postcards which our guests wrote on and pegged up on twine which we wrapped around the barn’s beams. We designed our invitations in the style of an old circus poster which gave our guests a little preview of what the day had in store! The lovely Tiffany (of Luella’s Boudoir) did a better job than we could have imagined in styling everything we’d collected on the day. We were so excited walking into the barn and seeing how beautifully everything had come together.

Wedding Photography: Lisa Devlin Photography / Flowers: Cherub Florists / Event Design + Planning: Luella’s Boudoir / Ceremony + Reception Location: Alpheton Hall Barns / Invitations + Handmade Details: Hayley + Lucas of Keep Calm Gallery / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Wedding Dresses: The Vintage Wedding Dress Company / Bridesmaid Dresses: Coast + French Connection / Groom’s Suit: Henry Herbert Tailors / Cupcakes + Wedding Cake: Queen of Cupcakes / Catering: Gemma Haining / Tote Bags: Alphabet Bags

There is just something so stylish about Scottish weddings and this next navy blue number is no exception! And can I just say that I absolutely love that the bride wore blue! Even her maids were rocking some pretty fabulous frocks and the guys in kilts? Adorable! Daffodil Waves Photography was there to capture all the DIY details including a clay cake topper of the bride and groom. See that and so much more here in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Daffodil Waves Photography…When I received an email off Kari asking if I was free to shoot her wedding in Scotland, she tried saying to me that it was a humanist wedding in Rob’s parents back garden. Back garden doesn’t even come close. So much planning went into this gorgeous day on the ‘grounds’ of Rob’s parents home.

Bridges were built, home made signs constructed and champagne tents erected. It was an outdoor humanist ceremony followed by the cake cutting in the summer house with a Pimms punch toast. This then followed with an amazing reception held in a huge Tipi, the funniest speeches and then traditional Cèilidh dancing.

Wedding Photography: Daffodil Waves Photography / Wedding Dress: Louise Simmonds / Make-up + Hair: Kari Rodnes / Tipi: Highland Tipis / Rings: Ann Marie Shillito