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Romantic Marsala + Berry Wedding Inspiration

Dare I admit that Marsala is the best thing to happen to our 2015 color palette? I do, I most certainly do, and if this pretty from Suzanne Li Photography isn’t proof then I don’t know what is. Bursting with berry hues and color, this little inspo is sure to inspire all. It’s the type of romantic wedding that we’re hoping all Brides to take note of, and it’s all waiting in THE VAULT!

From Suzanne Li PhotographyI have always been inspired by fine art photography , in my opinion it captures the real essence of love in a beautiful and creative way. However it can be difficult to portray this romantic light and airy look in the UK, but I wanted to inspire brides to let them know that this can still be achieved- even in Scotland – with the right vendors! Most people don’t know where to start or where to look, so I gathered a fantastic team with the best creatives around central Scotland to dream up something wonderful for all brides and grooms to see!

The venue was at the Byre at Inchyra now owned by Lady and Lord Inchyra, the House and Barn was passed down from generations dating back from 1877! On the day of the shoot I didn’t expect too much from the weather I only prayed for no rain and with the Inchyra as our back drop it was one big ‘wow factor’

The team all came together perfectly, everything just fell into place! Thanks to a fantastic team, each vendor did their part wonderfully, I can’t thank them enough for their time and individual talents! Finally it is a pleasure to be featured on this wonderful blog!

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See more of Marsala in THE VAULT!

Photography: Suzanne Li Photography | Floral Design: Floral Menagerie | Wedding Dress: Laura | Cake: Bakery 47 | Jewelry: Susan Dick | Makeup: Melissa M | Hair: Nicola De La Mare | Calligraphy: Caitlin McKenna | Venue: The Byre At Inchyra | Model: Jack Sutherland | Model: Jack Sutherland

Elegant English Country Estate Wedding Inspiration

I was lucky enough to study in London in college and while I took many side adventures, my weekend trips to the English countryside will always hold a special place in my heart. The sense of calm and simple elegance has stayed with me over the years and this photo shoot by Taylor and Porter was the perfect reminder of why I fell in love with this area. Quintessentially English and undeniably romantic, these pics will be up on my screen for quite some time – see them all in our VAULT right this way!

From Taylor & Porter… I’m a Fine Art Film Photographer based in the UK and recently shot an inspirational bridal editorial piece at Boconnoc House and Estate in Cornwall. It focuses on quintessentially English, refined, understated elegance. For the colour palette we worked with predominantly white on white with touches of subtle colour; tones from a Farrow & Ball paint chart; sage green, softest blue dove grey; natural hues. Antique platinum and diamond jewellery, a bespoke letterpress stationery suite, a Rue De Seine wedding gown and stunning organic florals by American florist, Forage & Fleur completed the look. All the photographs were captured on medium format film lending a soft, timeless romance and intrinsic quality to the images.

 

Photography: Taylor and Porter | Event Styling: Amber Persia | Floral Design: Forage & Fleur | Wedding Dress: Rue De Seine | Stationery: Artcadia | Hair And Makeup: Ella Butler | Groom's Attire: ASOS | Venue: Boconnoc House And Estate | Antique Jewelry: Little Jems | Bridal Boutique: The White Gallery | Models: Gingersnap | Ribbons: FrouFrou Chic | Veil: SIBO Designs

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here
Classic + Elegant English Estate Wedding Inspiration

I could spend all day getting lost in this gorgeous photo shoot, set at the English estate thought to inspire Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility. Inspired by that very fact, each and every detail is completely enchanting—from the stunning jewels and the lovely gowns to the breathtaking flowers and delectable pastries. It’s all an absolute dream, executed by a dream team including WOOKIE PhotographyEmma VowlesCoco Wedding VenuesKate Burt Cakes and Katrina Otter Weddings. Fall for it all in The Vault.

From Coco Wedding Venues and Katrina Otter WeddingsOur classically elegant styled shoot was designed around the breathtakingly beautiful Pynes House. Steeped in history, this is an exclusive country house wedding venue in Devon, set in its own 37-acre park. Pynes House is believed to be the inspiration for Barton Park in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility and this charming association provided a constant source of inspiration.

With the backdrop chosen, we wanted the design to ooze classic contemporary elegance; think sexy-yet-sophisticated gowns, bold bouquets, luxuriously gilded cakes and a sweeping tablescape. Our palette focused on pale peachy pinks and soft dove greys whilst an array of shaded blues added quite the drama. We couldn’t create a Classic Elegance shoot without capturing the day on film. Amy from WOOKIE Photography and her assistant were so much fun to work with, inspired and inspiring, their gorgeous results blew us away.

For the first bridal look our florist, Emma Vowles, fashioned a classic hand tied bouquet of hydrangeas, scented garden roses and peonies. This had a nod of ‘old school’ glamour when coupled with the sleek fitting Jesus Peiro gown with beautiful bow detail and silken platform heels by Freya Rose. To complete this classically chic style, the sumptuous bouquet was mirrored with a statement crown of hydrangeas. Makeup artist Tori Harris kept things simple, with flushed cheeks and bold brows, which worked perfectly with the structure of the dress and flowers.

Inspired by bridal bouquets from the 1930’s Emma used an abundance of asparagus fern for our second bridal look. A simple mix of foxgloves, blossoming spirea and aquilegia didn’t complicate the soft ‘foam’ of the fern so a romantic cascade was achieved. Our beaded Clinton Lotter number looked divine against this frivolous floral statement and a classic blusher veil added that touch of tradition without compromising the overall look. Our Bride, Chelsea, has the most incredible blue eyes so we decided to go for full on smolder. A strong eye also works perfectly if you are choosing a veil such as this; you certainly want your boy to be looking into your eyes as you walk down the aisle! Pale blue suede heels from ASOS and bold drop earrings and matching cuff by St Erasmus from Liberty in Love completed our Bride’s style.

For the final look we wanted decadence with a touch of irreverence. Think dancing ‘til dawn with your guests and stolen kisses with your newly acquired husband. Our Bride gallivanted in the gardens wearing another Jesus Peiro gown with subtle silver brocade. The strapless neckline demanded a bold necklace and St Erasmus has some of the most decadent jewels I’ve ever seen. We adorned Chelsea with the crocheted Swarovski teardrop crystal necklace and matching bracelet. Our bold lip was mirrored by the pop of ‘black’ scabious in the third and final bouquet. The mix of peony, ranuculus, delphiniums, astilble, spirea, and garden rose looked wonderful in this soft hand tied bouquet, especially contrasted against the stunning blue of the sofa sourced by Elle at Inspire Hire. We finished the bouquet with bespoke hand-dyed soft blue silk ribbons by Kate Cullen.

Kate Ruth Romey carried through our blue hues in the stationery. An elegant calligraphy script and crest was enough to tell guests they were in for a classic treat. Our suite consisted of an invitation, RSVP card and the most dramatic deep blue envelope with a hand-stamped golden crest seal. Our soft calligraphy suite continued through to our tablescape with pale blue place names and sweet menus in frames.

Ali Beaven, founder of the ultimate Gift List Company Prezola, assisted us with the styling of our tablescape. Ali has a background in interior design and with her eye for luxury we knew our Classic Elegance dining experience was in safe hands. The Linen Works provided the grey tablecloths and napkins, whilst Burleigh had the prettiest blue & white tableware with a delicate Asiatic Pheasant pattern. The place settings were completed with silver leaf napkin rings by Culinary Concepts and Ladurée sugared almond favours. I particularly loved the larger-than-life lanterns by Artisanti!

To finish, I simply must mention the cake table designed by Kate Burt Cakes. With not one, not two but seven gorgeous cakes it was quite the luxury statement. A white croquembouche was flagged by twin hand-painted cakes, a simple 3-tier iced cake was decorated with a painted gold stripe and the master of ceremonies, a square 5-tier cake, stood in all its glory with blue velvet ribbon, gold sugar flowers and a crisp white feather. You are spoilt for choice at Pynes House for places to display your wedding cake, but we did rather fall in love with the blue alcove – a stunning spotlight for your sugary treat.

From Coco Wedding Venues – Emma HlaThe ethos behind Coco can be summed up using these words; “Luxe, stylish, unique, quality, bespoke and cool”. These words capture the spirit of Coco Wedding Venues and all that we look for in our wedding venues…” Since launching in early 2014, Coco Wedding Venues has captured the imagination of Brides and wedding industry professionals alike. This beautiful, style-focused wedding venue directory and blog has carved a special niche in a crowded marketplace and won numerous fans along the way. Curated by editor Emma Hla, who left her career with brands such as Michael Kors and Links of London behind, has enticed some of the most stunning wedding venues in the UK to join the Coco family.

From Katrina Otter WeddingsI bring beautiful, timeless and classically elegant wedding design to life, adding a touch of contemporary styling to create exquisite, perfectly organised weddings for my clients. Over the last 10 years, I’ve been fortunate enough to organise an array of weddings, from intimate celebrations to lavish affairs. I have worked right across the UK in venues that have ranged from stately homes and country estates to luxuriously renovated barns and marquees. I am also a member of the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners (UKAWP), an organisation that was founded with one purpose – to promote professionalism in wedding planning.

 

Photography: WOOKIE Photography | Floral Design: Emma Vowles | Cake: Kate Burt Cakes | Stationery: Kate Ruth Romey | Bride's Shoes: Freya Rose | Jewelry: Liberty In Love | Hair And Makeup: Tori Harris | Venue: Coco Wedding Venues | Bespoke Ribbon: Kate Cullen | Bridal Boutique: Blackburn Bridal | Creative Director: Coco Wedding Venues | Floral Garlands: Friend Of Faux | Furniture & Decor: Hired By Inspire Hire | Shoot Manager: Katrina Otter Weddings | Tablescape Styling: Prezola

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here
Romantic Art Deco Inspired Shoot

The 1920s Art Deco movement is one era I’d warmly welcome the revival of. If only to revel in the gorgeous gowns covered in delicate beading and intricate headwear that proved to be an art form in and of itself. Thankfully, I’ve got this gallery to hold me over until history repeats. Because with inspired shoots from Kerry Bartlett Photography this one is sure to reignite history. See it all in The Vault!

From Kerry Bartlett Photography… I wanted to create an inspiring styled based around the 1920s Art Deco movement; geometric shapes, delicate beading, intricate headwear. I chose to use the magnificent architecture of Somerset wedding venue Charlton House, as well as some of it’s sumptuous interior as the setting for the shoot.

During the ’20s there was a strong chinese influence in fashion and interior styling and it is from this that I drew inspiration for the colour scheme. Salmon pink and sage green were colours taken from a piece of 1920s chinese silk while the gorgeous geometry in Vicky Rowe’s beaded gowns also included a hint of chinoiserie, particularly in the fan designs.

While much of the styling was based around Art Deco influence, I was keen to ensure that hints of chinoiserie detailing were apparent; styling within styling. For this, silk wis introduced; used in the stunning grey/green hand-dyed dress by Phoebe Blockley – and in a piece of nuno felt by A.P.P.L.E alpaca products.

Photography: Kerry Bartlett Photography | Floral Design: Garden & Wild | Wedding Dress: Vicky Rowe | Wedding Dress: Phoebe Blockley | Stationery: Katie Gillard Design | Stationery: Paper Bow London | Shoes: Harriet Wilde | Jewelry: Rachel Reilly | Makeup: Makeup By Becky Flynn | Hair: Lauren Hughes | Venue: Charlton House | Model: Ami Wells | Model: Abbe Dilloway | Model: Alicia Fouracres | Nuno Silk Accessories: A.P.P.L.E Alpaca Products | Wedding Alpacas: Apple Vale Alpacas

Coastal Poldark Inspired Anniversary Love Session

You know weddings are the heart of all we do at SMP, but we can never resist a good styled shoot — especially when it’s infused with real life love, like these models who’ve been married for over 20 years! The groom even wore the same tie in this shoot that he wore on their wedding day! Captured by Imogen Xiana, you want want to miss the full gallery here!

From Imogen Xiana Photography I designed this shoot because I wanted to capture detail between two genuine lovers. These two have been married 20 years and have 2 children together. They have grown up together and will grow old together and I wanted to document the real and true beauty of their love combined with the timeless elements of this rugged coastline. I was also massively inspired by the television series ‘Poldark’ which hit out TV’s over winter. Louise’s hair just reminded me so much of Demelza’s vibrant and striking locks flowing in the wind!

James wore the same tie he wore 20 years previously on their wedding day, this was just one of the small details that made this shoot extra special. We parked their old Morris Minor traveller overlooking Kimmeridge bay (the bay that James had grown up surfing on). With light delicate details, a beautiful feast and a glass or two of cava, marking a 20 year anniversary with a carefully designed and styled shoot was prefect for these two love birds!

Louise wore two beautiful silk dresses designed by London designer Cherry Williams. The soft blush dress complemented James’s tweed Ralph Lauren jacket, the textures worked so well together. Kelly Spence bridal accessories were beautiful, the simple gold tones worked so well with the dreamy roses in the bouquet, designed by Garden & Wild. Claire also coordinated the silk from Lancaster & Cornish to match the present colour palette of the coastal rocks and the couples attire. The second part of the shoot, Louise wore the ivory Cherry Williams silk gown with a beautiful crystal embellished waist band. This complemented the Morris Minor Traveller. The couple also coordinated in wearing suede and leather shoes. Just to add and more natural element to their outfits.

Photography: Imogen Xiana | Styling: Briony From Toast-Ed | Floral Design: Garden & Wild | Stationery: Ever After Press | Bride's Shoes: Topshop | Hair And Makeup: Shauna Hope | Groom's Jacket: Ralph Lauren | Venue: Kimmeridge Bay | Bride's Dresses: Cherry Williams London | Film Lab: UK Film Lab | Groom's Shoes: Lacoste | Hair Accessory: Kelly Spence | Silk: Lancaster And Cornish

Rustic + Romantic Yorkshire Summer Wedding

If what you’re after is a winning combo of rustic romance, look no further than the English countryside as your backdrop. It’s a destination where dresses are welcomed to sweep across fields of grass, where dainty white petals and twinkling lights set the mood and darling scrabble cakes replace extravagant dessert tables. And it also happens to be where you’ll find Sarah-Jane Ethan in action, stealing every moment in time. It’s all tucked away beautifully, here in The Vault.

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From The Bride…We met at University in Manchester and got engaged nearly seven years later in gorgeous Sri Lanka, the places we visited were then our table names on the day. We wanted the whole day to to have an outdoor rustic English Country feel to it, but we did almost everything ourselves so there was a lot of Pinterest stalking going on!

I set off dress hunting with boho, floaty ideas in my head, but it turns out I’m definitely not tall or willowy enough to pull that off! I actually bought a gorgeous Jenny Packham dress in the sample sale and ended up selling it on as it just wasn’t me, but I know it was everything someone else wanted for their special day. I went for champagne coloured a Maggie Sottero in the end, which was just so classic I knew Id love it forever and I felt amazing in it all day.

I wore simple square diamond earrings from my Dad and my Mum’s sapphire ring as something blue. My something borrowed came with my friend Zoe’s veil which has actually become something of a team veil – I’m the third one to wear it! Shoes were a bit of nightmare to find as I wanted something that I’d be able to wear again. I went for cream peep toe LK Bennett heels, but really needn’t have worried as I was tearing up the dance floor in my decade old Haviana’s by 8pm!

The venue was so important to us, Sam’s only requirement was “Somewhere we can party…” but my criteria were a little longer! I didn’t want anything too traditional and wanted something we could really make personal to us – plus we wanted the ceremony to be outdoors. We found The Yorkshire Wedding Barn on a fluke whilst it was still being built, the setting was everything you could wish for, rolling English countryside, a beautiful stone barn and stunning cottages for the wedding party to stay in.

The owners Mandy and Neville were what really sold us it though, I didn’t feel on a wedding carousel, I felt like I was part of something they had built with love, sweat and tears and it just felt so genuine. We had the place for three whole days and had brunches, games, cricket and sessions in the White Swan pub just round the corner who also ran the bar for us all night. We could also have whatever catering we wanted which meant canapes galore and an easy choice for main of fillet steak and chips by our fabulous caterer Ray Wade.

We an outdoor wedding in a field plus a large barn means we had a bit of a job on our hands for the decorations! My mum was just amazing and not only helped with absolutely everything, she also hand made every single origami birds for our origami curtain and individually hung them from the beams. Tables and every available space was filled with candles, burlap and gypsophila absolutely everywhere!

We did the flowers ourselves and I absolutely adore gypsophila so it was always going to be a big part of the day, we then discovered even as total amateurs – you cannot destroy it! So it then went in every orifice we could find, tables, the roof, bushes, birdcages, buttonholes, bridesmaid bouquets you name it, we put some in there! We bought old picture frames and turned them into blackboards for the table names and wrapped up anything we could in twine to give it that rustic feel.

I walked down the aisle in the sunshine to “Cavalier” by James Vincent McMorrow which will stay with us both forever. We asked Sam’s Mum and my Brother to do readings during the ceremony for us that they wrote themselves giving advice to the Bride or Groom from the other side of the family “Living with a Sinclair/ Williams”. They were just so personal and had the guests blubbing in their chairs, it was honestly one of the best decisions we made.

My advice to any couple still planning their big day is:

1) Having all your friends and family in one place to celebrate is just amazing, there’s no need to stress about anything as that’s the only reason you’re all there.

2) Throw tradition to the wind if it feels right for you.

3) Invest in a great photographer! There’s so much you can’t see or get to on the day and it goes by so fast that you need someone talented and dedicated to capture the best day of your life, so Sarah-Jane was our perfect choice, it honestly is worth every single penny.

Photography: Reem Acra | Photography: Sarah-Jane Ethan Photography | Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero | Cake: Caroline Cakes | Catering: Ray Wade | Hair And Makeup: Mother Of The Bride & Friends | Hair And Makeup: Annabelle | Band: Jonny Ross Music | Venue: The Yorkshire Wedding Barn

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here
Elegant Castle Combe Wedding

Bursting with garden charm and a cheeky elegance only found in English affairs, these nuptials from Planned For Perfection are just that — perfection. From the Bride’s sweet Kate Spade kitten heels to the Groom’s dapper dress coat, every moment in the full gallery on The Vault from Weddings By Nicola and Glen is totally sweet!

 

From Planned For PerfectionLauren and Oliver met in the Bride’s home country of America, fell in love and set up home in San Francisco. They had always envisioned a fairytale English location to celebrate their wedding day and chose the Manor House at Castle Combe near Bath, which is located in the heart of a romantic village in the English Countryside and an unquestionably perfect choice for a quintessentially English wedding.

On the eve of the wedding day, guests were invited to an informal get-together and how more English can you get than a cricket match on the local village green, close to the groom’s family home!

The following morning, there were two flags fluttering in the breeze as guests arrived at The Manor House – The Union Jack, as to be expected at this country house hotel in the Cotswold countryside and the star spangled flag of the United States, joined together for this special occasion. The manor house is a 14th century country retreat located in the picturesque village of Castle Combe, Wiltshire.

After months of planning, the day itself was simply exquisite, a classic Anglo American affair from beginning to end and when its Planned for Perfection, you know something beautifully elegant will unfold.

Guests were taken to church in an iconic London red double decker bus and meandered through the Cotswold countryside to the stunning St John the Evangelist church in Bath. After the service, guests were served wine and Champagne in personalised glasses before arriving back at the manor. Lauren and Oliver had taken exclusive use of the hotel, becoming the Lord and Lady of their very own English Manor for the weekend! Guests enjoyed listening to the string quartet during the champagne and Canape reception before dining in the Bybrook restaurant which had been transformed into a stunning wedding dining room, the scent of the gorgeous flowers was divine, the attention to every little detail was incredible, including the wedding cake that was designed to replicate the lace on Lauren’s beautiful wedding dress.

Photography: Weddings by Nicola & Glen | Cinematography: Mr And Mrs Productions | Event Planning: Planned for Perfection | Floral Design: Flowers By Passion | Wedding Dress: Amy Kuschel | Cake: Curtis And Co Cakes | Ceremony Venue: St. John The Evangelist Church | Reception Venue: The Manor House, Castle Combe | Bride's Shoes: Kate Spade | Makeup: Sophie Everett | Hair: Yvonne Del Greco From Dappa Hair | Band: Hot Stuff | String Quartet: Arcosanti Music | Charger Plates: Whitehouse Event Crockery | Veil: Vera Wang

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here
Romantic + Whimsical Georgian Era Wedding Inspiration

I’m urging you beautiful Brides out there to breathe in every ounce of utter beauty that follows and exhale your own inspired version in real wedding form. Whether it’s the mauve, buttermilk yellow, blush and coral palette that graces your day, the touch of whimsy Georgian Era style or the endless facets of charm infused in this shoot, it’s a role model muse in every way. Favorite, pin and share your hearts out because Zosia Zacharia has filled The Vault with her enticing imagery.

From Zosia Zacharia PhotographyOur shoot was inspired by the neo-classical venue, Parkstead House, built in the 1760s, located in south west London. Full of beautiful original features including its elegant plaster work indoors, a stunning double staircase outside, manicured grounds and neo-classical temple all of which provide the perfect back drop to any wedding.

With this we wanted our bride to embody the soft, whimsical, romantic look of the Georgian era. Soft flowing antique lace gowns from bridal dress designer Sally Lacock in styles Esme and Flora were paired with beautiful pairs of Rachel Simpson shoes in styles Victoria and Isabelle.

Make up artist Clare created a modern twist on the traditional English rose look for our bride by pairing dusty pink lips with a smoky gold eye with lashings of black mascara to give a more glamorous feel. Clare created a loose up-do and used delicate hand made hair-pieces to finish the look loaned by Abby of Cherished Bride.

Florist Kate created a modern trailing bouquet featuring Jasmine flowers, Sweetpeas, colourful Caramel Antike and Café Latte English roses, Dahlias and Astrantia. Along with romantic buttonholes featuring English garden roses tied with hand dyed silk ribbon.

Krishanthi Armitt of Cakes by Krishanthi created a stunning 4 tier wedding cake with sugar flowers to reflect the over all botanical theme. Krishanthi created a pale pastel blue icing as a base with a silver trellis design and hand crafted delicate sugar flowers in the style of trailing Clematis flowers & sweet peas. She also created co-ordinating cup cakes with silver trellis style holders and matching sugar flowers.

Our groom wore a romantic buttonhole and looked rather dapper in a tailored navy blue, fine pinstripe wool, 3 piece suit from bespoke tailors Marc Wallace.

Modern calligrapher Judy created a delicate invitation suite featuring white ink lettering on soft grey card finished with botanical theme stamps. Metallic silver was used as a high light colour for trailing botanical design invitation liners and a family crest threaded with beautiful organic, hand-dyed ribbon from Lancaster & Cornish.

For the reception tablescape wedding planner Rachael matched white linen and elegant bone china with antique silver cutlery & silverware, creating a simple backdrop to the colourful floral display which included extending trailing Jasmine along the length of the table, intertwined between antique silver candle sticks & tea lights. The tablescape was made completed with modern calligraphed placecards and luxurious leather Louis chairs provided by Academy Hire.

Photography: Zosia Zacharia Photography | Event Planning: Serendipity Weddings | Floral Design: Kate Alban Davies Floral Design | Wedding Dress: Sally Lacock | Cake: Cakes by Krishanthi | Bride's Shoes: Rachel Simpson | Makeup: Clare Pinkney | Calligraphy: Judy Broad Calligraphy | Groom's Attire: Marcwallace.com | Venue: Parkstead House | Film Processing: UK Film Lab | Furniture Hire: Christopher Boot | Hair Accessories: Cherished Vintage | Model: Irina Sosnova | Model: Irina Sosnova | Ribbon: Lancaster And Cornish

Travel Inspired Summer Wedding at Chelsea Physic Garden

Hidden away from the urban rush of London, this secret garden venue was the perfect place to host these two lovebirds’ blissful bash. Knot & Pop took their love and interest in all things travel, Colonial India and Edwardiana and created a unique celebration, with Pete Cranston capturing it all with some help from Gary Didsbury. Slip away into this fabulous fairytale with every pic right here!

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From Knot & Pop… Hannah and Derrick opted for the stunning natural surrounds of Chelsea Physic Garden in London for their wedding celebrations.

Wanting a day that was welcoming and inviting for all their guests, the couple opted for the venue with its secret garden feel, a hidden oasis in the heart of London. Beautiful and serene, they very much wanted a day where people could enjoy the great outdoors, relax and have fun.

The couple contacted us (UK wedding planners, Knot & Pop) having booked the church and reception venues but with just four months to go to the wedding date, needing a trusted and urgent help in hand to get invitations underway, theme and scheme set and all other suppliers booked.

With the bride’s love of E.M.Forster and the couple’s shared love of travel, Knot & Pop developed a wedding design that played to their passions, and set the tone for a unique and memorable day.

Having courted in India, the theme mixed in a sense of wanderlust, Colonial India and Edwardiana. From the Karma Kabs (Vintage Indian Ambassador cars) to the elephant motifs on invite and props throughout, and the vintage suitcases and trunks as coffee tables in lounge areas, the scene was set with not a detail over-looked. The table plan saw custom-made postcards with the couple’s’ initials as stamps, guiding guests to their table, with each named after a different place they had visited, and further showed their showed love of travel, culture and adventure. Little luggage tags were attached on peach ribbon for place cards, with gold bells, asking guests to ring them as the couple entered the marquee as Mr & Mrs. It was a lovely and treasured moment for Hannah and Derrick entering to the sound of everyone ringing the bells!

Guests dined on round tables with the top table as a banquet table, lined with tapered peach and coral candles on brassy gold candlesticks, with ornate brass filigree lanterns placed behind them for a beautiful backdrop.

The flowers mixed David Austin roses with dahlias,
 lisianthus,
 white ohara rose, eremurus,
 blushing bride hydrangea and trailing green amaranthus to name a few. Knot & Pop got the florist to create floral chandeliers that acted as a real focus point in the marquee, with garlands hanging over the dancefloor that looked beautiful.

With a photo booth to capture all the guests before they sat for dinner, a roaming artist drawing through the day and a great swing band and swing lesson taking place to get everyone on the dance floor – and a few, delicious bespoke cocktails to help fuel them – the guests, Bride, and Groom had the most magical of days in the most beautiful of settings in the heart of London. A hidden gem, for a gem of a couple.

Photography: Pete Cranston | Event Planning: Knot & Pop | Floral Design: Bo Boutique | Invitations: BerinMade Designs Limited | Catering: Rocket | Wedding Venue: Chelsea Physic Garden | Custom Props: Knot & Pop | Marquee: Claremount | Photography - Assistance: Gary Didsbury

Achingly Romantic Inspiration Shoot Inspired by “The Love Letter”

Inspired by the story of a girl from a rural Italian village who falls in love with a British boy who writes her a love letter every single day they are apart, this stunning shoot from Cecelina Photography is straight out of a fairy tale. Set on the grounds of the historic and endlessly charming Almonry Barn in Somerset, the full gallery of pretty from this inspiration shoot will have any fan of pure romance weak in the knees.

 

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From Cecelina PhotographyThe story behind ‘The Love Letter’ as imaged by the styling team: A girl from a rural Italian village meets an English boy and falls in love. They have been away from each other for the last month and Anthony has posted Olivia a love letter every day, to let her know he adores her and can’t wait to marry her. On the morning of the wedding, the day begins with Olivia sitting in the shade of the tree in the orchard, having quiet time for herself and pouring over the last letter from Anthony. A handmade lace robe, soft fabric, tulle and her details sets the scene while the wind softly rustles in the trees.

Photographed by Cecelina Photography; this Italian inspired styled shoot was dreamed up by Belle and Beau Photography and Naomi Kenton for their A Beautiful Way Workshop this summer. The rustic details of Almonry Barn in Somerset gives a hint of destination weddings; particularly in Italy with it’s gardens, light and fresh food. Soft colours and the wedding dress made specifically for this shoot by Lady Evelyn gives a touch of softness and luxury, interpreted in this fine art photography. The Rose Shed created the rustic flowers with ribbon from Lancaster And Cornish and the styling team creating two different looks for Olivia in her grey wedding dress.

Photography: Cecelina Photography | Floral Design: The Rose Shed | Stationery: Gemma Milly | Bride's Shoes: Harriet Wilde | Make Up: The Barn | Hair Stylist: Louise Alway | Wedding Venue: Almonry Barn Wedding Venue | Mentor: Belle and Beau Fine Art Photography | Mentor: Naomi Kenton Photography | Model: Rachael Hayton | Ribbon: Lancaster And Cornish | Wedding Gown & Accessories: Lady Evelyn | Workshop: A Beautiful Way

Elegant English Hindu Wedding

Awash in some of the most beautiful details you will ever see, this stunning affair is the definition of wedding perfection.  From the breathtaking ceremonies in honor of both the bride and groom’s heritage to the jaw-dropping locale, also known as the Ardington House.  Head to The Vault for even more cultural pretty captured by Peachey Photography and prepare to be wowed.

From Peachey Photography… Danny’s family is Chinese, Anneka’s family is Indian, but they both grew up in England and wanted to celebrate all three cultures in their wedding celebration. In the morning a traditional Hindu ceremony was held, with all the beautiful colours and symbolism that it involves. Their outfits were both handmade by a tiny boutique in Surat, India, and fire, sweet treats and blessing ensued. Music and rose petal confetti led them out on to the lawns for drinks and some beautiful canapes, including hand-carved watermelon sculptures.

Following that, they changed from their Indian attire into a simple, sylish white bridal gown, designed by Augusta Jones, and a dapper dark Hugo Boss suit. Their guests took their seats on Temple Island, the small island nestled in the lake of Ardington House, and watched the English ceremony unfold, under an ancient stone temple adorned with flowers.

Once married a second time, they led their guests across the bridge for more music and food and a traditional Chinese tea ceremony took place for both families, where closest elder family members are served tea by the bride and groom. Dinner and lots of dancing followed and the day was the perfect fusion of ancient traditions from three very different cultures.

Photography: Peachey Photography | Wedding Planner: Table Attire | Floral Design: Flower Ardington | Wedding Dress: Augusta Jones | Catering: More | Groom's Attire: Hugo Boss | Bridal Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bride's Indian Outfit: Vivaah Sarees | Groom's Indian Outifit: Church Of Evangelical Faith | Hair & Make-up : Tammi Nguyen | Photography - Assistance: Kate From Depict | Stately Home: Ardington House

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Spring Inspired Rustic Chic UK Wedding

Have you ever seen a happier Bride? She is absolutely beaming and her energy is contagious – which is why I’m really loving this wedding this Monday morning. Sarah-Jane Ethan, with assistance by Matt Ethan, captured that love in each and every one of their pics and this bash might be the best start-of-the-week motivator yet. Get your daily dose of joy right this way!

From the Bride… Aaron and I met through a friend when we were 18 and have been together ever since. Aaron really surprised me by proposing three years ago this September in Hyde Park, London where we were living at the time. It was May so I have always wanted to get married in May! My main inspiration for the day was Spring since I love flowers and the huge range of colours you see that time of year. That’s why I went big, bright and beautiful as my theme!

It took me a while to choose my dress! I loved trying on all different styles and I found as I went along, that the style I thought I wanted totally changed! I finally found “the one,” Forsythia by Susan Neville at The White Room in Sheffield. It was the perfect dress for me, essentially two dresses in one! I loved the tight, organza, floor length detail with tulle train, more like an accessory, clipped on around the waist. I removed it for the evening reception so I could party all night!

My accessories were easy. I was given my grandmas pearl earrings and bracelet to wear on the day (something old and borrowed!) and as for my hair, I didn’t always want a veil but as soon as I tried one on I knew I had to get one! So if you feel like you don’t want a veil, I would still try one on just in case!

I waited until I’d picked my dress to get my shoes and that was an easy choice too. I went for classic Jimmy Choo’s in a champagne/silver color. I got a sample of my dress which was so handy with all the planning.

We got married at The Coniston Hotel, North Yorkshire. The most important thing for our wedding was to make sure we had a relaxed and fun atmosphere! The Coniston was the first venue we looked at and instantly fell in love with it. The views were amazing and romantic (and perfect for all weather conditions).

We chose Sarah Jane Ethan as our photographer. I came across SJ’s website after surfing the Internet for weeks trying to find a photographer whose pictures I liked and thought would be right to capture mine and Aaron’s big day! I am so happy I came across Sarah and her husband Matt! From start to finish SJ was amazing and so helpful! We had a lot of guests so we decided to have a second photographer, SJ’s husband! You can really tell Sarah and Matt love what they do and their pictures definitely reflect that! They made everyone feel so relaxed and at ease in front of the camera. Sarah and Matt really blended in with the wedding party and just enjoyed themselves which means myself and Aaron have amazing photos to remember our day! We even got an extra special gift from Matt which was a beautiful short film of our couple’s shoot.

With music being a big part of Aaron’s life I wanted it to be a big part of our day! We chose an acoustic guitarist to play some of our favourite dance songs during the ceremony with the exception of My Sarah by Thin Lizzy, which was played as I walked down the aisle with my dad. During the drinks reception we had a jazz duo (keys and Saxophone) which complemented the elated post-ceremony atmosphere perfectly!

Being a dancer I didn’t want any excuses for people not hitting the dance floor so I put together a basket of flip flops (dancing shoes) for all my guests to throw on!

I handmade my table plan with the help of my dad. Knowing I would want to save as many keepsakes as I could from the day, I styled the table plan with the intention of making it a feature in our new home. Hence why the picture frames used on the tables are now hanging in our hallway!

I also made Midnight snack bags for all our guests – everybody loves a party bag!

Myself and Aaron have been together for nine years so I wanted to share some of our favourite moments on a timeline of intimate Polaroids! (The pegs were just for fun…..and practical!!)

For the favours we used cinnamon vodka in personalised mini bottles to give the tables a bit of extra sparkle and ours guest a ‘flavoured’ favour which conveniently doubled up as place cards!

My favourite part of the day was marrying my best friend and seeing all our closest friends and family enjoying our moment with us. And my advice to any couple still planning their big day is enjoy every minute and try not to worry about the little things.

Photography: Sarah-Jane Ethan Photography | Videography: Yorkshire Wedding Video | Floral Design: Green House Florist | Wedding Dress: Suzanne Neville | Cake: Cupcakes By Katie | Make-up: Cakes To Di For | Make-up: Danielle Daynes | Hair: Ark- I- Tek | DJ: Dance Floor Couture | Wedding Venue: Coniston Hotel | Bridal Boutique: Frankie By Stephanie Allin | Bridal Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Event Decor: Aaron Roberts | Ice-Cream Cart: Ice Dream | Music: Craig Smith Music | Photobooth: Booth Revolution | Photography - Assistance: Matt Ethan | Skin & Beauty: Cakes To Di For

Charming, Rustic Country Wedding at the Linthwaite House

Charming, sweet and oh-so beautiful this lakeside wedding at the Linthwaite House is as darling as they come. With perfectly placed details dreamt up by this gorgeous Bride alongside the loveliest florals from Valerie Ann’s Florist, every image snapped up by Sarah-Jane Ethan is frame-worthy to say the very least. See them all here.


From The Bride Vicky…Darren & I met in May 2011 on a night out in Manchester. We owe it to Darren’s friend who initially made the move to speak to me and my sister but was told quickly by my sister that she was already married, but that I was single….. and Darren quickly swooped in!! We haven’t been apart since! Love at first sight for me :) Although, I did think his name was Gareth for the first four weeks of dating….

We got engaged in September 2013…..My friend asked me if I was free one Thursday evening after work to meet for some dinner. We arranged to meet at the Hilton hotel in Manchester (where she was staying that night for work). I arrived and she text me to say she wasn’t quite ready yet so to come up to her room. I knocked on the door and to my surprise Darren answered….stood in a suit, the room filled with candles, white roses, champagne and chocolate. Obviously in shock all I could say was…..well where is Charlotte!! He quickly told me that she was clearly not here and that he had arranged things with her so that he could surprise me (knowing what I’m like he knew most other ways I would find out!) and that he had something to ask me…..and down on one knee he went with a beautiful ring! Complete shock and excitement! He had brought a dress for me to change into and had booked a restaurant and a cocktail bar to celebrate. It was perfect :)

For the wedding, our idea was to keep things simple. We wanted a small wedding with our closest family and friends and we didn’t want anything too…fussy. It was to be a spring wedding so we wanted to keep things light, fresh and with a slight vintage/country feel. I used Pinterest for a lot of our inspiration and this made me realise we wanted a pale pallet of colours (ivory, grey, light pinks, light yellow, light green) for everything from our stationary, to dresses, bunting, flowers and table decoration. Every bride needs Pinterest! I also signed up to a few wedding inspiration blogs like Style Me Pretty and a few facebook groups. I of course bought some wedding magazines and they did help as well and we always kept in mind what we wanted. I think looking back once it had all come together our wedding had a ‘Rustic Country’ feel.

I did a lot of research on Pinterest for my dress and knew I wanted something a little bit different. I liked ‘wow’ backs and initially wanted sleeves/high necks but as soon as I tried these on they didn’t suit me at all. I looked online at Berta dresses for inspiration and then just booked some appointments in with a few local stores who stocked designers I liked. I was stuck between two dresses in a shop called Puure Bridal in Lymm. I then went to try some at The Bridal Path, Altringham and they actually picked ‘The One’ out for me, I absolutely loved it instantly and got goose bumps when I tried it on! The dress had a lot of lace detail so I kept all my other accessories really simple, a plain diamond necklace borrowed from my sister, some plain diamond earrings and a small hairclip. My shoes were from Rainbow Club via John Lewis, and if you take them back after the wedding they will dye them black so you can wear them again!

We wanted to have a Lake District wedding as my Grandparents have a house in Windermere so we have spent many summers there and have a real love for the place. We love the countryside and we always wanted a small church wedding in a quiet area, so as soon as we saw St Peter’s Church, Field Broughton we knew it was perfect. I found Linthwaite House online and as soon as we went to visit, we fell in love! It is so peaceful and welcoming yet so luxurious! Kate (Linthwaite’s wedding planner) was so helpful so we booked it without really looking elsewhere. We booked Linthwaite on an exclusive use basis which meant we had the place to ourselves which made it feel like a huge house party and so relaxed! (Especially whilst the whole wedding party was doing ‘The Love Train’ through the house in the evening!)

My favourite songs from the day were:
* Bridal Entrance: Kodaline, The One
* Bride & Groom Exit: Natalie Cole, This Will Be

We made our own table plan using a photograph of each person, we loved it and our guests were so thrilled! After the wedding we sent them their pictures with our thank you cards. My sister in law did all of our stationary from her small business ‘Love Those Prints’ which was great because it was completely bespoke and they were so beautiful. We also made up some sweetie bags for the evening which went down a treat!

We really struggled to find a photographer that looked like what we wanted……unstuffy, friendly and with light, vintage style photos. As soon as I came across SJ I instantly knew her photography style was exactly right for us. I could see from previous weddings she had captured some truly beautiful images, emotions and moments from the day, just what we wanted. As soon as SJ arrived on the day she was a breath of fresh air. She was friendly, calm and snapping away without being intrusive whatsoever. When we saw our pictures I cried, they brought back so many memories of the day and were beyond what we could ever have expected, we absolutely love them.

The highlights of the day for me was;

– The church ceremony, it was just beautiful, We absolutely loved it. Our venue was also so perfect, the wedding breakfast was gorgeous and the team were so helpful.
– I was in love with my dress!!
– We also loved that the wedding felt so intimate with all of our closest friends and family which meant we managed to spend time with everybody!
– The flowers were breath taking, I was so overwhelmed when the bouquets/button holes arrived, far better than we could ever have expected!
– Our photographs are incredible and capture the emotion of the day so well, we are so pleased with them.
– Our stationary, it was bespoke and exactly what we wanted
– Pretty much everything we loved!!!

My advice to any couple still planning their big day is;

– Don’t invite people that you don’t want to invite, its your day, be surrounded by people you love!
– Keep things simple, you might not need chair covers (for example) so don’t get them just because that’s what you think you’re ‘meant to do’! And don’t do/have things just because you’re ‘meant to’….have what you want :)
– Do pay attention to the little details because they really do count!
– Make sure you get a really good photographer, the pictures are so important after the day as they help you remember everything and a good photographer will capture the emotion which makes the pictures so special!
– Be organised, so that the week before and on the day, you can relax and enjoy it all.
– Take time during the day to step back and take it all in, at different moments in the day, it will help you appreciate and remember it all
– Search eBay for things, some things are great quality and cheap! and try and use small businesses where possible too as you can get more personalised/quality items :)
– Enjoy it!!

Photography: Sarah-Jane Ethan Photography | Videographer: Philip White | Floral Design: Valerie Ann's Florist | Wedding Dress: The Bridal Path | Ceremony Venue: St.Peter's Church | Reception Venue: Linthwaite House | Rings: Ernest Jones | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Ted Baker | Make Up: Danielle Entwhistle | Groom's Attire: Reiss | Groomsmen's Attire: Marks And Spencer | Beatrix Potter Biscuits: Notting Hill Boutique & Icing Café | Bridal Party Robes: Etsy | Bridal Shoes: Rainbow Club | Bunting: Oh No Rachio | Flower Girl Headband: Monsoon | Flower Girl's Dresses: River Island | Gingerbread Favours: The Grasmere Gingerbread Shop | Glitter Feathers: Oh No Rachio | Honeymoon: Lux Belle Mare - Mauritius | Singer: Kyle Parry | Stationery & Prints: Oh No Rachio | Wedding Car: Rolls Royce Wraith

Abby Capalbo

Design, Styling, Parties
Chic Black Tie England Wedding

Some of our favorite weddings are indoor beauties like this one, where the evening glow is fueled by elegant taper candles and the walls soak in the laughter of the crowd. Each artful image from Ashlee Taylor radiates that vibe so beautifully, my heart aches with joy at the sight of this gallery.

From Ashlee TaylorErin my sweet Canadian born bride and ever so talented Floral Designer and Stylist approached me months before the wedding after following my work for a while seeking wedding photography. As we met over the months and she shared her ideas with me I knew her wedding would be beautiful!

She had a chic and eclectic look planed for her wedding and spent months gathering various candle sticks and vases to adorn her venue with. With the help of some florist friends she decorated her wedding venues, bouquets and button holes. We chose the gardens of Kilver Court to take a majority of portraits in the stunning spring gardens with bountiful magnolia flowers which suited Erin down to a tea!

Her dashing Groom, Greg, wore a mix of Hugo Boss and Ted Baker in a modern black tie which blended perfectly in cocktail hour. They sipped signature cocktails on arrival and sipped champagne from the most darling glasses during speeches. Erin added Canadian touches by serving poutine as they danced the night away!

From The Bride…We knew we wanted Ashlee to photograph our wedding as soon as we saw her work. The way she captures light, and her stunning eye for details is absolutely perfect. Working with her was a dream! Having Ashlee in the room while getting ready was a lovely calming presence. And her and Fay were flawless at blending in with our guests. Our photos turned out better than we could have imagined!

Photography: Ashlee Taylor | Event Design: Erin Trezise | Floral Design: Erin Trezise | Wedding Dress: Charlie Brear | Stationery: Emily&Jo Stationery Design | Ceremony Venue: Kilver Court | Reception Venue: At The Chapel, Bruton | Groom's Attire: Ted Baker | Bride's Accessories: Charlie Brear | Bride's Accessories: Cat Bird

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Romantic Garden Wedding

I live for weddings like this.  Soft and sweet, it’s boasting the prettiest of blooms crafted by Blush Floral Design, stunning images from Kylee Yee and a vibe that is equal parts classic and garden wedding.  In other words?  It’s the definition of romance, with a UK setting that is straight from a Jane Austen novel (truly).  Soak it all in the full gallery, then head to The Vault for even more garden pretties.

From The Bride… Neil and I got engaged over the Easter break in 2014 in St Andrews. The wedding planning started quite soon after, although I was determined to stay chilled out about the process so we gave ourselves a year to get organised. We had quite a clear idea of how we wanted the day to go – for it to be pretty relaxed but good fun, and all in one venue.

As soon as we saw the Northbrook Park we knew it would be perfect as it had lots of space, beautiful gardens (in case we got lucky with the sun), cottages for guests to stay over and a separate room for the wedding ceremony and reception. The Vine room is beautiful, so I didn’t feel like I’d miss out on not having a church ceremony.

We had all of the big things arranged quite quickly like the venue, caterers, ceilidh band and photographer, then we were able to relax for a while until it all got a bit closer. The final pieces felt like they fell into place quite effortlessly.  I didn’t have a colour theme as such, but Bex at Blush Floral Designs managed to interpret my ideas perfectly so that the flowers were beautiful on the day. Neil chose his kilt early on and my bridesmaids tried on one dress and it was perfect for all of them… I took a few more attempts but when I tried on my dress at Blackburn Bridal (designed by the owner Russell), I knew it was the one!

We were very lucky to get a lot of help from family and friends, especially both sets of parents. My friend Libby designed our lovely stationery and another friend, Tash, was on hand to sort hair on the day. My mum arranged the cake as a surprise and it was beautiful.

I thought I had jinxed us with the weather by buying a few garden games but, although the morning looked grey and miserable, the sun shined all afternoon. The day was better than we ever could have hoped, it ran so smoothly thanks to Caper and Berry and Kylee captured the day perfectly. I just wish we could do it all over again!

Photography: Kylee Yee | Floral Design: Blush Floral Design | Wedding Dress: Blackburn Bridal | Invitations: Libby McMullin | Shoes: Debenhams | Bridesmaids' Dresses: House of Fraser | Catering: Caper & Berry | Make up: Stephie Hoyle | Hair: Jamie Stevens Hair | Band: Licence to Ceilidh | Venue: Northbrook Park | Grooms Kilt: House of Henderson | Photobooth: Rent a Booth

Romantic Spring English Country Club Wedding

Is it just me or is the English countryside an absolute hidden gem!? I think Anushe Low would agree, for as I gazed upon her photos of this spring celebration, I was transported away to another world, filled with blush roses and beautiful light. These lovebirds said their vows surrounded by this beauty and this gorgeous gallery is my new sparkling source for a little pretty pick-me-up.

From Anushe Low… Siobhan and Tom celebrated their wedding day in the beautiful English countryside at the luxury hotel and spa, The Grove. 385 Guests enjoyed the warm May sunshine in the manicured gardens and pools of this country club venue with stunning views of the rolling green hills of Hertfordshire beyond.

Siobhan looked absolutely stunning in a version of the Bluebell wedding dress by Temperley London with a chic layered skirt and an exquisite lace bodice. She wore nude suede Mermaid sandals by Sergio Rossi embellished with crystals. Siobhan’s six bridesmaids looked angelic all in white Temperley London halterneck, empire-line dresses. The groom and groomsmen all wore black tie made by Harris and Howard’s bespoke tailoring.

Beautiful, soft romantic pinks and creams dominated the floral design by Wild at Heart with dramatic roses and hydrangea displays in over-sized silver vases and large pink and cream peonies and roses in the bridal bouquets. The wedding design was given a contemporary edge with the clear perspex invitation ‘cards’, clear glass plates, perspex candle stands and perspex chairs.

The soft pink florals continued in the cake design by Crowthers Cake Studio with a 6-tier cake adorned with sugar roses in an asymmetrical style.

The ceremony took place in an open-sided white marquee on the grounds of The Grove. The bride walked down the aisle to a string quartet. Guest enjoyed delicious canapés and flowing champagne outdoors following which they found their heart-shaped pink escort cards hanging from white ribbons on a row of small trees lining the reception room. The wedding meal was lit by an abundance of romantic white candles whilst guests enjoyed a three-course meal with coffee and petit fours.

The bride and groom opened the dancefloor to Aretha Franklin’s ‘You Send Me’ and the party really got going with an energetic Irish band who kept the dancefloor full all night!

Photography: Anushe Low | Floral Design: Wild At Heart | Wedding Dress: Temperley London | Cake: Crowthers Cake Studio | Invitations: Cutture | Shoes: Sergio Rossi | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Temperley London | Makeup Artist: Sophie Freeman | Groom's Attire: Harris & Howard | Wedding Venue: The Grove, Luxury Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort | Heart Place Cards: Cutture

Rustic Newton Hall Wedding in Coastal Northumberland

Owning a wedding dress shop no doubt helped this Bride pick her dress in no time—a gorgeous full-lace Charlie Brear creation! Add in the quirky charm of Newton Hall, fitting perfectly with the couple’s personal touches (dinosaur centerpiece planters!) and we have a beautifully captured celebration, thanks to Sarah-Jane Ethan. Get whisked away with the full gallery right here!

From the beautiful Bride… We met during Christmas 2012 after two mutual friends set us up on a blind date!! Apparently, we would ‘get on really well… turns out they were right!

Ten months later, on a trip to beautiful Lake Garda in Italy, Dave proposed at the feet of the Madonna statue, on a hill overlooking the town of Malcesine, at sunset. We were the only two there and I was completely swept off my feet!!! And so the planning began….

We knew we wanted a relaxed wedding with lots of natural touches. I had seen an image of some flower centerpieces that used natural logs as vases – it was the first picture I saved and the theme took a natural course from there.

Having owned a wedding dress shop for over 5 years (I’ve since sold on the business), choosing my dress was probably the easiest bit – believe it or not! Over the years I had found out what shapes suited me and what didn’t, so could narrow styles down quite quickly. I wanted something with a vintage feel but that would still flatter my 5’2″ frame. My full-lace, Charlie Brear dress ticked every box! I also bought two separate tops to wear with it that would give me three slightly different looks for throughout the day! I had always wanted to wear a veil so I knew that was also a must but I kept the veil quite simple so that it didn’t over power the dress. My headpiece was a Richard Designs side tiara that added some vintage sparkle to the over all look.

We hadn’t been looking for too long until we stumbled upon Newton Hall, on the beautiful coastline of Northumberland. The North East being Dave’s home and both of my parents birthplace – it seemed the most natural choice. It had the rustic charm we were looking for, coupled with quirky, fantastical decoration – we booked it over the phone before we had even been for a visit!!

Both being Beatles fans, we had a piano version of ‘Let It Be’ for me and my brothers to walk down the aisle too. We walked out to ‘All You Need Is Love’ and Dave gave each of the groomsmen a guitar brooch to wear in tribute to his love of all things music!! We stuck with tradition for the vows but Dave’s usher read a poem called ‘The Lovely Other Dinosaur’ by Edward Monkton that seemed to sum us both up perfectly!! The poem also complemented the handmade dinosaur planters used along with the centerpieces, that I spent far too much time on!!!

As tribute to my Dad, my mum gave me a vintage brooch with a picture of him inside to attach to my bouquet, so I still felt like he was there in spirit.

We struggled to find the groomsmen ties to match the bridesmaid dresses so my amazing mum took it upon herself to hand crochet individual ties for them all! They loved them and have all worn them since! She also handmade button bouquets for all my flower girls, that they could also keep as mementos of the day.

All of the logs for the table centers were provided by close family friends and we stenciled the plinths for them to sit on ourselves.

It would be very hard to pin down just one thing we were pleased about- the whole day was a dream from start to finish!! Seeing all the individual elements come together is something that you can’t quite believe will work until you see it!! From seeing the room set up with all the flowers for the first time to watching all our close family and friends smiling and dancing to our amazing live band – to us, it was perfect!

To anybody still planning their big day – try to enjoy it! Try to make it personal to you and don’t just follow the crowd and do what you think people want you to do. If you want to add Star Wars figures into your centerpieces instead of flowers – do it!! (I wish I had!) It will show off your personalities and put a smile on other peoples faces!

For our photographer we chose SJ, the reasons will be hard to sum up in a few words!! She was amazing!! We wanted photographs that would capture the spirit of the day, were very natural and above all, weren’t ‘set-up’. We fell in love with the natural light images she produces. She captures moments in the day that you may not have even noticed – a happy tear, a loving glance, a far-away thought. Add to that the fact that she is the happiest, smiliest person ever put on this planet and you have the best photographer!! Her photos are as genuine and full of joy as she is and we couldn’t have asked for more – the photos speak for themselves.

Photography: Sarah-Jane Ethan Photography | Floral Design: Katherine Florists | Wedding Dress: Charlie Brear | Cake: Baked Cupcakery | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Two Birds | Make-up : KF Make-up | Hair: Lisa Cameron | Band: Grooveallstars | Groom's Attire: Victor Valentine | Wedding Venue: Newton Hall | Chair Covers: The Finishing Touch Company | Flower Girls : Monsoon | Luminated Letters: Coco Luminaire | Ushers: Next | Veil & Tiara: Richard Designs | Wedding Acessories: Lola Bridal

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French sparkle inspired Baby Shower

The unexpected details of this shower crafted by The Wedding Stylist make for an outdoor party that literally sparkles. From golden pineapples to flower crown making by Floribunda Rose, glitter giraffes and sparkling cakes; it’s a beautiful backyard celebration all for a little bébé on the way. See the whole shindig captured by Barefoot Brunettes right here.

After styling her wedding the year before, my gorgeous friend Gemma asked me to add my helping hand to planning & styling her first Baby Shower with her family. It was based around her love of sparkle, giraffes with a little nod to her time living in Paris. Gemma owns Gemma Milly Illustration, a fine art wedding stationary company, so I knew she would love detail, glitter and overall beautiful moments. It was important to make sure everything was close to Gemma’s heart and her wonderful sister in law, Maree, designed her pink toned invitation which was sent out to each guest with bespoke handmade confetti.

I knew how much Gemma loves Giraffes and especially since her husband, Tom & Gemma have decided to wait to find out the gender of their baby the shower was all about Gemma’s favourite things so giraffes became a little side running theme.

For the overall style, there was glittery animals, hand cut gold glitter banners, a stunning floral crown making station and lashings of beautiful English sunshine in her parents back garden. We even decorated one of Gemma’s favorite drinks, Fentimans Rose Lemonade with G’s & Giraffe decals by With Love from Josie.

Brunch was handled by Gemma’s wonderful mother, with a feast of bacon, eggs, pancakes and fresh fruit. All the guests delighted in a relaxed outdoors whilst chowing down before hitting the “sucre” table for the sweet treats. I had bespoke cookies designed for the shower, one of Gemma’s favourite cookie makers, Honeywell Bakes along with gold leafed chocolate lollipops & pyramids by Pink Sugar works. Maree struck again making the most wonderful main cake for Gemma to cut.

There were a few games such as “who’s that bebe?” where guests brought along a baby photo of themselves for Gemma to guess who was who! but the main activity was a beautiful Floral Crown making station manned by the ever wonderful Sarah of Floribunda Rose. She stayed for the entire event helping and teaching the guests how to create their own floral crown as well as creating Gemma her very own one to wear for the day.

Photographed by the wonderful Tamryn Henn of Barefoot Brunettes, she whizzed around capturing all the beautiful golden pineapples, hanging lanterns and floral crown making in action. She was such a wonder to have around, seriously relaxed and a joy to celebrate with Gemma.

Gemma had dreamt of a beautifully relaxed, yummy day and the result was this joyous, sparkly occasion celebrating her and her growing bump!

Photography: Barefoot Brunettes | Florals: Floribunda Rose | Biscuits: Honeywell Bakes | Chocolate Lollipops & Pyramids: Pink Sugar Works | Glittery Banners & Decals: With Love From Josie | Hanging Lanterns: Lantern Lights | Stylist: The Wedding Stylist

Whimsical English Country Spring Wedding

I’m downright jealous of the lucky guests at this English countryside wedding; they were transported to a magical world created by White Wedding Company when they attended this enchanting celebration captured by Helen Russell. Get those Pinterest boards ready m’dears, we got a whole lot of goodies right this way!

From Sue White of White Wedding Company… Working with Rachael and Marcus was a wedding planner’s dream – they had chosen one of the most beautiful private stately homes in North Yorkshire for their wedding reception and had planned a multitude of personal and very special touches to their day and evening – it was just up to me to bring everything together and make their day perfect.

Their day started with a military church ceremony – Marcus is in the RAF and they had a military guard of honour leaving church with guests throwing homemade confetti and a surprise from Rachael’s father of a lovingly restored Aston Martin DB5 to drive themselves to the reception! On route they went to visit Rachael’s beloved horse Desmond for photos throughout the day and evening with Helen Russell.

Arriving at Duncombe Park guests were greeted with Pimms or champagne (in vintage glasses) and canapés on the terrace to the sounds of a string quartet from Event Music Company. Croquet on the lawn was played and the stunning grounds were used for photos and guests mingling. When it was time for the wedding breakfast the saloon was decorated by Kirstie and Katy from Darling and Green with creams, white and golds using classic, seasonal English flowers of peonies, David Austin roses, white lilac, hydrangea, delphinium and herbs with a mix of foliage. Table favours for ladies were lavender hearts with M&R sewn on, the men had a miniature bottle of Sloe Gin from a local distillery and the children received a book “my day as a bridesmaid” with personalised colouring pencils.

After a fabulous meal and very entertaining speeches guests were taken on a surprise walk to a secret garden for the evening party!

Rachael and Marcus summed up their day as “truly magical with so many great moments.”

From the Bride… At the secret garden party in the evening the guests followed me along a tea light lit path through the woods into a sunken garden. Here they were greeted with an outdoor sitting room with a chandelier hanging in the tree above vintage sofas, coffee table on a rug and vintage accessories.

The tree had photo frames attached with our families wedding photos in. The surrounding trees and water features were lit with up lighters, pea lights and hanging jars with tea lights. Mark from AV Matrix supplied the lighting, it was magnificent and really finished off the magical atmosphere.

The guests then went on past the fountains through to the derelict garden room to be met with a cocktail in a tea cup, a mason jar or a milk bottle. In here was decorated with tea lights, ivy and fairy lights and lamp shades hanging from the ceiling, flowers in glass bottles and jam jars, vintage chairs and tables and old suitcases with stag and hen photos in them. This led into the marquee where we had the cocktail bar with the fire place and tea cups, hat stands, chests of draws, standing lamps, sofas and chaise longue and vintage trinkets to give a parlour atmosphere we had dreamed up in our planning.

We wanted the wedding to have soft vintage tones. My grandma used to always sing a song ‘when father painted the parlour’ which use to conjure up images of back in the day. I’ve always liked anything vintage with a story, old suitcases, teacups and pretty prints. Marcus’ uniform also leant to this perfectly.

On a visit to London we went to a bar call ‘Little Nans’ which was like stepping back in time and inspired our evening event. I drew up a scrappy drawing of a vintage Parlour and we set out to make it happen. We scoured antiques fairs and charity shops for nick-nacks and found a company in the Cotswolds to supply the furniture but it was too far for them to come. Luckily the flower ladies (Darling and Green) recommended Karen and Natalie who were just starting out with vintage wedding styling. The furniture and finishing touches and styling for the secret garden were supplied by Sweet Pea Events. They did a great job, the garden was transformed.

The only big thing left to finish it off was to find a bar. We searched for months for a suitable bar but everything was too modern, expensive or uninspiring and didn’t fit in with the old furniture so Marcus decided we were to build a bar ourselves. The week before the wedding we bought a Victorian fireplace in Horncastle, Lincolnshire; this was to be the focal point of the marque.

Between Marcus, his dad and my dad they built exactly what was in our heads. Thursday afternoon was spent wallpapering it and hanging picture. It couldn’t have been any better; it was perfect; just what we had envisaged.

During the warm. balmy evening (not always so in Yorkshire) guests danced to the 5 piece vintage band Victoriana, dressed up in the photo booth, ate from the Hog Roast and generally had a great time until 2am drinking cocktails and chilling out on the vintage furniture. Luckily Rachael had provided flip flops for the girls to dance in and pashminas when it grew chilly.

Photography: Helen Russell Photography | Event Planning: White Wedding Company (Yorkshire) | Floral Design: Darling And Green | Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero | Stationery: Ruby Shoes | Ceremony Venue: St. Nicholas Church | Reception Venue: Duncombe Park | Catering: Yorkshire Party Company | Bridal Boutique: The Harrogate Wedding Lounge | Bridesmaids And Flower Girl Dresses: Kate Fearnley | Decor And Props: Sweet Pea Events | Evening Band: Victoriana | Evening Reception Marquee: GCG Marquees | Lighting And AV: Av Matrix | Photo Booth: Booth Revolution | Reception Music: The Event Music Company

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Organic City Chic Wedding Inspiration

Organic elegance is a trend that has taken the wedding world by storm, and m’dears we are loving every. single. second. Understandably so, since it’s proven time and time again to be just plain lovely. Take this editorial as proof, with organic Lucy MacNicoll florals juxtapose against a lofted space, every detail Belle and Beau Fine Art Photography snapped delicate and deserves a peek!

From Belle And Beau Fine Art PhotographyThe shoot took place in the trendy loft space of Lamberts Yard, in the city of Leeds, UK.

In the first story, we used a mixture of blues and coppers with beautiful organic florals by Lucy MacNicoll to create a soft juxtaposition to the hard lines of the loft space. The beautiful Claire Pettibone dress and delicate silk ribbon by Lancaster and Cornish really helped to add a beautifully feminine touch.

The second story contained a beautiful fern theme, with a beautiful fern installation with gorgeous white florals to bring nature into the city and create a pretty balance between the two. We used strong pops of black with delicate white and green florals with a beautiful Jenny Packham dress.

Photography: Belle and Beau Fine Art Photography | Floral Design: Lucy MacNicoll Floral Design | Wedding Dress: Jenny Packham | Cake: Poppy Pickering | Stationery: BerinMade Designs Limited | Rings: Philip Stoner | Calligraphy : Gemma Milly | Hair and Make-up: Vicki Suddaby | Heart Lights: Typical Type | Loft Space: Lambert's Yard, Leeds, UK | Planning: Isla And Smith Wedding Design | Silk Ribbon: Lancaster And Cornish

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For membership information, click here