Jess and Mike's English summer wedding

Centrepiece dos and don’ts

Supplier myths

Why don’t MEN like weddings?

Venue review: Stoke Place

Welcome!

Thank you for picking up the English Wedding Bible - I hope you love what you see and find inspiration to help you plan, style and remember your best day ever. This is our second issue and I’m hugely proud of thelook and content of the magazine. Our fabulous contributors include wedding photographers, stylists, stationers and designers from all around the UK - they are some of the best and I’m hugely grateful to every lovely human who’s helped put issue 2 of the English Wedding Bible together!

Inside you’ll find ideas to help you style your big day as a couple, to keep your feet on the ground and build abeautiful wedding around the things you both love - to make your day individual and special, and truly personal for you both.

We have two brilliant competitions on pages 54 and 87, a handful of gorgeous editorial shoots full of styling ideas, and a couple of our favourite real weddings. Advice articles are a little tongue in cheek… page 26especially really made me think! One thing I’d love would be to see more grooms in wedding editorial over the summer months and in the next issue of our beloved Wedding Bible.

We’re planning a wonderful summer full of inspiring features, articles and real wedding stories to brighten and enlighten your wedding planning journey, so do stick around and read the English Wedding Blog wheneveryou can. Sign up for our new newsletter if you can - and follow me on instagram and facebook for sneak peeks, stories and more!

4Contents

3 Editor’s welcome

6 Jess & Mike’s relaxed summer wedding in Essex

13 Don’t say wedding! Supplier myths BUSTED

15 Affordable fine art wedding invitations

16 Head-turning wedding style from The Manor Barn

26 Why don’t men like weddings?

28 Country Luxe wedding ideas from Thurning Hall

38 Table centrepiece dos and don’ts

40 Alice & Sam’s intimate, unweddingy wedding at Hertford Castle

51 This summer’s 10 best wedding DIY ideas

54 WIN! “How to have a wedding as individual as you are”

56 Industrial Luxe

64 Meet the English Wedding Blog team - our sponsors

67 Wanderlust by Katya Katya London

78 Timeless spring bridal style

87 WIN! Tile Style Pro Series

88 A celebration of spring at That Amazing Place

98 Wedding venue review: Stoke Place, Buckinghamshire

104 Find suppliers - The English Wedding Directory

109 How to plan your wedding

111 Be in issue #3 of the English Wedding Bible!

Jess&Mike

Kathryn Hopkins Photography http://kathrynhopkinsphotography.co.uk

7The prettiest English summer wedding, with a beautiful ‘just picked’ cottage garden bouquet and carefully chosen, perfectly coordinated pastel shades. Jess & Mike celebrated with a reception in a marquee, giving a blank canvas to curate the style of their dreams. Mixed summer florals in recycled jars give pretty continuity and colour throughout, while the bare wood of trestle tables adds a rustic, relaxed ambiance to the day. Jess is just stunning in a La Sposa gown with adorable lace jacket, while Mike is relaxed and handsome in a petrol blue Ted Baker suit. Full credits and links to supplier websites on page 12.

Wedding Photographer - Kathryn Hopkins, Suffolk Jess’s dress - La Sposa from Burr Bridal, Cambridge // Jess’s shoes - Rachel Simpson Headdress Burr Bridal, Cambridge // Make up & Hair Zoe Cornwell Mike’s suit - Ted Baker Bridesmaid Dresses - Wtoo by Watters from Grace & Lace, Chelmsford Florist - Talking Flowers, Maldon // The Wedding Marquee Company Beer – The Maldon Brewing Company //Essex Hog Roast Tea & Coffee from The Rolling Bean Gorgeous VW camper from DipDubs

Don’t say wedding! 7 Supplier MythsB U S T E D!!!

I couldn’t count on all of my fingers and toes the number of times I’ve heard couples say “don’t tell them it’s for a wedding!”

Wedding suppliers get a bad rap sometimes, and often from the older generation. Let’s put the record straight, shall we? Here are 7 of the most repeated fallacies about wedding suppliers - and our answers to them!

1THE MYTH - You’ll be charged more for your cake / flowers / stationery if you say it’s for a wedding

THE TRUTH - Nope! Any of the above designers will charge the same rate regardless of the occasion. The only things that will put prices up are a tight deadline (or out of hours services required), a complex and more time-consuming order, or more expensive raw materials.

THE MYTH - You should buy everything for your wedding from dedicated wedding suppliers

THE TRUTH - Oh my goodness, you should feel free to shop around, have your friends and family chip in with their crafty or organisational talents, and buy things you love from anywhere you like! Don’t feel pressured to buy a dress from a bridal boutique if white isn’t your style. Find a bespoke designer, wear a dress that’s special to you for any reason at all… or explore wedding blogs for creative ideas to do things differently!

THE MYTH - You shouldn’t tell suppliers your budget for your dress / band / table plan

THE TRUTH - This always makes me smile. Dealing with wedding suppliers nowadays is a two way street. The most important thing is that you find someone to work with who you can trust. So if you go into a bridal shop and the attitude of the people who work there is a little off, walk away. If you don’t feel you can trust someone to know your budget and give you the best advice, find another supplier! The best will appreciate your honesty and work with you to find the most amazing solutions and save you money. 1

THE MYTH - You should use suppliers from your venue’s ‘recommended’ list

THE TRUTH - Oooh… not always, and here’s why: sometimes suppliers have to pay to be on that list, and very often lists are closed to new suppliers or have a waiting list to be included. So shop around. Choose suppliers whose look, attitude and expertise you love. It doesn’t matter if they’re officially recommended by your venue - and you should NEVER feel pressured by your venue to choose their recommended suppliers if they’re not quite what you were looking for.
 
 If you’re not sure, ask your venue if suppliers have to pay to be on their list. More and more venues are simply recommending folks based on positive experiences and word of mouth reviews these days - and we love that!

THE MYTH - Only bespoke products will make your wedding unique!

THE TRUTH - Every wedding is unique, and not for the ‘things’ you buy or the way you’ve styled your day. It’s the bride and groom which make weddings unique - their outlook, their story and the people they surround themselves with on their best day ever. So don’t feel you have to ask your stationer to adapt one of their designs - it will cost you extra. If your dress is just fine as it is, don’t feel obliged to ask for alterations to the style. I promise, once you’re wearing that beautiful gown you’ll look like it was made for you and only you.

THE MYTH - Wedding DIY and making your own stationery will save you money

THE TRUTH - Making your own wedding invitations and on the day stationery can be an immense drain on your time AND on your wedding budget. The only reason you should ever make your own wedding invitations is because you’re desperate to create something with your own four hands and love crafting. (In which case, go forth and enjoy with our heartfelt blessing!) While suppliers buy raw materials in bulk from wholesalers, you’ll be buying card blanks and the like from retailers - which costs more. In reality, the savings you make from DIYing your wedding stationery won’t add up to more than a couple of coffees - so it’s rarely worth the time unless you absolutely love making! j

THE MYTH - Photographers are way too expensive. Your friend can do that!

THE TRUTH - Unless your friend is a wedding photographer… no.
 
 Wedding photographers know the running order of a wedding and exactly where to be for that first glance down the aisle, when the kiss will happen, how to capture your vows and the moment you slip the ring on her finger in perfect lighting. They’ll know how to approach the vicar or registrar (and whether that particular officiant has a prickly side when it comes to photography). They’ll have a backup camera body, backup memory cards and they’ll know exactly how to use them and when. They’ll understand the venue and the lighting; they’ll know the best time of day to get couple shots. They’ll be great at getting everyone together for group shots without being bossy, awkward or embarrassed. They won’t be uncomfortable asking you to have a little smooch for your portrait photos - and neither will you! They’ll edit your pictures - beautifully. They’ll make sure nothing gets lost, or damaged, or forgotten. Cake cutting? Check. First dance? (and the equipment to capture quite tricky lighting conditions) Check. j

The times when wedding suppliers were faceless small businesses just out to make money from brides and grooms are behind us.

The industry has changed - and I can’t imagine a single scenario where a maker or wedding service provider would charge more for a wedding than for any other occasion!

Find suppliers you trust, and we’ll pull out all the stops to help you have your dream wedding!