And so to Wed Issue 7 - Summer 2016 by And so to Wed

And so to Wed ISSUE 7 SUMMER 2016

IN THIS ISSUE On the cover Rose Quartz Serenity Blue â&#x20AC;&#x201C; photography by Jane Beadnell full feature from pg 7

Articles 7 35 38 46

55 64

Rose Quartz Serenity Blue An Interview With Pamella Dunn The Midas Touch Fun, Classy & Unique Hen Party Themes Lilac & White How To Do The Best Girl Wedding Speech Ever Vintage Glam Snapchat Your Wedding

26 65

Love Boat Kirsty and Carl

80 82

Our Contributors Directory

49 54

Your weddings

The important bits

A word from the editor Happy Summer! I'm so excited that it's finally here, a beautiful season that is all about sunshine and happiness. As always at ASTW HQ, we've had a wonderfully busy and exciting few months. We are in the process of launching our sister site, And so to Baby, which we're super thrilled about. It will maintain our core values of being beautifully bespoke but will, of course, be all about babies. We have also had a vast amount of unique and stunning submissions which we can't wait to share with you to inspire your big day. Keep an eye on the blog over the next few months for truly one-of-a-kind real weddings, breathtaking photo shoots and fantastic, practical ideas. In our Summer Issue we're giving you a taste of some of the amazing small businesses out there in the UK working hard to make your day perfect. We have three photo shoots, all of which are sure to get your creative juices going and inspire elements of your own wedding day. We also have two beautiful real weddings, an interview with top wedding planner Pamella Dunn, 50 fabulously unique hen party themes and lots more. I hope you enjoy,

Louise x

Rose Quartz Serenity Blue A styled photo shoot from Betty Timbo and Pamella Dunn

Photography by Jane Beadnell

Behind the scenes - The shoot was inspired by this season's pantone colours of Rose Quartz and Serenity Blue. The team came together to sprinkle some wedding pretty in the spectacular rural landscape of Swinton Park. We wanted our fine art shoot to be chic, filled with vintage and couture bridal inspiration. Our aim was to inspire wedding couples whilst showcasing what small Yorkshire businesses have to offer. Betty Timbo, of Bespoke Vintage Castle, and Pamella Dunn, of Pamella Dunn Events, came up with the concept and scoured the region for the best in the business. Both Betty and Pamella worked hard to ensure that the styling and feel of the shoot was exactly as they had envisaged. With both women having an abundance of talent and creativity, it was a recipe for a truly inspirational and magical day. Plans to shoot in a Yurt began as we took inspiration from the glorious shimmering pink and blue tones seen across the Yorkshire skies during sunrise and sunset. The rustic setting and Yurt venue were not going down the usual festival wedding route, but instead would be stylish, glamorous and oh so sleek. Having a wide diversity of skills, interests and creative talents the And So to Wed collective all share one thing in common, we love what we do, creating bespoke and wonderful weddings for couples across the UK and this photo shoot encapsulates this.

Photography by Jane Beadnell

A word from the stylist 'Beginning a new design is always ridiculously exciting and nerve wracking in equal measure.' 'This Yurt project was to be no exception, it was going to be a new challenge for me. My style is elegant, glamorous and high fashion, I love fine art wedding styling but more than anything I love to design for the client. Outdoor rustic weddings are beautiful, and as a stylist and designer you get to work organically incorporating natural elements.' 'Taking inspiration from my travels where the sun always shines, I began the design by layering the styling from the simple rustic seating plan through to the lavish florals and over sized props. A fusion of organic pretty details, luxe fabric and florals, the Yurts were to be transformed into a chic event space where style and elegance nestled alongside the outdoor countryside elements. 'I considered the senses with the inclusion of wonderfully perfumed roses, the softest materials, flickering fragranced candles and the sweetest bon

bons in the serenity blue and rose quartz colour palette. Creating a blended atmosphere that worked with both a glamorous and yurt brief, whilst reflecting my style was important from the beginning.' 'Rustic outdoor weddings do not have to be low key or DIY. A design that includes luxury tableware and the most beautiful flowers is refreshing and aesthetically pleasing.' 'Creating a theme is the perfect opportunity to recreate your fondest childhood memories, with the huge gold star taking centre stage and working so well with the warm canvas glow inside the Yurt, the results were a wonderful extension of the usual designs.' 'My advice when creating your wedding style would be to follow your dreams, relive those fond moments and include the elements that make your heart sing. Planning a wedding is your opportunity to work with your stylist to create a design that tells your love story.' - Pamella Dunn

Photography by Jane Beadnell

Photography by Jane Beadnell

Love Boat Dave and Jo share their beautiful wedding day

Photography by Jane Beadnell

What a treat we have for you today. Dave and Jo share their beautiful rustic wedding that has the most amazing of settings, a fabulous steamer! With such breathtaking views and beautiful rustic details, you're sure to be inspired by this wonderful, water-set wedding. 'We are very fortunate to live near the beautiful lake Ullswater, we have spent a lot of time there together so it was the obvious location for our wedding. We had a humanist ceremony on a Victorian steamer boat on the lake. We were so privileged to say our vows in such a breathtaking setting and the pier made the perfect aisle! After the ceremony we enjoyed a lake cruise, with the Glenridding fells forming a dramatic backdrop for the photos.' 'The men wore chinos and waistcoats from Edinburgh tweed shop Walker Slater, finished with Lavender, Sea Holly and Rosemary buttonholes. I completed my wedding dress with a beautiful sequined bolero that I bought from a burlesque dancer on Etsy!' 'Our wedding cake was decorated by friends and four generations of our family. We had sugar craft sessions and made hundreds of beautiful sugar paste flowers and leaves. It meant a lot to have everyone come together and contribute to our wedding cake.' 'After the cruise we returned to Pooley Bridge, pausing for photos on the iconic 18th century bridge, which sadly collapsed in the recent Cumbrian floods. We had our reception at The Pooley Bridge Inn – a Swiss chalet style pub with a beautiful courtyard. We wanted an informal wedding breakfast and opted for

a ploughman's banquet with local produce, followed by plant pot cheesecakes for dessert.' 'Our wedding décor and styling were inspired by our love of nature and gardening. We grew our favourite flowers for the table decorations and buttonholes, including Lavender, Love-in-a-mist, Sweet Peas and Sea Holly. We foraged in our village hedgerows and made wild raspberry vodka favours and elderberry cordial. Our favourite element was the edible potting shed, filled with cakes, sweets and props inspired by gardening, including seedling cakes and jelly worms in edible soil! After dark we turned a wheelbarrow into a fire-pit for toasting marshmallows.' 'In the evening guests were entertained by an acoustic set from Annemarie Quinn and we had board games and table football for the (big!) kids. A late night cigar, pipe and whisky bar kept the men happy, complete with monocles and pocket watches. We ended the night with a sparkler sendoff – the perfect end to a perfect day!' 'Our advice to other couples would be to get creative and make and grow as much as you can – it’s much more personal and can save you a lot of money. The flowers were our biggest saving, seeds cost pennies – although picking flowers and making flower arrangements the day before the wedding was a little stressful! Know when to get some help, our very talented wedding stylist Emma Tebbey brought everything together on the day, meaning I had chance to unwind before the ceremony.'

Photography by Jane Beadnell

Photography by Jane Beadnell

AN INTERVIEW WITH

Pamella Dunn

What is your name of your company and where are you based? Pamella Dunn Events - Based in the beautiful county of Yorkshire in the North of England. What inspired you to go into business - when did it launch ? Launching in 2010 following a successful corporate career, my aim was to bring luxury weddings and events to everyone regardless of budget. Sharing my knowledge and planning experience to create thoughtful designs with maximum impact for our clients was the goal and remains the same today. Our timeless elegant wedding styling, opulent floral displays and an extensive Hire Collection of props and wedding day accessories available to rent are just some of the reasons our clients give us rave reviews. What do you enjoy most about your job? I love the creativity, that every client and event is completely bespoke, but most of all I love our clients! Falling in love, getting engaged and planning a wedding are the most magical times and I feel privileged to be part of that special time. Can you give an overview of the services your business offers? We offer Exclusive Wedding Planning for the time poor couple where an experienced Wedding Planner is vital, a Boutique Wedding Planning option for professional help when you really need it, Venue Search and Supplier Suggestion services to save clients hours of research, and On The Day Management to ensure the day runs to plan and is stress free for everyone. These services are alongside our Hire Collection of luxury props for the DIY wedding or event and our online store of gifts and wedding day details. Where do you get your daily dose of inspiration? I am addicted to Instagram for amazing imagery from across the globe. Travel is in my blood and my passion is for adventure and experiences. I love interior

design, it is one of my obsessions. You will see these influencing my design and styling ensuring the brand stays fresh, leading the way in wedding trends. What project was the most challenging or creative one that you have worked on? The most creative was a series of Disney inspired shoots to celebrate diversity in the wedding industry. Creating imagery to promote positive role models for young girls from all backgrounds was a challenge I was happy to accept. Set in stunning wedding venues, with some of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top wedding dress designers I designed and styled the set and backdrop for Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. You can see the full feature here: Nu Bride What do you love about the wedding industry? Everything â&#x20AC;Ś. Where do you see the business in the next few years? The business will continue to grow, offering clients throughout the UK and Internationally the personal planning, design and styling services, whilst the Hire Collection and store will bring a greater range of inspired wedding accessories, props and gifts. Which dream wedding would you like to feature on the blog? Every wedding has been a dream, I love them all! Last year our Valentine's Day wedding was a cool city chic affair in a beautiful art deco wedding venue. An absolute dream, it also featured our favourite David Austin country roses.

What are you looking forward to or are excited about for 2017? Next year will see us support even more couples planning their UK wedding from overseas and will see us travel for even more destination weddings. In 2016 we have taken our wedding consultations across the globe to reach our clients in New York, Greece and Ibiza as well as to the UAE visiting Dubai. With plans to visit India later this year I am really looking forward to even more wedding travel creating authentic, achingly beautiful wedding designs. What advice would you give to young couples? My advice would be take advantage of a complimentary consultation with an experienced wedding planner before you book anything. You will be amazed how far your budget can stretch, the professional services and vendors available to you and you will not believe the time you will save. What are your perfect wedding colour palettes? I adore white…. Just white with a hint of any colour. I love powdery hues and chalky pastels just as much as I love tropical lush greens and mixed metallics. But white is where my heart is and forms the basis for all my designs. What does your working day entail? First things first it’s coffee, really good coffee, a shower and choose an outfit to suit the day. Some days I’m in the office all day and I’ll dress with style and comfort in mind, and there will be days when it’s business meetings and client consultations all the way and be thinking stylish and professional. Keeping my finger on the pulse of all areas of the business usually means that at some point in each day, social media, marketing, Planning, PR, finance, client queries, emails, phone calls and research will feature. It’s hectic at times but it never feels like work I love everything about the wedding industry and sometimes I get to play with pretty flowers too. How do you unwind after a busy day? I find this the hardest part of running a successful business. Switching off, putting down my phone and enjoying good food, a gin and tonic, with friends and family is something I try and do as often as I can. In the summer months I love time in my garden, playing badminton and catching up with my favourite glossy. In the winter I travel to sunnier places as often as I can as I’m lucky enough to be able to work from my laptop, and when I’m home in the UK a cosy night in front of a roaring fire with a good book is my kind of heaven. Interview by Betty Timbo

The Midas Touch

A styled photo shoot from Desi Bride Dreams Wedding Planning and her team of fabulously talented wedding specialists

Photography by Joanne Withers

When I imagine a dream Asian wedding, glamour and luxury is always at the forefront of my mind. This opulent gold and glamorous shoot was inspired by my love of all things gold, luxurious and glamorous, which are synonymous with Asian weddings. I wanted to create a styled shoot which was authentic and original as well as showcasing something different for the Asian wedding industry. Therefore I wanted this shoot to be filled with all things chic, sequins and beautiful luxurious textures as well as showcasing two bridal looks through the beautiful bride. One Asian wedding look is vibrant and customary, and the second is modern and completely sultry. Because some Asian brides wish to be more modern, especially for their civil ceremony, I also wanted to incorporate a sultry look. The Este Couture gown that I selected was covered in beading and crystals that glimmered effortlessly in the space, especially in the candlelit shoot we did against the gorgeous mantelpiece in the evening. My love for styling and design meant that I had full creative control over the concept and I scoured the UK for the best wedding professionals in the industry.

I was ecstatic to have on board the renowned Ravita Pannu makeup artiste as well as Maz Events décor who are at the forefront of the Asian wedding industry. For this shoot, I thought it was incredibly important to showcase something that isn’t typical Asian bridal and I was so pleased to see what I had envisaged had come to life on the day, especially the two bridal looks we created which were complemented beautifully by Kyles collection jewellery and the fuchsia pink outfit which is not usually seen in the Asian wedding market. The venue that was selected was the prestigious Alrewas Hayes – a magnificent private estate venue located in Staffordshire. Whether a bride is traditional or modern, I believe all elegant Asian brides should host their dream soirees in spaces that are just as stylish. Maz Events created a tablescape that was highly unique and creative. Lush white roses and hydrangeas lined the gold sequined covered table, which was accented with marvellous gold chargers and mirror menus designed by Mani’s Creative Services. Orchids hung overhead on gold horns that anchored the table.

Photography by Joanne Withers

No matter the eventâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s style, I believe a beautiful venue serves to enhance the design. Your venue is your canvas, make it come alive with the palette and details that inspire your ideal Asian wedding day. My advice to all brides creating their wedding style would always be to follow your heart and create something that is unique to your love story.

With special thanks to: Wedding Planner and Coordination | Desi Bride Dreams Wedding Planning www.desibridedreamsplanning.co.uk Photography | Joanne Withers www.joannewithersphotography.co.uk Stationary | Mani's Creative Services www.manis-creative.co.uk Decor | Maz Events | www.mazevents.com Venue | Alrewas Hayes |www.alrewashayes.com Model | Mahi Sarna www.facebook.com/Officialmahisarna Makeup and Hair | Ravita Pannu Artiste & Senior Creative Hair Stylist | www.ravitapannuartiste.co.uk Cakes and Desserts | Custom Cake Boutique www.thecustomcakeboutique.com Stylist | Prits Gosal www.instagram.com/stylebypritsg Outfits | Este Couture | www.estecouture.com Jewellery | Kyles Collection www.kylescollection.com Floral Bouquets | Floral Creations by Reena www.floral-creation.com Cutlery | Vintage Gold China www.vintagegoldchina.co.uk

Photography by Joanne Withers

Fun, Classy & Unique Hen Party Themes

50 fabulous and unique hen party themes

LH Calligraphy

LoveLi

that you haven't already thought of!

Yvonne Ellen

LoveLi

Cute and candy floss - pink, white and cutesy cute Beyonce and Bling – shake your booty, glam up and get out your bling! Vintage – so many fabulous ways of dressing up vintage, which era will you choose?

Glitter – get out your sparkly glad-rags, buy some cheap glitter make up and hair spray and get sparkling Frozen – Let it go! Decade you were born - come as your childhood hero or what you wanted to be when you grew up A night at the movies – you know the hens will love this one! Tropical – flamingos and pineapples galore Alice in Wonderland – which character will you go as? Honeymoon theme – wherever your destination, take inspiration, NY, Paris, Barbados or Iceland... Midas touch – go gold!

Grease is the word – get out the 1950's dresses and big quiffs Floral – easy to do, pretty and unique Wizard of Oz – follow the yellow brick road, get out your red sparkly shoes and emerald cocktails Masquerade – why not do a mask making class and create your own? Festival – think wristbands, wellies and warm cider

White – not just for the bride, get all the hens to wedding it up! Musicals – Sound of Music, Wicked, South Pacific, there are so many to choose from, your hens will love this one Spots and stripes – simple, classy, we love it!

The Hen Planner

@aww.sam

Team Hen

The Hen Planner

Princess – dust off that tiara! Animal print – go tiger! (or zebra or cheetah, you get the picture) Favourite colour – keep it simple, choose a colour and get all the hens to wear the same, or mix it up and assign each hen a colour Husband-to-be's job – is he a dentist? Fisherman? Astronaut? Prom - get your ball gowns out ladies Historical figures – go royal, go political Narnia – perfect for a Winter hen party Jane Austen – Oh Mr Darcy! TV personalities – think Simon Cowell, Mary Berry, the more ridiculous the better! Whimsical – fly away with fairies, unicorns and rainbows

Team Hen

Black and white – classic and elegant Christmas jumper – Winter hen do? A fabulously fun and easy way to get your hens feeling festive and in the party mood Tutu's, tiaras (and wellies) – pretty up and take it outside, go to a festival, go glamping but whatever you do, go glamorous! Superheros – get your capes out Game of Thrones – it's taken the world by storm, take inspiration and dust off your crown Breakfast at Tiffany's – Audrey Hepburn is the epitome of elegance so be inspired, back comb your hair and get out your jewels Pirates – Arrrrrr! Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! Flapper – a tasselled dress, headband and gorgeous vintage beauty, why not organise a makeover for the girls with a photoshoot to capture the occasion Nautical – sailor it up! Cowgirls – Howdy! An oldie but a goldie Mad hatters – go hat making or just ask the girls to wear the craziest hat they have ABBA – Dancing Queen! Time for the 1970's outfits, you know you love it! Little Miss characters – who will you be? Tuxedos – not just for the boys Woodland animals – oh so cute, we love this one! Floral crowns – you can take classes to make these yourself, then go out on the town and show the world how creative you all are

Eurovision – sequins, glamour, microphones and makeup, go big, go over the top, go fabulous! Artists – think berets, think paintbrushes, think a frame around the brides head :) Stars – be spangly and sparkle Homage to the bride – why not dress up as the lady of the moment, choose different time periods or aspects of her life and assign one to each hen? Funny, cute and it shows her how much you love her Photography | LoveLi www.loveli.co.uk | The Hen Planner | www.thehenplanner.com | LH Calligraphy | www.lhcalligraphy.com | Team Hen | www.teamhen.co.uk | Aww Sam | www.awwsam.com | Yvonne Ellen | www.yvonneellen.com |

The Hen Planner

Lilac &

Wedding Stationery

White

Lilac & White design bohemian and tranquil quality personalised wedding stationery. Their items feature clarity, muted colours and clever details to build an inspired connection with wedding guests. Lilac and White's founder Paula Pidgeon has been a graphic designer for nearly 10 years. When she reached an age where she was attending lots of friend’s weddings, she started to be asked to design their stationery. She absolutely loved getting involved in the graphic styling for their wedding day. One thing she thought couples found her particularly useful was her ability to bring clarity and simplicity to all their artwork. “It’s easy to have lots of different ideas and to try and jam them all in. This can ruin the overall design and sophistication a couple is trying to achieve.” Paula believes in wedding branding. What is this? It’s a set of ideas delivered consistently across the day. These can include things like illustrations, a logo, colours, pattern and fonts. Lilac and White recommend couples get really clear on making these ‘set of rules’ before styling their day. It’s key to use these selected elements consistently to achieve a unique and steady style for the day that both you and your guests will enjoy. The save the date or invitation can really set the tone; it can be the face of your day. This is where Lilac and White's pre-designed templates come in - they have been carefully designed with the above in mind where couples can adopt particular colours, illustrations and fonts (that’s not to say you have to use all the elements). All of Lilac and Whites templates have the design ideas thought out for you. The elements on these invites can then be adopted and used for your day (that’s why the invitations can be quite important!). Hear what some of their clients have to say: “We received our invites today. They are exactly as we expected: simple, neat and good quality. We LOVE them.” “The invitations were prepared and shipped extremely quickly. The invitations are beautiful. They are very good quality and very original, and we have already had many compliments on them.” “The most beautiful and simple wedding cards I have ever seen :) It was a pleasure to deal with Lilac & White, they sent us samples because we couldn´t decide. Once we chose ours she sent us a digital mockup to review, it was perfect!! From the moment we placed the order it just took 4 days to receive 75 wedding cards with envelopes. I highly recommend their work.” Lilac and White also offer bespoke design services

where they work closely with couples to realise their own design ideas. It might include things like designing the seating plan, signs, stickers or graphics for their favours. For more inspiration and to follow their journey, Instagram - www.instagram.com/lilacandwhite, Twitter https://twitter.com/lilacandwhite and Pinterest https://uk.pinterest.com/lilacandwhite or visit them at www.lilacandwhite.com

How To Do The Best Girl Wedding Speech Ever

Wedding speeches: the bride’s father, the groom, and the best man. We’re a nation of glorious tradition and history, and there’s nothing wrong with that (in contrast, actually, I revel in it. Tea and a Jammy Dodger anyone?). But what if—God forbid—you’re female, and you want to make a speech? How on earth does that work?

If you’re a bride and you want some online support with your speech, researching might end up being quite disheartening depending how far into the deep dark internet you go. Whilst help for men’s speeches are aimed at maximising laughs, goodhumoured embarrassment, how to bring a tear or two and leave everyone feeling warm and fuzzy inside, the few tips that there are for women are mostly centred around how to gushingly show appreciation for your new husband, and thanks to your joint family for supporting you through your clearly hormonally imbalanced approach to the wedding (yeah, right). Really, though, some of the ‘help’ that’s offered to grooms/best men are gems, such as ‘I’d just like to say how wonderful the bride looks in white. She’ll blend in beautifully with the kitchen’, and ‘Let us all be upstanding and give the bride the clap she so richly deserves.’ Update kids, it’s not 1954. We’ve had a marathon run in space, Leicester won the Premier League, and the Queen mocked America in a brilliant video on twitter. Let’s just put those jokes in the sea, shall we?

Whilst we’re in no way saying that you shouldn’t get emotional and say lovely things about your new partner, but why can’t you make your speech hilarious too? Perhaps bring up some old gems that only you could tell. We love the growing trend of brides, bridesmaids and mothers of the couple speaking on the big day. After all, they’ve played just as important a part (if not more, in some cases) in the wedding planning and preparation. Furthermore, your friends are all gathered there to celebrate YOU—and your partner’s friends are all there to celebrate you being a cemented part of their lives. People want to hear you speak! Give the people what they want! I’ve absolutely no doubt that you, our wonderfully creative reader, will have no trouble in coming up with a really captivating speech, but if you’re stressing (and the internet hasn’t helped you with that) here’s some basic pointers to help you out. Remember who you are, and embody that. If you’re the bride, everyone in that room is there to celebrate you and wish you well. If you’re the mother, everyone in that room is grateful you did such a fantastic job raising your daughter and helping create this special day. If you’re the bridesmaid, you’ve been hand-picked to represent the couple in front of all their loved ones…turn what could be seen as daunting into a positive, and believe in yourself! Decide on your focus in separate parts of the speech. Do you want to use your way with words to mainly reflect on the love and happiness of the day? Or do you want to ramp the mood up with some cracking anecdotes? By all means, do both, but maybe don’t keep chopping and changing between, or your guests will be all over the place before they’ve even had a drink. Have a clear structure that allows you to cover everything you want to say and get everything you want from it i.e. laughter, tears and a lot of 'Great speech' drinks bought for you later at the bar! Share anecdotes and quirks that the majority of the room can go along with and enjoy hearing about, rather than specialist jokes that only 3 other people in the room will get. For one, it’ll captivate people, and for two, it’ll save you having to explain it for the twenty fourth time at midnight! Be creative with it. I recently went to a wedding where the groom was a keen sailor, and his best man was his shipmate. The best man framed his speech in terms of their boating history, marking different points of the groom’s life by which boat they had. It was unique enough to make you really appreciate their special bond and history, but was also a really nice thread to keep the speech making sense. Practice outloud, and use this to structure your key reminders on some paper (or flashcards, like O-Levels & GCSEs way back when). Maybe give it its first outing with a few of your besties, to gauge the reaction—plus, when you totally smash it, it’ll be a nice bonding moment that you’ll remember for just you girls! Enjoy it, your way. Now, get scribbling down all the anecdotes you can think of —how you and the bride completed an Ironman together, the time when your new husband tried to oven-bake a fried egg, and what a fab day you’re going to have – they’re all gold for your speech, and you’re the golden girl. Don't forget to send us through your wedding moments once the big day is over, so if someone has filmed your speech, send us a copy! Written by Ellie Kime Photo courtesy of Lets Get Weddy

Vintage Glam

Be inspired by this fabulous styled photo shoot

Rocksalt Photography

Our recent styled shoot took place in Garthmyl Hall, a recently opened wedding venue nestled in the Welsh countryside. The concept and styling of shoot was created by For the Love of Weddings and its main objective was to uncover the diversity of this beautiful, undiscovered venue. This elegant venue boasts ten bespoke en-suite bedrooms, a grand dining room, a Gentlemen’s Bar, a luxurious living room and a striking dining room – complete with gilt ceilings and atmospheric mirrors. Because of the venue style this shoot was all about vintage glamour, complimented with a delicate pastel watercolour palette. It’s soft, feminine and completely timeless. Local couture bridal designer, Claire Mischevani, showcased her new collection in the shoot. Featuring embellished details, delicate lace embroidery and dreamy trains, the flowing gowns suited the Garthmyl Hall seamlessly. Photographed against a dramatic red background of one of the venue’s bedrooms, this shoot really captured the romance of the venue. Glitzy Secrets provided the stunning bridal accessories, displaying dazzling hairpieces that simply ooze glamour, whilst still achieving a traditional element. Be won over by the sumptuous chemise set from the Peony range at Daisy Sheldon Embroidery – featuring silk satin flowers and hand-beading – perfect for any honeymoon. The florist for this shoot, Pheasant Botanic, created a graceful bouquet full of peach, cream and lilac tones which was balanced against natural greenery and foliage. Focusing mainly on wild, unstructured arrangements that are environmentally friendly, Pheasant Botanic was the perfect florist for this shoot. The bouquet added a delicate touch of colour, whilst still looking beautifully ethereal. The look was completed with feminine shoes from Rachel Simpson that added a subtle touch of must-have sparkle. The style of the show exhibited the Pantone colours of 2016, rose quartz and serenity, featured in the table candles, which looked fabulous against the striking gold candle holder. Champagne gold accents appeared throughout the shoot, including the chair décor and china wear. Paired with pastel shades, this is a colour combination made in heaven, and is perfect if you’re looking to achieve a romantic feel to your day. Venue décor was kept understated, with pink and gold paper fan garlands standing out against the mirror. For the Love of Weddings created a soothing soft and feminine atmosphere through the use of props and styling, with attention to detail that created a look to absolutely wow your guests.

The importance of your wedding stationery is highlighted by the award-winning LoveLi – Design for Love & Life, with stylish gold invitations and a seating plan displayed an ultra-glam vintage frame. A magnificent 6-tier wedding cake, made by award winning Tiers of Happiness, stood tall next to a delicious dessert table. Glittering rose gold table linen looked incredible teamed with a variety of gold cake stands, full of macarons and super sweet cupcakes. Award-winning Rocksalt photography captured this beautiful shoot, showcasing the elegance of Garthmyl Hall and the exceptional attention to detail of the styling. Soft, muted tones of pink and blue with dash of gold created a soothing, romantic atmosphere that is the perfect choice for any couple. With special thanks to: Venue: Garthmyl Hall | www.garthmylhall.co.uk | Concept and styling: For the Love of Weddings | www.fortheloveofweddings.me | Photographer/videographer: Rocksalt Photography | www.rocksaltphotography.com | Flowers concept and arrangement by: Pheasant Botanica | www.pheasantbotanica.co.uk | Cakes and dessert tables: Tiers of Happiness | www.tiersofhappiness.net | Macarons: Calon Macaron | www.facebook.com/calonmacaron | Stationery: LoveLi - Design for Love & Life | www.loveli.co.uk | Vintage Glam tableware, props, and chair decor supplied by: Table to Dine For | www.tabletodinefor.com | Vintage Gold China | www.vintagegoldchina.co.uk | Bridal gowns: Claire Mischevani Couture | www.clairemischevani.com | Jewellery accessories: Glitzy Secrets | www.glitzysecrets.com | Shoes: Rachel Simpson | www.rachelsimpsonshoes.co.uk | Hair: Paul Garett | Make up: Leah Sims | www.facebook.com/Leah-Sims-Makeup-Artist |

Rocksalt Photography

SNAPCHAT

Your Wedding The friendliest ghost since our good pal Casper, Snapchat is a firm favourite. But did you know they have recently rolled out a super cool feature that is perfect for weddings, but no-one seems to be really talking about it? I want to change all of that, so here’s my guide to creating your own Snapchat filter for your wedding! Did you know you can do that?!

A great thing to think about - and this is what I did - is to search Pinterest for some free downloadable graphics made by very kind artists that you can then use. Just make sure they’ll allow you to use them and that’s half the job done! I’ve compiled a list of my favourites below! Or, if you’re having a designer specifically for your invitations, maybe ask them if they’d create a filter to match. There are loads of Etsy sellers who do bundles too for a brilliant price. 2. Make sure your filter follows the guidelines Snapchat set out. It must be 1080 pixels wide x 1920 pixels tall, and it must be a .png file (this is a super common file that loads of pictures are saved in, so this isn’t scary computer talk either). Their full guidelines can be found on the website, but a basic summary is: no promotion, selfpromotion or offensive words/images, and you’re ready and raring to go! 3. Choose the dates you want your filter to be available for. You can set it for hours or for days, however long you’re going to be celebrating for – just watch out for the time zones! It’s no good doing it on Californian time… unless you’re celebrating there, in which case, you GO girlfriends. You can only do it a month or so in advance, too, so by all means make your graphic now, but you may not be able to upload it for a while (you keen bean.) 4. Mark your geofence. Bear in mind that anyone in this vicinity will be able to use the filter whether they’re actually at the do or not—make it as specific as you can. 5. At this point Snapchat should give you an estimate price (and it’s not that expensive considering the wow factor – it can be as cheap as $5). You’ll then enter your card details etc, and send it off for review. This should come back within a day – then you’re good to go!

Filter by XO Bspoke www.etsy.com/uk/shop/xoBSpoke This means that you can create a personalised frame to overlay photos taken in a specific boundary at a specific time, to celebrate events. This means that all of your guests can have access to a specific filter with your names and design on, just by virtue of being in the area of your wedding! It’s not as technical as it sounds either, otherwise I’d have locked it far, far away and moved very quickly on in fear of breaking it. And the best thing, it’s cheap! Win win! 1. Firstly - most importantly - you need to design the filter. This is actually the only slightly difficult part about the process, and even then, it's not enough to put you off! To make things easier you can download a load of templates from Snapchat’s website, which you can then customise. You do need to have Photoshop for this, but you can get a free 30 day trial from the Adobe website, and there are plenty of tutorials out there on Youtube so you can master the basic skills you need for this task. I muddled along fine with a very limited skillset that I amassed from watching over my very talented designery friend’s shoulder, so I’ve no doubt you’ll rock it. Plus, learning a new skill for weddings is part of the fun, right?!

Free downloads (just double check with the owner if you can use them, I don’t want you getting in trouble): www.creativenerds.co.uk/freebies/best-everhandsketched-free-vector-elements/ (Design by freepik.com) www.astridmueller.com/blog/free-downloadablewatercolor-brush-strokes/ www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/freebies/free-wildernessvector-graphics-logo-template-kit www.welivedhappilyeverafter.com/2015/04/gold-leafdigital-graphic-freebies.html www.creativenerds.co.uk/freebies/80-free-awesomemodern-and-vintage-camera-vector-icons/? utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_cam paign=Feed:+CreativeNerds+(Creative+Nerds) www.lovethehereandnow.com/free-fonts-beautifulampersands20free-fonts-with-beautiful-ampersands/ www.freeprettythingsforyou.com/2016/03/freewatercolor-flower-clipart/ Is this something you’re going to try for your wedding day? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear your ideas! Written by Ellie Kime

The Wedding Of Carl & Kirsty Wales meets Scotland in this beautiful shabby chic real wedding photographed by The Gibsons

The Gibsons

On 26th July 2015 Kirsty Dickson and Carl Wynn said 'I do' at Enterkine House in Ayrshire. Here they share their fabulous day with you.

The Gibsons

How did your day unfold? Our wedding was everything we could have wished for. The whole day was made even more special by the personal touches we had throughout the day; we were able to utilise the talents of our families to do a lot of it ourselves. It was amazing to see all of the planning and hard work come together and our family and friends enjoying it. In the morning my bridesmaids and I got ready in the main house at Enterkine, while the boys all got ready at the Kirk House, a cottage on the grounds of Enterkine House. I received beautiful earrings from Carl and a necklace from my parents, which both went perfectly with my dress and I wore my mum’s veil. My mum surprised me in the morning by organising a vintage Beetle, my favourite car, and a VW Camper Van to take my bridesmaids and I to Troon beach for photographs, before the ceremony. There were showers of rain but luckily, being from Scotland, we were prepared with umbrellas to match the bridesmaids’ and my outfits. We had a Humanist ceremony which meant we were able to include our families and personalise it. Our mums and my brother did readings, which we felt reflected us well. We tied wicker hearts together and drank Carl's mum's homemade damson gin from a quaich my grandparents had received for their 50th wedding anniversary. We wanted to include our pet beagle Bailey in the day and our niece, the flower girl, brought her down the aisle at the beginning of the ceremony. We decorated Bailey’s collar and lead with blue and pink flowers. After the ceremony our guests enjoyed the drinks reception and canapes, as well as the vintage ice cream cart we had hired. It was great to have a bit of time alone together during our photo session. Our photographers chose some fantastic locations for the photographs, we are extremely pleased with how they turned out. Carl and I both did speeches, along with his brother, my sister and my dad. My dad created a slideshow of photographs over the years played to ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ by Van Morrison. We had a drink of B52 to commemorate our friend. We wanted to give some money to charity so we decided to give our guests Oxfam Unwrapped favours as well as some homemade tablet hearts

The Gibsons

and a chocolate love spoon, to tie in the Scottish and Welsh connections. Carl’s mum baked our wedding cake and we iced and decorated it with blue lace effect icing and edible pearls. Before we cut the cake my sister read out a message from my family in Australia, who unfortunately couldn’t attend. Everyone enjoyed the evening celebrations and it was great to see all our guests on the dance floor trying the ceilidh dancing, particularly the Welsh guests! Being surrounded by our friends and family for 'Loch Lomond' finished our celebrations perfectly and it will always be a very special memory. What was your wedding inspiration? We decided on a navy blue colour scheme, with lighter blue and pink accents to brighten it up. We included some vintage and rustic touches in the theme, as I love lace. We chose lace effect decorations, centrepieces and table clothes to tie it all together. We wanted to include Scottish and Welsh touches throughout the day too, as Carl is originally from Wales and I am Scottish. The men wore kilts and Carl had his kilt made with his own family tartan. We had thistles and daffodils to top our wedding cake and garlands surrounding the base of the cake on the table, and I had thistles in my bouquet. Our table names were hand drawn illustrations of Welsh places with our family pets by signposts, made by my dad. Carl's mum sewed lace onto all of our chair sashes and added a strip of Welsh flags to Carl and his best man's. We also designed our own wedding rings, as I wanted something to compliment and fit my engagement ring and Carl had his engraved with the Scottish and Welsh flags inside. We decorated the marquee ourselves, we hung bunting from every corner to every pole, large paper stars behind the top table, paper pompoms and tissue birds hung around the dance floor. We decorated rustic crates and placed photo frames with maps of our home towns on top. We also had a wooden ladder with photographs of our parents’ and grandparents’ weddings. We decorated the sweet table with a navy floral tablecloth to match the colour scheme and used white lace effect flower pots and candle holders for the sweets with cake stands to match. We collected all our own props and set up a photobooth area with a polaroid camera for our guests to enjoy. We lined the aisle with hand decorated jam jars with flowers and Carl and his dad made an arch which was decorated with flower garlands for the ceremony. My mum, sister and I were up until the middle of the night adding the finishing touches to the marquee.

The Gibsons

What advice would you give to those planning their wedding now? Try not to let yourself get too stressed. Once you find your venue and choose a date, the rest will fall into place. Get your family and friends to help out, do as many things as you can yourselves to keep the costs down. But most importantly remember to enjoy the planning because once it's over, you'll miss it and want to do it all overÂ again! We are exceptionally thankful to all of our guests for making it such a memorable day, and to our families who helped us create the wedding we had always hoped for.

The Gibsons

The Gibsons

Our contributors Jane Beadnell Photography | www.janebeadnellphotography.co.uk Pamella Dunn Weddings | www.pamelladunn.co.uk Bespoke Vintage Castle | www.bespoke-vintagecastle.com Where the Ribbon Ends |www.wheretheribbonends.com The Bridal Emporium | www.the-bridal-emporium.com Aimee Akbar | www.aimeeakbar.co.uk Deborah Chalmers Groves | www.lovehairandbeautyboutique.com Glitter and Grace | www.glitterandgrace.co.uk Pompom Blossom | www.pompomblossom.com LoveLi | www.loveli.co.uk Swinton Bivouac | www.swintonbivouac.co.uk Yorkshire Yurts | www.yorkshireyurts.co.uk Jack Mailing Teddy Reddish Green Wheat Flowers | www.greenwheat.co.uk Greg Malloy Hairdressing | www.gregmalloy.com Inspirational Ceremonies | www.inspirationalceremonies.co.uk Ullswater Steamers | www.ullswater-steamers.co.uk Tebbey & Co | www.tebbeyandco.com Walker Slater | www.walkerslater.com Annemarie Quinn | www.annemariequinn.co.uk Desi Bride Dreams Wedding Planning | www.desibridedreamsplanning.co.uk Joanne Withers Photography | www.joannewithersphotography.co.uk Mani's Creative Services | www.manis-creative.co.uk Maz Events | www.mazevents.com Alrewas Hayes |www.alrewashayes.com Mahi Sarna | www.facebook.com/Officialmahisarna Ravita Pannu Artiste & Senior Creative Hair Stylist | www.ravitapannuartiste.co.uk Custom Cake Boutique | www.thecustomcakeboutique.com Prits Gosal | www.instagram.com/stylebypritsg Este Couture | www.estecouture.com Kyles Collection | www.kylescollection.com Floral Creations by Reena | www.floral-creation.com