Make Do & Mend

…a phrase as much used by our grannies in WW2 as ourselves in this ‘credit crunch’ era, is the focus of a fashion extravaganza tomorrow hosted by Oxfam Chelsea.

The kings road store is holding a fashion fix event at St Mary’s church, Marylebone from 2pm – 10.30pm, where their best pieces will be shown on the catwalk, then auctioned off. There will also be stalls of vintage acessories to wedding dresses, so head on down there to grab some unique pieces for your big day.

If you are just after a budget fashion fix, with all that saving you are doing for the wedding, then take along some of your less used wardrobe items for the swap shop or ‘customisation corner’. You may be able to pick up some ideas for creating your own style for your wedding from bits you already have…

There will be live music, food & fun to keep you going, and remember you are buying from Oxfam, so with all the fabulous bargains you are picking up, you are also giving to charity – double bonus.

For more details on timings of all the events throughout the day, head to their facebook page

Designer collection with CRED-ability

Kolibri Amethyst ring

Make a satement with the gorgeous new designer collection available at CRED.

James Bond jeweller Sophie Harley has designed an exclusive collection for ethical and fairtrade jewellery brand CRED inspired by her recent travels to Africa;  the colours, textures and forms of the savana.

Sophie is best known for designing jewellery in the recent James Bond films, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, namely the Loveknot worn by Daniel Craig’s love interest Vesper.

In the Kolibri collection the stunning colours of fair trade ruby and amethyst are wrapped with vine branches and leaves of 18ct fairtrade Oro Verde gold sourced from South America – It is rare that we see such a gorgeous collection with ethical integrity.

Price start from £500

 

Gorgeous Green Gowns

If you are looking for a gorgeous gown that is both green and unconventional, but keeping the romance and bridal look, then Blushless is for you. It hit our radars as the collection launched at London Fashion Week in September.

For the sexy, edgy bride, Blushless offers something unique and wonderful that is style-led and ethical.

Inspired by the movie ‘Wild at Heart’, the launch collection is about  happy endings and being wild at heart. These wedding dresses are anything but boring – with the added bonus of being sustainable too! Blushless uses the softest vegan leather combined with the finest fairtrade silks. A mixture of old and new – innovative microfibre textiles are combined with hand-stitching to extraordinary effect.

Not the usual ‘fairy-tale’ gowns, Blushless is the creation of  Liv Lundelius – daughter of a Punk-disco-club owner and a traveller. She didn’t have a typical upbringing, and she is inspired by old, dirty & broken things that have their own attraction and beauty.

Blushless is currently based in Belin, but don’t fret! Liv is moving to London soon and currently offers appointments in the UK with herself or her agent. The pieces are currently made-to-measure from £1,500 to £3,000. Blushless will hopefully have UK stockist soon.

http://www.blushless.com/

Planning a DIY wedding

A wedding? I dont know what you're talking about...

In today’s Guardian Rachel Holmes lets you into the secrets of her wedding planning – and it mostly focusses on eliminating the word ‘wedding’ from your searching.

Where in the past weddings followed traditions and certain elements were expected, we are now seeing a rise in DIY weddings and events that are completely unique to the characters involved. You are not expected to follow the path set for you by big budget magazines, but are free to plan YOUR day to what you want. The usual ‘first dance’ and ‘cutting the cake’ can be emitted and more unique elements introduced.

What Rachel and many other brides-to-be want is a big party and often searching for vendors and suppliers solely by the tag ‘wedding’ can not only restrict the selection, but also push the price tag up unnecessarily.

Do you really need ‘ bridesmaids dresses’ when just gorgeous dresses may not only fit the budget better, but are more likely to be worn again and thus giving much better value for money.

If you have your mind set on a certain thing – don’t settle for the first price you are given. This is definately my top tip. I tried on my wedding dress in a London boutique & fell for it immediately…and then realised that no way was I going to be able to make it myself (as per my original plan). So one day I found a list of stockists for that brand and set about ringing them one after the other, quoting the last price I was given – and managed to knock over £1000 off the price tag, picking it up from a shop much nearer to where the actual event was being held – perfect!

Get creative making favours & decorations. Image: Sanna Wicks

Many of the services offered under the tag ‘weddings’ are not to hard to do yourself, you are literally paying for the convenience of having someone do it for you. So if you have the time get friends and family baking, cutting, sewing and sticking – it’s great fun in groups over a bottle of wine… They will love being involved in your day, and takes some of the pressure off you. It just takes organisation!

Which is where Rachel’s next tip comes in – make lists and more lists, and feel the satisfaction when you cross things off. Using an interactive planner such as Wedding Notebook will allow you to keep track of everything including guests RSVP’s, the budget, and a general to-do-list of what needs to be done when.

Having a personalised website for the occasion will give guests the low-down on what they need to bring, wear and all the details of where to go for the big day without you printing off hundreds of trees-worth of paper instructions. Let them know about the ‘guess the honeymoon destination’ competition to win big prizes on the day.

Read Rachel’s full article in the Guardian

Vintage Wedding Event

At Angel, London, on Thursday 26th November, Tigerlily Wedding planner and My Sugarland vintage boutique are hosting a fabulous event for brides-to-be, giving fabulous vintage wedding inspiration and styling advice. From 7-9.30pm you can sip champagne, nibble on canapes, have your nails done, try some vintage acessories and view unusual and one-off vintage bridalwear from the sugarland collection…and more! The event is free to attend, all you need to do is register (quickly, before all the places run out) by emailing info@mysugarland.co.uk

For more details visit MySugarland

Alice in Wonderland inspiration…

You’ve got a very important date… Just don’t be late!

Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham carter all star in Tim Burtons version of Alice In Wonderland due for release in the UK on 5th march 2010, and we are very excited about it – already! We are predicting lots of spring weddings inspired by tea parties and general madness.

For planning your own Madhatters Tea Party, follow some of these tips:

Key invites – Walt Disney Pictures; Keira’s blue wedding dress via FashionBride; Clock necklace from MadeNew; Eat me ring from Folksy; Oversized plant cup by Gitta Gschwendtner.

Things are not what they seem with these whacky but gorgeous details:

Stationery -Use labels for save-the-date’s and the seating chart, and include graphic images of curious objects on the invites. Use embossing and letter press for an authentic vintage look.

Play with size – As Alice kept growing and shrinking her perceptions were screwed – play with various sizes of objects around the venue, such as oversized planters and hangings, to tiny dolls-house sized objects in amongst table centrepieces…

What to wear – You don’t need to look as wired as Johnny Depp to pull off this theme – Be inspired by the pale blue dress worn by Alice for a non-traditional wedding dress & hire top hats for the guys.
Jewellery can be bold & colourful. Made-New make one-off pieces made from vintage jewellery and this one themed on watches is perfect for the white rabbit. Gift bridesmaids with these cute cake rings to wear with mis-matched colourful dresses – or have fun on your hen party making them with Fimo – remember that?!

Reception – Decorate the venue with chandeleirs by Madeleine Boulesteix, made from teacups, jelly moulds and vintage cutlery. Have jars of cookies, cakes & sweets on the table with ‘eat me’ labels – use these for dessert to save on the extra course… Have ‘curious objects’ around the venue  – especially great for kids

For more tea themed ideas check out our other tea party inspiration board

Country style wedding

Claire & Joe’s August wedding reflected the rustic surroundings with the wildflower dispays and touches of home-made charm in the details. All their family and friends got together to create a day full of personal charm. As a photographer herself, Claire trusted friends to capture the day – it can often make for a more relaxed and personal style as your friends know you well…

“Flowers came from a local wholesaler and were agapanthus, lavender, freesia, astrantia, blue scabious and gypsophila (for the country look)  shamrock crysanths, pale pink large roses, white akito roses.  Agapanthus were amazing.  They are also called African Lily and matched the bridesmaids perfectly.”

These romantic shots in the cornfield were taken at the reception venue, Wethele Manor, near Leamington Spa.

The details can really tie the whole theme together – Big themes were lavender and jam jars, used as table features, for floral displays and favours.

“The table centres were arranged by Joes aunt and the bouquets and button holes done my one of my bridesmaids!  (I believe everyone is a professional!). My mom made strawberry jam for the favours.  Mini jars bought online for a bargain of £26 for about 150 mini jars.  I had everyone I know collecting empty food jars for 7 months as we used them as lanterns outside at night and for the flowers to go in on the tables and in the church window sills.  It was a great way of making £350 worth of flowers go a long long way.  Plus my friend then had all the jam jars for her wedding a few months afterwards! “

Tips for Wedding Perfect Skin

Here is a top tip countdown to help you achieve the flawless skin you deserve for your special day, put together by the guys at Organic Surge – they know their skincare!

Remember, planning is everything – think ahead and don’t get caught out!

1. Banish Those Blemishes Early. If you are troubled with mild – or severe blemmishing seek some advice from your GP. If the problem is a more severe one such as adult acne or acne rosacia, it may be worth while to seek out a respected dermatologist. Skin problems do not always go away overnight. Timeline: 6 months to 1 year ahead

2. Avoid The Burn. Don’t get too much sun exposure before the big event. Sunburns, peeling skin and tan lines can sabotage your special day because they’re difficult to cover up completely!

3. Super Skin Rejuvenation. Every two weeks, make sure you use an effective exfoliating dermabrasion which can help combat shiny, taut facial skin, making it a perfect palate for makeup. With a more even skin tone with diminished lines and wrinkles, you are half way there to your flawless look. Don’t forget the neck, chest and back areas if your dress is low-cut. Peels can do wonders for spotty, rough skin! Timeline: 2 months ahead up to day before

4. Plan your colour scheme… Pick out your shadows and foundations early, and practice with them. If you are going to use a make-up artist, have a practice run-through to make sure you like it. Brides should choose a lip colour in a warm, fairly bright shade. Roses, pinks and reds look great in photos and keep teeth and wedding whites clean and fresh. Timeline: 2 months ahead

5. Luscious lashes – it’s all about the eyes! Tinting your lashes elimates the inevitable racoon eyes that plague so many happy occasions! Don’t forget your eyebrows – a tint and reshape will ensure your eyes will be perfectly framed. Have a few trials with a quaified beautician to ensure you acheive the perfect color match. Timeline: 1 month ahead, with a retreatment 1 week ahead

6. Treat Yourself to a relaxing Facial! You owe it to yourself to relax, clean and nourish your skin. Timeline: 1-2 weeks ahead

7. The Wonder Of Waxing! If you decide not to go the longterm route with laser hair removal, have a professional therapist wax your legs, bikini line, underarms and brows. Timeline: 3-4 days ahead

8. Expect the unexpected and be prepared. If something can go wrong, it will, so make a “911 Skincare Kit” with some essential quick fixes to help on the all important day.

9. Keep Your Face On… Give your foundation staying power by using a gel foundation primer before you apply your make up. Add a light dusting of loose powder to prevent any unwanted shine.

Most important, have a sense of humor. This is your day, and no matter what happens, you are special and your beauty will radiate from within.

Bright and breezy

A wedding created in soft colours with lots of texture.

Sharon & Orion had a load of fun at their Nottingham wedding, getting around in a pedi-cab, and the ushers and bridesmaids following behind on tamdens… The subtle tones they chose for flowers and bridesmaid dresses combine perfectly with the texture of Sharon’s dress.

Here’s Sharon: “We got engaged in January had about 6 months to plan the wedding, having decided to embrace the magic of 07/07/07 (!)… I knew next to nothing about flowers or dresses but soon had piles of magazines thrown my way from recent brides. It was overwhelming so I narrowed it down by cutting out the few things I did like and making my own scrap book. I wanted it to reflect our tastes and personalities so was drawn to subtle colours and lots of texture, which I think came through especially in the flowers (my bouquet dried out beautifully too). The planning came together bit by bit and we had a fabulous day thanks to the help of ebay, my cutting and sticking qualifications and, of course, a few great friends.”

The fresh look of the day was captured by Yvonne Lishman – we love the wide angle shots of the bridal party playing on their bikes.

Here are some of the cool details:

Where to start: Your wedding style

As part of our ‘Advice from the Experts’ feature, venue stylists Pebble in the Pond have joined us as our style experts, giving you the advice you need to think through and develop your wedding style. Here’s Emma to give you the spotlight on getting started.

“When we sit down with our bride and grooms for our initial ‘get to know’ you meeting over a cup of coffee or two, we like to get under the skin of who you are as a couple – the best weddings in our view are when every detail reflects who you both are, creating that individual, unique day that no other couple could host.  We, being extremely nosy, like to get to know the following…

How much is the day about you two and how much about your family and friends?  Bringing touches of your family and friends into the day is a lovely way to make everyone feel welcome.  The family will love sweet peas from your grandma’s garden in vintage style tea pots to decorate the tables or dad’s home grown lavender sprigs tucked into a napkin.

What do you as a couple love doing?  Music fans, why not recraft old music sheets into cones to hold real petal confetti.  Teenage sweethearts?  How about some old school nostalgia with small, reclaimed blackboards to display table numbers and your table plan and recycled glass platters filled with old fashioned sweets – 80s disco optional!

Think about where you are getting married and how you can make your day empathetic to that.  Getting married in a place piled high with history?  Transport your guests back in time by having a high tea served upon vintage crockery with china cake stands laden with goodies.Ivy from the garden is wonderful around candlebras and as a napkin decoration.  If the venue has a kitchen garden or fruit trees, would it be possible to offer some wonderful produce as take home gifts?  ‘Grow your own’ seed packets make gorgeous favours.  Getting married by the sea?  Decorative driftwood can make interesting tablecentres or why not use pretty shells at your place settings?

In planning a ‘greener’ wedding obviously seasonal is key and something we always bear in mind – there’s nothing more refreshing than arriving at an early spring wedding to be greeted at your table by ribbon wrapped, terracotta pots filled with scented narcissi after a long, dark winter.  Likewise at an early December wedding, we can’t resist throwing in a touch of the ‘C’ word – cinnamon bundles tied with organic cotton lace, fragrant dried orange slices or vintage style tea cups filled with soy wax candles….”

How the Pebble in the Pond service works

Here at Pebble in the Pond, we can help you with as little or as much decoration and detail as you require – we pride ourselves on working with you to develop your own ideas, as well as throwing in a few of our own, to make your wedding as unique as you are.

We are a wedding venue stylist and have a wide assortment of beautiful accessories to compliment your day.  These range from organic cotton tablecloths and vintage style print and lace table runners through to recycled glass centerpieces, vintage style crockery (tea cups and saucers, tea pots, cake stands etc), candlesticks, baskets – the list goes on.

All the items are for hire however we also offer a styling service where we can come and set up your venue the day before or the morning of your wedding so that you can enjoy your day, confident that when you arrive at your chosen venue it will look fantastic.

We also offer a wonderful range of unique and individual handmade favours which can be personalised to you.

In everything we do we try to be as environmentally friendly as we can.  As many of our materials as possible are organic, reclaimed, fair-trade or locally sourced.  We support local artists in the creation of our wonderful pieces and we give 5% of our profits to charity.