Quintessentially Bride Blog

Big Day Masterclass at Liberty's: last chance to book your spot (sorry) on Dermalogica bridal skincare event 30th May

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:02:00 +0000

Practically perfect in every way? Must be the Dermalogica Bride

If by chance like me you have a Wednesday evening to spare and skin in real need of a little TLC, join me at a unique Dermalogica event at Liberty London from 6pm this Wednesday 30th May for a big day masterclass!

Taking place in the Heritage Suite, tickets cost £30 redeemable against any products purchased on the evening AND an exclusive goodie bag of skin treats from Dermalogica.

Expect Dermalogica's signature face-mapping analysis before a personalised skin regime prescription to get you bridal beautiful in a twinkling (or, more like an exfoliate and cleanse!).

Book one of the last places now by calling 0207 734 1234 ext.2125 and watch out for live pictures from @QBride on Twitter.

RUNAWAY BRIDE: QBride and the big-day fitness blitz

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Mon, 28 May 2012 12:45:00 +0000

And lo, with just a little shy of four months to go until the wedding and my second fitting at the lovely Johanna Hehir pencilled in for next week, my thoughts have turned to things that wobble.

My thighs, upper arms and tummy to be precise. Even my upper back seems to want to get in on this new found, and extremely unwanted lackadaisical attitude to firmness, youthful bounce and a glowing, toned appearance. The timing, with wedmin lethargy kicking in and the call of the open road to pound the pavements less appealing than ever, is bad. What's worse, although an in-depth knowledge of pre-wedding diets and the benefits of exercise - particularly when it comes to beating the dreaded love-handles induced by stress' BFF cortisol - are part of the job description as a bride, nothing seems to be spurring me into action. Not even the thought of the 'forever' pictures that will stand testament to my current ostrich-like approach to training seem to be deterring me from sleeping past the alarm clock that should be getting me up for my thrice-weekly run.

*NB small note of self-defence, usually I am quite the outbound-bound kind of girl, scaling peaks, running half-marathons and dancing/prancing (delete as appropriate). But with writing the forthcoming book has come increasingly long hours fettered to my desk and an increased resilience to tenets such as 'no pain, no gain'. Where my standard riposte would be more 'just do it', this is more commonly 'meh' at the moment.

So, I thought, if I make a pact with you lovely readers on this here blog, I can't ignore it, can I? You can goad, berate and act like the uber-trainers I wish I could afford. And I promise I will take it, no grumbles or excuses. The heat is on, my friends.

Are you a bride struggling to beat the jiggles? Here's my cheats guide to ditching those few little pounds that can make all the difference, and the fitness secrets you need for the arms of Michelle Obama, the legs of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and the midriff of a Prada model rocking this season's cropped tops...

A CHANGE WOULD DO YOU GOOD One of the most effective ways to get your body working harder is to vary your exercise and drop in unexpected challenges such as going for a long bike ride, resistance training by clearing out your loft or even pole-dancing whereby you use your own weight to strengthen. This forces your body to adapt and shed pounds without thinking about it as you don't reach a plateau as you would if you just continued one staple exercise.

GO HIGH-OCTANE ENERGY FOR SLIM LIMBS Dance classes such as Niki Rein's "isometric ballet" on the King's Road or even Zumba (the happy-inducing dancercize class) require lots of beans as you squat, lift and stretch but are low impact for lissome limbs that are naturally slim and taut.
TRY NIKI'S "BACK DANCE" Lie in a bridge shape with your shoulders on the floor, lift your hips up and down for four minutes in a steady pulse movement. Up your game by squeezing a Pilate's ball between your knees.
Niki Rein at Barrecore.co.uk

FRESH AND WILD Fill your meals with protein, fresh vegetables, good fats (avocado, nuts, eggs, full-fat greek yogurt and oily fish such as salmon) and garlic, one of nature's best cleansers - but forewarn your groom!. Avoid processed sugar, wheat products and treat treats as precisely that - something to have occasionally and savour. Also, ditch the alcohol if you can - one of the worst culprits of 'empty' calories, but a Gin and slim-line tonic is the least wasteful if you must. I've also just discovered Omega 3 fish oil, and reduced the amount of dairy in my diet to aid clearer, more radiant skin.

BORN TO RUN As one of the most liberating and all-round forms of exercise, little beats a good run. But a word of caution, a long run can actually create more cortisol (which has a direct effect on the stubborn fat that clings to women's tummies) as the body releases free radicals. Build your distances up gradually to stop your body going into attack-mode and becoming 'stressed' by the run. I also can't run without a ruddy good running soundtrack - music has recently been proven by scientists to steady pace, motivate and metaphorically 'cheer' you on - cue lots of bad rock anthems, LMFAO and avoiding the temptation to join in with the hands-up-in-the-air-clapping euphoria as Take That's 'Never Forget' plays on the home straits. Yes, I am that cool.

ALWAYS ON MY MIND Keep a vision in mind of a 'better' you when exercising (so, you looking healthy, sleek and toned on your big day) for optimum results - as athlete Lucinda Puddicombe, the former team GB teamster, says "Academic studies show how beneficial visualisation can be when training, as it improves commitment, focus, muscle recruitment, energy efficiency and spatial awareness". So the trick is to think it to be it.
Lucindapuddicombe.com

Let the games begin...

PARADISE FOUND: Our picks of the most heavenly wedding destinations...

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:06:00 +0000

Cyclades blue seas, balmy sunshine, the sound of rustling trees and shores of white sand stretching as far as the eye can see: isn't there something just so effortlessly 'wow' about a destination wedding?

Yes, the sun has just started to shine on our shores (!), but for guaranteed Para-para-paradise as Coldplay would have it, these are my (whispers) secret just-like-heaven wedding hideaways. These are the sort of places I really should keep to myself if I want to keep them special, but if you dream of celebrations with unparalleled luxury and blissfully relaxed romance wont to take your breath away, look no further...

DAIOS COVE, Crete: Striking ivory stone and sheer glass starchitecturally designed suites perch atop a private bay at Daios Cove for the essence of luxury. Host an open-air ceremony in one of many luscious green clifftop locations surrounded by the azure skies and soft breeze that carries a faint whiff of the nearby lavender and wild thyme. Daioscovecrete.com

AYANA RESORT AND SPA, Bali: The definitive retreat, all private infinity pools, tropical gardens of frangipani trees and divine style that is modern chic meets natural romance defined. Marry in the glass chapels overlooking the iridescent Indian Ocean or under the canopy of the 350 year old traditional Balinese pavilion before a rocking party at Ayana. Ayanaresort.com

PALAZZO MARGHERITA, Italy: Home of star-cross'd lovers, we love the almost too pretty Francis Ford Copolla owned Palazzo Margherita for its fabulous molto-glamour and homely, rustic edge (Sofia Copolla married here just last summer, which sort of says it all). Palazzomargherita.com

Photo credit (right) Tim Beddow

Credits: all photos Lisa Limer unless otherwise stated.

CHATEAU DE LA GOUJEONNERIE, France: Putting the ‘F’ in to Fantasy, this fairy-tale chateau deep in the vineyard dappled French countryside is run by the boys behind Les Trois Garcons and Lounge Lover and shares the same fantastical style. Chateau de la Goujeonnerie opens this summer for weddings. Lestroisgarcons.com/chateau

KOH SAMUI INTERCONTINENTAL, Thailand: The tangerine sunsets here never fail to astound, but for a beach wedding, there are few places more vibrantly beautiful or Eden-like than KohSamui Intercontinental.Turquoise seas, palms, pagodas and a huge deck reaching out into the waters, the hotel opens in July 2012. Samui.intercontinental.com

WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE WEDDING PARADISE? I'd love to know...

VERA WANG S/S 2013 Trunk Show at Browns Bride

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:13:00 +0000

Oh, Vera - you did it again. What better on a dreary, grey-skied Monday than losing yourself in collection of heart-stoppingly beautiful, bewitching gowns in rich, jewel-like shades?

With their millefeuille honeycomb tulle layers of crimson, plum, aubergine, scarlet and deep red, the latest Vera Wang collection of gowns shown at New York Bridal Fashion week has fast formed our latest bridal crush, and seeing them in the flesh at the glossy, lovely Vera Wang at Browns Bride boutique by way of a trunk show last week only served to seal the deal. These are dresses to fall in love with - light as a feather to wear, fairy-tale meets fashion world but without a hint of the meringue or saccharine.

Featuring corseted bustiers, flange silk skirts and lashings of tulle layering each dress is exquisitely ethereal yet dramatic: the sort of dresses you really don't need to adorn. Just add youthful, undone hair and the most naturally gorgeous make-up from Karen Beadle (think that early nineties supermodels no-make-up-make-up look) and you're done.

This cunningly also means you can afford to splurge on the gown and not worry about blowing the budget with accessorising - a trick that came in very handy when I spent rather more than I should have done on my dress and had to reason my way out with a rather incredulous groom!

As with Vera Wang's last collection of coal-black wedding dresses, don't worry about the prospect of shocking your mum or leaving the vicar floundering for words at being presented with a bride in scarlet - every gown is available in ivory but loses none of the impact or knockout beauty. Alternatively, if like me you've fallen for these fiery shades, why not dress your maids in a palette of autumn berry gowns?

VERA WANG at BROWNS BRIDE
59 Brook Street, London W1K 4HS
T: +44(0)207 514 0090
E: verawang@brownsfashion.com
Brownsfashion.com/Features/VeraWang.aspx

SILVER LININGS: chic grey colour schemes and moodboard inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:58:00 +0000

As the saying goes, every cloud...and boy, have there been a lot of rain-laden clouds scudding across our grey skies of late. It's enough to make any bride planning a summer wedding panic. But we say worry not - why not play the good old British weather at its own game by taking your inspiration and colour scheme from the rainy skies?

Think pretty pearl and dove grey tones, touches of silvered accessories, lashings of clear glass and a little of that Parisian chic with antique golds, blues and shimmering paste jewels. Splash out (sorry) on some of these stylish finds to inject some just-rained lustre into your wedding or even just play around with a pearly colour board of your own (surely one of the most fun bits of wedding planning). If in doubt, just remember that rainy kiss in The Notebook - and if the prospect of a drenched Ryan Gosling doesn't make you think more kindly of the rain, nothing will.

Oh, and whilst we're on the subject of The Notebook -I'm sorry I didn't write you via this little blog here, things have been madcap busy finalising things for the book which I'll be so excited to share come July....but a hand-slap for QBride for having neglected you so long.

Credits: 1.Beautiful room from Chateau de la Goujeonnerie //2.Cloudy Lemonade with striped straws Fentimans and Etsy for similar //3.Glass candlesticks and taper candles Ikea for similar //4.Dress Claire Pettibone, image Elizabeth Messina //5. Bluebells from Jo Malone campaign , image Tim Walker //6. Dress Colette Dinnigan //7. Polka dot Save the Date similar from /8. Write your menu on a mirror from Great Hire //9. Who says umbrellas are ugly? Try Brollies Galore for pretty rain protectors //10. Gysophilia wreath similar from Scarlet & Violet //11. Pearl Feather wedding cake from Little Venice Cake Company //12. Duck egg bridesmaids dresses similar from Pronovias //13. Silvered candlesticks from Cox & Cox //15. Interior painted with clouds The Savile Club, London //16. Calligraphy on a smoky quartz milled paper - similar from Paul Antonio //17. Pearl handled cutlery makes a pretty accent on a cake table. Raid antiques shops and fairs for similar - we love RG Scott in Margate, Kent //18. Flowers from cult Brooklyn florists Saipua.

FRIDAY I'M IN LOVE: QBride rounds up this week's loveliness

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:35:00 +0000

What a wash-out week! For those of you who've missed the kidnapping of springtime, here's a little Friday wedding-style shot of sunshine and shiny things to chase those (grey) clouds away...

This time last year, we were all collectively sighing and tearing up over the Royal Wedding - the only time the team at Quintessentially Weddings have been so moved since was at that John Lewis advert. A wedding that was true, romantic, with just the right nod to nostalgia, and oh, that lace. Thanks Kate, for giving us demure, fantastical lace back and to Mary Portas for carrying on surely the prettiest crusade. Get in on the lacy action with this beautiful number, Bella by Monique Lhuillier Bliss at Browns Bride.

Getting ready to start my bridal bucket list with a trip to see illustrious make-up artist Karen Beadle who has made up the likes of Kate Beckinsale and Thandi Newton.

Be that girl with the golden touch. Remember Kate Moss' frock? Well, (whisper it) this is the high-octane verison I'd fight tooth and nail with you for to rock that aisle in. Dress, price on application, Roberto Cavalli.

Starting to think about wedding music with my love, I still can't quite get over the idea of twirling around to this as our first dance. Gets me going every time.

Love the idea of little maids lined up in these oh, so pretty dresses from Minna.co.uk

Ridiculously lovely cakes from Rosalind Miller

On a scale of one to ten, these are off the richter. We love them covering coral for breezy beach weddings, flower heads and vintage treasures for table centrepieces. Glass bell jar, £28 from Coxandcox.co.uk

I can't, and I literally mean can't get over how beautiful the pictures of Jonas Peterson are. Thank you to my lovely friend and aspiring wedding photographer Emma Butcher (who is now on Pinterest!) for introducing me.

Happy weekend, lovely ones!

NEW YORK, NEW YORK: The best of Bridal Fashion Week

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:18:00 +0000

Any wedding planner worth their salt will tell you - the dress is at the heart of the wedding. Not just as a once-in-a-lifetime beautiful take on the fairytale all grown up, nor simply as all eyes will be on you in your dreamy frock (before very likely shedding a few tears), but as the linchpin of the style, mood and feeling of the big day itself. Lace will inform the flowers, skirts of spun sugar speak of pure fantasy and romance, sleek chic styles inspire clean, fresh lightness but can equally carry pops of colour, gold and fantastical detail to contrast to such simplicity.

Which is why this past week's New York Bridal Fashion Week is such a treasure trove of wedding inspiration, and why I'm so excited by all of the wedding style it will surely translate into! This is about so much more than just the dress or one big swoon: after all, choosing your dress comes down to a matter of gut instinct, feeling and heart - a little like falling in love and finding your 'one' (you know, that lucky chap you're going to marry). Prepare to fall head over heels many times over, and whilst you're at it - find your wedding style, too.

Like an exploded glitter ball smattered over the sheerest silk voile topped sweetheart bodice, Monique Lhuillier's Spring/Summer 2013 collection played out every bridal fantasy.

We loved the sweetheart styles cinched with a stiffened bow at the waist and the whipped cream folds of puffed skirt dresses paired with either a low-cut gilt-beaded lace bodice with bracelet sleeves or a strapless gathered style.

Blush rose-point lace fishtail gowns and a nod to the demure trend kick-started by a certain Royal bride last year (as also seen at Oscar de la Renta and Amsale in sweet lace cap-sleeves) also marked these dresses out as ones we would fight tooth and nail for.

Oh, Oscar! You had us at hello with what can only be described as dresses that make the heart stop.

From siren trumpet silhouettes with pulled tulle detail and tulle capes no less, to little Chanel-esque natty suits straight from the Betty Draper and Grace Kelly style book, or Oscar's trademark princess-line ballgowns with their teeny tiny bodices erupting into lashings of millefeuille skirts: every dress made my head spin with moodboards before the bride had reached the end of the catwalk.

One jaw-dropper gown of forget-me-not blue tulle pannier skirts framing a tiny guipure lace worn by a model who resembled a young Liv Tyler (which helps every time) should come with a warning to asthmatic guests, it's that likely to take the breath away.

Carolina Herrera kept it pure American Sweetheart in her pretty, feminine way with one-shouldered and strapless evening gown styles in Duchess silk satin or matt taffeta with fluted skirts through to those classic, lovely ballgown dresses she's known for.

Dispelling once and for all the belief that brides can only wear white, Vera Wang has been shaking up bridal wear with increasingly grand and startlingly gorgeous hues. For her Spring/Summer 2013 outing, she showcased dresses in (wait for it) jewel like crimson, velvety plum, red straight from a Velasquez portrait and deep ruby.

If you're a truly free-spirited bride, this is one knockout way to rock the aisle, and are actually surprisingly wearable and not an inch short of the bridal fairytale when it came to style, cut and Vera's signature romance of texture in flange skirts, clouds of the finest honeycomb tulle, horsehair stiffened architectural flourishes and Chantilly lace applique.

But the good news is, these beauties are also available in ivory and traditional white too, and lose none of their impact or supernova style. Oscar de la Renta also showed a scarlet gown featuring ladders of silk against gauzy tulle layers, as did Romona Keveza too.

Which are your favourite big apple bridal styles? And what wedding visions do they inspire in you? We'd love to know....

Monique Lhuillier, Vera Wang and Carolina Herrera stocked in the UK at Browns Bride

FRIDAY, I'M IN LOVE: QBride rounds up this week's loveliness...

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:04:00 +0000

Rather later in the day than I'd hoped (but just in time for the weekend!) here's all the ideas, ravishing frocks and inspirations I've fallen head over heels for this week...

Why not get your something new and blue in one beautiful Oscar de la Renta package?
(At a push, you could claim that there's enough Golden-age of couture Dior references in this number to render it your something old, too...)

I'd like tonnes of these vases, candlesticks and pretty decor accessories from here, please to dress my tables Nordichouse.co.uk

Revisiting this beautiful, rock and roll wedding

With 5 months to go until the big day, this weekend I'll be getting onto the invites double quick, with a little help - or should that be intimidation, it's all so incredible? - from the hands of Paul Antonio

Starting to think about the bridal beauty battle-plan, I'll be trying a hit list haul from John Lewis of the new Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator, Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask and some Creme de la Mer goodies. It's what I like to think of as investment beauty-banking...

Gearing up for a forthcoming wedding here

Finally getting pinning on my personal and company Pinterest pages...I know, I know - but that old adage about better late than never.

And mostly eating little heart-shaped Neufchatel cheeses from Sourced Market (all in the name of cheese-cake research, you understand). Nom nom nom.

Happy weekend!

SHE SELLS SANCTUARY: Daylesford's Hay Barn Spa

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:00:00 +0000

No pain without gain goes the saying: but after months of surprisingly arduous and - as you lovely regular readers of this blog will know - at times bruising wedding planning I find that some real TLC is in order. Not just a generous glass of wine having cracked the whip over the wedmin again, or a slab of mum's finest cake post negotiating like a fiend (all in a bid to shave a few pounds from the budget that's so overstretched, it's practically Lycra).

Oh no, I'm talking restorative, fortifying, recharge-your-batteries-to-Duracell-bunny-standard soothing. The kind that can only come from the Hay Barn Spa. The setting alone is placating, nestled among the rolling hills and vales of lovely green Englishness that are the Cotswolds.

I'll confess a little something here, but prior to my time as a bride, I was a spa novitiate. I'd barely stepped in a sauna, let alone one of these temples of calm I'd heard so many effusive things said about. But the further into planning our wedding I've gone, juggling the day job and stresses so many brides shoulder the more I've felt this unmet need for something more. And a whole jumble of new knots across my back that have me hunched and aching, too. So I decided to listen to the sage advice of my pro wedding planning peers, who urged me to head to a spa, pronto.

Under pressure: stress gets a good seeing to.

Thank goodness I did, because my therapist's way with shiatsu energy massage and healing hands worked near miracles. In just 60 minutes, she had pinpointed precisely where the trouble lay (shoulders like a board, apparently) and pushed every last inch of tension out from me. She seemed to intuit my mood, and eased me into the treatment with warm, light conversation and assurances that the wedding would turn out just fine, she could tell - and this was before she'd even touched on my rock-like back, made rigid with all the planning that would get me such lovely nuptials. Using botanical infused aromatherapy oils - the herbs and flowers plucked from local farms - she swept and palmed, rhythmically kneading away that worn-out, yet bristling feeling I hadn't been able to shake. I won't pretend it was always the comfiest of massages, but needs must and it certainly packed a calming punch. My head felt clearer than it had done in weeks, and there was a new lightness in the way I moved, freer perhaps than I had ever been.

A quick stop off at the Daylesford farmshop and its infamous room of cheese later (worth a visit for alone) and I skipped back to my wedmin a bride refreshed and raring to go.

Upper-body massage - £65 (60 minutes) at the Hay Barn Spa.
Book yours at Daylesfordorganic.com or call +44(0)1608 731 703

So, what are your Keep Calm and Wedmin On tricks? We'd love to know....

GUEST POST: notonthehighstreet.com

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:28:00 +0000

Today we have a whole lot of pretty thanks to the lovely team (and Nell!) at notonthehighstreet.com. Fast becoming a go-to for everything wedding, they house everything from unique personalised stationery to wedding cakes, those pom poms that fill a room with bountiful texture, wedding dresses and more innovative favours than you can shake a stick at....

If you’re a bride-to-be I would find it very hard to believe that you haven’t turned to the wedding blog world for wedding inspiration (well, you must have… you’re reading this!). Cyberspace is literally brimming with wedding ideas, keeping brides to be up to date with the newest wedding trends, DIY creations, unique suppliers and a plethora of wedding pretty, in the form of brides that have been there, done that and tied the knot.

There is nothing we like better than sitting back and admiring every aspect of other peoples’ wedding days. It’s the real wedding features that really make it genuine and bring the seemingly endless wedding to-do list and wedding mood boards to life. The most real thing of all is that this inspirational and very enjoyable activity doesn’t actually get anything done, planned, bought or styled! May I be so bold as to say: this is where I like to think we come in!

A brief history…

Notonthehighstreet.com is an award-winning online marketplace that was founded in 2006 by Holly Tucker and Sophie Cornish. They dreamt of creating a beautifully-designed virtual marketplace for shoppers to browse and buy from a wide range of constantly updated, innovative and well-made products. Most importantly, though, they wanted to create an environment to support small creative British businesses.

Now…

Our offering of beautiful wedding styling products came about completely organically and continues to

grow and develop as each new seller joins us and as our current creative talents develop their products in-line with wedding trends. This is how we ensure our styling offering - whether it’s wedding stationery, favours, decorations, wedding props, bridesmaid fashion, jewellery or wedding party thank you gifts - caters to a multitude of tastes and wedding budgets and remains fresh, unique and personal.

Carnival Fair tickets from notonthehighstreet.com
£3 for 50 tickets

Wish tickets from notonthehighstreet.com
£8 for 100 tickets

These fun, original reels of paper tickets would make beautiful favours, place names or table decorations (clipped to wine glasses as place names, draped around a colourful floral centre pieces, attached to a table plan or tied to chairs).

They are versatile products, both in purpose and with what sort of wedding theme they are implored to bring to life; vintage, retro or country garden. They cater to different wedding budgets and also lend themselves to wedding-DIY beautifully. This sort of item can be used in DIY-wedding invitations (for less hands-on brides, you could just slip a ticket inside the envelope for each guest – no glue required!) and then in styling on the actual day, helping you to weave your theme and style through every aspect of your wedding.

FAVOURS

Little Brown Favour Bags from notonthehighstreet.com

These personalised favour bags come in sets of ten, equating to just £1.50 each. You can fill them with anything your heart desires; from penny sweets to rose petals or small token gifts.

Alphabet hearts from notonthehighstreet.com

These personalised rustic heart favours come in so many colours! It would be impossible not to find a shade that wouldn’t make the perfect match for your wedding day. Priced at £4.50 they are a favour and token of the day that each guest can keep and cherish.

Personalised name badge favours from notonthehighstreet.com

These badge favours are great for couples looking for simple, budget-friendly, original favour ideas. Not only will guests love to wear and takeaway their own personalised, vintage-inspired name badge but they will also help to merge and introduce new family and friends. The badges can also act as place settings too - pretty and practical.

INVITES

Love Birds personalised Save the Date cards from notonthehighstreet.com

These vintage inspired ‘Love Birds’ save the date cards are only 85p each. Personalise with your wedding details for a lovely gem embellished card to tell your guests when your special day will be.

Festival Flowers personalised stationery from notonthehighstreet.com

These invites are designed with a festival theme in mind and would be perfect for a sunny summer wedding. Priced at £2.60 this includes the RSVP cards too.

Paula contemporary invites from notonthehighstreet.com

Announce details of your wedding day in style with these contemporary, stylish yet quirky wedding invitations priced at £75 for 30. This modern design can be adapted to match you colour theme and include your own choice of wording.

FINISHING TOUCHES

We believe that the finishing touches are integral in creating a pretty, unique and ‘blog-worthy-wedding’. The finishing touches are about getting creative and sprinkling a bit of your personalities on your wedding day – it’s where you can make it ‘you’, the new collective, plural ‘you’. The original finishing touches you choose not only make for a beautiful, personal day but they are very much about guests’ experience too.

Vintage-style wedding direction signs, £39 each from notonthehighstreet.com

Personalised wedding favour mini bags £2.50 each from notonthehighstreet.com

Tiny beach hut label holders, perfect for place names or sweets stations! £5 each from notonthehighstreet.com

So, go forth and find finishing touches that define you and the kind of wedding pretty you want for your wedding day. The best advice we can give is to use magazines and wedding blogs as inspiration, but don’t let them and the choices other people have made mark out your planning path. A wedding is about the joining of two people in love who want to spend the rest of their lives together, so don’t forget to infuse parts of your personality or life experiences together into your special day so it truly becomes a celebration about the two of you.

Thank you lovely Nell and the team at notonthehighstreet.com - see their blog for my guest post HERE

LET THERE BE LIGHT Six months wedmin to go!

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:36:00 +0000

Oh, time! You haven't been kind. You've made me neglect this blog, and our lovely readers - what's more, you've tricked me out of my wedmin duties with all of this wedding book writing, house renovations (thank you, This is Glamorous - I love you, but I lose so many minutes gazing wistfully at your stylish bounty that it's getting to be a bad habit) and this so called life filled with planning and styling other people's weddings. Not that I don't adore it really, but how about playing nice?

The (nearly) naked truth about wedding planning - it's tough! Image courtesy Elizabeth Messina

I've been yearning to get back into organising our September nuptials, creeping up in just 5 months and 19 days encounting. But I've fallen so far behind the wedding planning juggernaut I'm not really sure where to start again. I'm supposed to have confirmed all of the biggies by this point, started a course of facials to look after my stressed out skin, found the bridesmaids outfits, chosen the flowers... I suspect many brides (and grooms) feel like this at some point, where you just want a wand-wielding type to rescue you. The idea of just letting it be the ramshackle wedding our lack of coherent plotting no doubt deserves has never been more appealing. If guests are well-fed, well-watered, in fairly idyllic (but bare) surroundings and I've got a fabulous frock on, surely that will suffice?

But then I saw the light. Thanks to the lovely, lovely work of Aneta Mak and Elizabeth Messina, I got a grip. Yes, wedding planning is so much tougher than anyone ever tells you it will be; perhaps because the end result is so dazzling, a veritable wedding planning amnesia-come-blackout descends post the big day. But it is also the closest most of us get to breathing life into our dreams and revelling in this magical little thing called love.

So when I found myself postponing the planning yet again with more distracting flitting around my favourite wedding blogs, a chance click onto the ravishing Reverie website (if you haven't visited, then do, it's like a one-hit wonder of everything that makes weddings so special, swoony and heart-stopping beautiful) made for a eureka moment. This wasn't going to happen by itself. And having as amazing a wedding day as we possibly can imagine and make happen on our shoestring budget does matter. As a testament to my Love's and my romance that spans nine years, the odd bit of star-crossing I like to think, and general air fist-pump in celebration of our love. It is the best excuse in the world to play out every last fantasy we've ever had (including my arriving by a classic Bond-girl worthy Aston Martin DB6 from Greatescapecars.co.uk, with tin cans and bells on!). I encourage you to do likewise: the situation, your wedding, positively demands it.

Whenever you feel lost in wedmin or wedding not-so-wonderland, just look at this treasure trove from Elizabeth and Aneta Mak for inspiration. There's light at the end of the tunnel.

So, how are you feeling DIY planning brides and grooms? I'd love to hear...email me at blog@quintessentiallyweddings.com (and this isn't just another ruse to get out of the wedmin, promise)

Aneta Mak...

A Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall catered green-wedding - what's not to love? Images kind courtesy of Reveriemag.com

Now that's what I'm talking about. Crazy, beautiful love.

HOT NEW FIND: Pale and Interesting the venue

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:20:00 +0000

Every now and then a place sneaks up surreptitiously on you and makes off with your very heart. Pale and Interesting is just such a place. At once staggeringly chic and airily pared back, it is a rare breed of wedding venue that we just don't seem to do here in the UK, but is more commonly knocking about in the verdant loveliness of a New England ranch - pure Snippet and Ink territory.

Run by husband and wife creatives Atlanta Bartlett and Dave Coote, the interior is all pearly white tones, antique crystalline chandeliers and crisp vintage linens and french corded lace. Offering the perfect fully licensed ceremony and reception venue for up to 120 guests or 200 if you spill out into a marquee in the wild meadows.

You could even marry in the sweet and secluded 16th Century Fairfield church, perhaps lining the entrance with lashings of baby's breath for a Kate Moss wedding feel. Nestled in the area of outstanding natural beauty that is Kent's Romney Marshes, it is a short hop from London and 10 minutes from the pretty seaside haven of Rye. And we're in love.

Please quote Quintessentially Weddings Blog if you approach this venue!

Pale and Interesting
T: 01797 344 077
E: office@paleandinteresting.com
Paleandinterestingthevenue.com

HERE COMES THE GUIDE: New wedding planning book!

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:49:00 +0000

Helping you to see the wood for the trees when it comes to wedding planning...Image courtesy Elizabeth Messina

You may have heard whispers on the winds that Quintessentially Weddings are to launch the ultimate insider's wedding planning book later this year - The Secret Quintessentially Wedding Guide. And I am proud to finally disclose that the rumours are indeed true! Get ready to swoon over 250 pages of inspirational content, advice, ideas and our handpicked suggestions of the very best the wedding world has to offer. The guide takes brides and grooms through every step of the wedding planning process from plucking out your engagement ring to defining what style of bride you are, helpful hints for good groom-ing, honeymoons, trousseau's, gift lists, cocktails, venue styling and beyond.

A little Valentino in blue....

Featuring some of our favourite designers from Bruce Oldfield to Phillippa Lepley, Sassi Holford to Marchesa,Vivienne Westwood and the lovely Browns Brides, the book brings together established stars (The Savoy, The Dorchester, Little Venice Cake Company, The Wedding Shop, Smythson and Royal Wedding florist Shane Connolly to name just a few) right through to real undiscovered gems, hidden venues and hitherto word-of-mouth talents you may not have known about.

A little Bruce Oldfield...

Intended as a unputdownable resource for the newly engaged - or indeed as a timeless guide that can be shared among friends and passed down - the book combines a unique handbag friendly size with alluring coffee-table book worthy imagery, making it as pretty as it is practical.

With a touch of Savoy style...

Out in July at an RRP of £25, the book will be available to purchase at Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, selected Waterstones nationwide and Amazon.

FANTASY FRIDAY: Agent Provocateur new Bridal collection

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:43:00 +0000

Happy Friday! I love this day of the week, my thoughts turn to the weekend (and no doubt all the wedmin I need to catch up on) and especially as it brings the chance to share with you some ridiculously pretty, covetable things that fall into what we call FANTASY FRIDAY. The things that turn a wedding from nice enough, to something quite fantastical.

The latest bridal collections from Agent Provocateur certainly do that. Forget polite neutrals, bras so sculptural they lacerate and dig in, and the disappointment that might sneak onto your groom's face should you plump for the ordinary bridal lingerie many a department store is awash with. At once disarmingly seductive, beautiful and chic, this is underwear to marry for. Made from the finest handmade lace, luxurious silks and with winsome detail in the shape of tufted pom-poms, sinuous lines and playful pantones of blush peach, soft minty white and ivory the precise shade of double cream, you could simply opt for a stylish set of knickers and bra - but just try and resist a full set of Snowberry, Angliqua (from the Soiree premium range), Sidonie or Fifi....Agentprovocateur.com

SEE THE FULL BRIDAL RANGE HERE

TAKING THE LEAP: How to do a leap year proposal in style with Cartier

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:08:00 +0000

Make sure you prepare a soft landing: taking the leap

In uncertain times, there’s always one thing that can be relied upon to make us all collectively sigh.

A good proposal story: replete with tender, touching gestures and for one day only, the chance for us girls to pop the question to our beloveds. According to a tradition dating back to the 13th Century, on the turn of the leap year day of February 29th, it is considered permissible for women to propose to their menfolk: so if you are one of those brave souls considering asking that most extraordinary of questions, our proposal guide might help nudge you towards that perfect proposal that gets the all-important 'yes!' yelped in delight...

1. THINK LIKE A MAN Be wary of going too soppy or sweet. He won't have been educated into the whole canon of romantic ideology and cinematic love-conquers-all fairytales we girls are brought up with, so you'll need to find a way of tapping into his soft side. The easiest way is to razzle dazzle him with high-octane style, a spectacular setting and thoughtful detail that makes him feel special. '

2. KEEP IT SIMPLE Equally, in keeping with love being a fairly simple thing after all, there isn't much more romantic than snuggling up to them in bed, with a "How's about marrying me then...?". Intimate and charming in its innocence, you could try pitching up at his door and riffing on Bob Dylan, presenting placards listing how and why you love him and want him to be yours for life.

3. DRESS YOU UP It sounds obvious, but by dressing up with a good dress, some cannot-fail YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipstick and heels, you will not only up your confidence levels, but be a knockout vision for him, too.

4. THE WAY TO A MAN'S HEART Those old wives knew a thing or two. What's not to love about a hearty, decadent surprise home cooked meal from Hawksmoor at Home? Job done.

5. IT TAKES TWO Avoid unnerving him by proposing in too public a space. This also alleviates some of the pressure of an audience! If you are going to propose at a sport event or in at a restaurant, wait until the crowd around you is jumping up to celebrate a goal or write the proposal on their napkin to keep it discreet - if they react euphorically, then you can both jump up and do a victory dance on the table, or accept the free champagne...

6. YOU HAD ME AT HELLO Don't over complicate what you're going to say. Proposals are nerve-wracking things that can make you feel very vulnerable so you need to speak from the heart about how much you adore them and get the question out. Don’t speak in riddles, but do give into the giddiness and euphoria of it all – it’s a nice thing you’re asking, so don’t be embarrassed. Let your love do the talking.

7. KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON Try not to panic if he doesn’t instantaneously say yes. He may be a touch dumb-struck, think it’s a ruse or you may simply have stolen his thunder by pipping him to the proposal.

8. MORE MOET, MORE PROBLEMS Have one drink for Dutch courage, but don’t get sloshed to try and staunch your nerves: this is a recipe for slurred words and you may not even remember having asked or what the outcome was the next morning. Wait to pop a bottle of Moet & Chandon finest open until he's said yes.

9. FALL AT YOUR FEET Don’t kneel - it looks a little less chivalric, more craven when a woman does it. Plus, it’s tricky in heels and skirts and hard on the knees!

10. PUT A RING ON IT Seal the deal with a kiss, or a classically beautiful Cartier watch such as the Ballon Bleu (above) with the proposal date engraved on the back plate.
Visit the London boutique 143 - 144 Sloane Street, London SW1X 9AY. Cartier.co.uk

And remember, tradition dictates (and was once law) that if he refuses you are entitled to a kiss and a silk gown; if he says yes however, the positive is that many men will return the proposal to ensure you get the diamonds!

SEE MORE CARTIER BEAUTIES HERE

PUT A RING ON IT: Tiffany's What Makes Love True campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:24:00 +0000

True love.

Almost as hard to define as the bounds of the universe, it exists above, beyond, under, through, regardless, without rule or reserve - like a north star, always lighting the way even when the daily grind makes you forget to look up and wonder at the magic of it.

True love is the rarest and most precious of things. You have to consider lucky those fortuitous enough to find the person for whom their love never wobbles in this crazy, crazy world. A little sprinkling of everyday gold-dust, is love. It's so very special that countless songs, poems and masterpieces have been inspired by it (or for want of it). And now, adding some sparkling weight to this canon of love comes Tiffany's adorable What Makes Love True campaign.

Made cool - as opposed to saccharine - by hiring cult fashion favourite Scott Schulman (of The Sartorialist) and his beautiful girl Garance Dore to curate, this little offshoot from the main Tiffany's website is where I go to cheer myself up and remind me why really it is love, actually, that is all you need.

SEE MORE WHAT MAKES LOVE TRUE PHOTOS HERE

I'm not quite brave enough to upload my Love's and my image (plus, the cat would be a little out of the bag about the identity of QBride!) but wholeheartedly encourage you to. It's the second best thing to your lover actually kneeling down with one of those magical little baby turquoise boxes and asking "Will you...." seeing your beaming faces here among many, caught in a timeless Tiffany's-shaped testament to your love being true. I've posted below my favourites - a word of caution though, you just might need a lace-edged hankie to hand...
Whatmakeslovetrue.com

NATIONAL TREASURE: Last minute chance to buy National Wedding Show tickets for London Olympia 24 - 26th February

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:28:00 +0000

If by chance, you have tomorrow or this coming weekend free, you won't have for much longer: if there's one piece of advice I manage to distill to brides through this blog, it will be how inspiring, helpful and enlightening a good wedding show can be.

Never has this been more true than when it comes to the National Wedding Show, which rocks up London Olympia from the 24th to the 26th February (and then wends its pretty way to the Birmingham NEC on the 16th March).

GET YOUR LAST MINUTE NATIONAL WEDDING SHOW TICKETS HERE

A one-hit wonder of chic and beautiful dresses, catwalk shows featuring the likes of Sassi Holford, Claire Pettibone and Jenny Packham, bridal confidence coaching, venues, fantastical floristry and reception ideas it is both a perfect and effortless starting point for the newly engaged and a cunning way to source the finishing touches should you be somewhat further along your adventure up the aisle like me (7 months encounting as of yesterday!). What's not to love?

Tickets start at £13.50, bookeable below or on the ticket hotline 0844 581 1404

Nationalweddingshow.co.uk

LET THEM EAT CAKE: Pomp de Franc and Janet Mohapi Banks

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:46:00 +0000

Seriously. Cakes do not come much better than the delightful creations from the hands of these two preternaturally talented cake-artists. It's going to be difficult to describe the works of Janet Mohapi Banks and Katie Franklin without resorting to hyperbole and excess, but think something along the lines of airy flavours that hint at deep, exotic Madagascan vanilla, the softly spoken tease of marzipan that oozes once the heady chocolateyness has subsided, or banana laced sponge twinned with caramel infused chocolate. Wedding cakes are your one chance to be flamboyant, to indulge and have a cake that is so achingly pretty you almost daren't eat it (but heck, you're going to anyway). I cannot recommend these lovely one-woman-band talents enough - makers of luxurious cakes that are almost enough of an excuse to marry for alone.

Something borrowed, something blue: Pomp de Franc's flower cup-cakes

JANET MOHAPI BANKS

As sweet as her cakes, Janet is one of our newest discoveries at Quintessentially Weddings: the dense chocolate and almond miniature wedding cake encased in the most perfectly horizontal icing we've ever seen (piped with droplet swags) rendered the whole wedding planning team speechless - no mean feat. Working from her Surrey cake atelier, she is the favoured supplier of the Dorchester, The Ritz, The May Fair Hotel, Syon Park and the Connaught no less which speaks volumes about her chic and scrumptious cakes. Every cake is entirely bespoke, a word I usually dread as too readily commandeered by marketing types, but which is very apt here with each cake handmade by Janet herself and tweaked to perfection to incorporate your favourite flavours.
Janetmohapibanks.com

Wedding belle: the super pretty Falling Blossom cake

Roses are red: a wedding cake of which Robbie Burns would surely approve
CREDITS: All flowers courtesy of Wild About, venue Fetcham Park House (Parallel Venues), styling Stacey Marie Chalk, photographs Juliet McKee

POMP DE FRANC

With her pleasingly English affection for the lightly bonkers, Katie Franklin of Pomp de Franc is one of the most creative and whimsical cake-makers out there. When she's not crafting giant gingerbread houses for the likes of Mulberry, Vogue, Stella McCartney, Lanvin or Lily Cooper (formerly Allen), she can lend her hands to gorgeous, candy-coloured cupcakes topped with botanical forms, edible glitter and chocolate turrets and towers of luscious chocolate cake or layered rainbow coloured sponge which make for novel and unique wedding cakes.
Pompdefranc.tumblr.com

SEE MORE OF POMP DE FRANC'S EYE-CANDY HERE

The height of yumminess: a Pomp de Franc chocolate wedding cake

Cherry-pop: fun and tasty, what's not to like?

Janetmohapibanks.com

BLOOMING LOVELY: Wedding flower tips and The Flower Appreciation Society

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Flowers are one of the great wedding staples. They deliver endlessly beautiful, natural decoration and can either oomph up your venue's glamour, or simply accentuate, embellish and prettify. No matter how big or pared-back the wedding you are planning may be, these humble seducers of buzzy types are a must.

Wedding wonderland: replete with Bambi and fairytale flowers. Image courtesy of Ann-Kathrin Koch on RockmyWedding.co.uk

The good news is, as weddings have diversified and become far more idiosyncratic (and dare I say, stylish) things, it has encouraged a blossoming of fantastically talented florists for each and every aesthetic, feel - and most importantly, budget. Whether you want luscious piles of heady Great British roses, or loose, just-strolled-through-a-meadow-and-grabbed-these-as-I-went naive arrangements there will be a florist to suit.

Novel vases make for interest and a style statement, meaning less flowers and money saving!

One of the most important aspects of wedding planning is working out your budget allocation: dependent on how ornate or 'finished' the interior decoration and furnishings of your ceremony and reception venue already are you may need to dedicate anything between £200 to many thousands to dress your space. The secret to effective flowers is to be tactical - not only in terms of what flowers you plump for, but what you do with them. Hydrangeas for instance offer an amazingly generous head of blossom for not much money, and come in a sumptuous range of candy shades from lilac to dusky pink, and Wedgwood blue. They look heavenly spilling out over urns or buckets, and as I have recently seen, look particularly sweet peeping out of wicker baskets for some Thoma Hardy riffing country style. So without further ado, these are my top tips for maximising your flowers, whatever your budget...

QUINTESSENTIALLY WEDDINGS INSIDER FLOWER SECRETS

Create drama and detail with texture: one of my most recent discoveries (whom I was reluctant to share, but as it's you...) are the super-romantic The Flower Appreciation Society who trained as textile artists. You should also check out one half of The Flower Appreciation Society Ellie's adorable knit-wear line, EDE (Edeengland.co.uk). The girls' arrangements are as exuberantly chic as they are Erdem-like, all buxom, soft blooms, layers and punchy colours that are inspired by embroidery and tapestry techniques. Pairing teeny, delicate flowers with blousy blooms such as peonies, Norma Jean Roses and astrantia makes for real feast for the eyes. Try asking for what I'm calling a 'living table-runner': a motley arrangement of vases with trailing plants and foilage wrapped about them, dripping off the sides of the table - and perhaps even some loose flower heads stitched to the table cloth for sensuous, whimsical detail. Theflowerappreciationsociety.co.uk

SEE MORE OF THE FLOWER APPRECIATION SOCIETY'S BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS HERE

Flower 'embroidery' (left) as captured by Elizabeth Messina.

Play with dimensions and levels: pop posies of baby's breath or rose heads in antique glasses, votives or milk jugs, and juxtapose with a jumble of larger, taller vases and urns to create a complex yet pocket-friendly display. Focus your budget on the bigger arrangements from your florist, and make the smaller pieces together yourself with some oasis foam soaked in water.

Get messy: toy around with heights and containers. Flowers by Absolute Flowers

Go seasonal and British: you'll pay the air miles and inflated price for imported, more exotic flowers. Try and source flowers locally, and work with what's in season - you'll be surprised how gorgeous an armful of delphiniums, apple blossom or ranunculus can look. What's more, bolted (flowering) herbs and potently fragranced flowers such as roses, lily, jasmine and eucalyptus are a clever way of ramping up the perfume, helping create a real multisensory effect to your decor.

Like standing in a bottle of Chanel no.5: nature's loveliest pong.

DIY: Don't be shy of having a bash at table flowers yourself - what's not to love about a slightly less perfect, yes, but still dazzlingly pretty arrangement from your own fair hands? Jamie Aston runs accessible, non-scary introductions to wedding floristry courses from his Great Portland Street flower atelier that will have you producing delightful arrangements like a pro in no time.

We're Jamming: get creative with freely available containers - get your family and friends to collect Bon Maman jars or kilner numbers for a low-key retro pretty look.

Pick n' Mix: fill a big bucket of flowers for as little as £50 with the pick-your-own option at Bloominggreenflowers.co.uk farm in Maidstone, Kent.

Drop the 'W' word: when first making enquiries, tell the florist that you are looking for a bouquet for your mother and some arrangements for a big birthday party - it's a little white lie that may save you lots!

"Oh no, just your average cakestand for a 58th birthday will do...." The lovely work of The Flower Appreciation Society.

Don't presume you can't afford a florist: many will help you find affordable alternatives to your favourite blooms and you can cut a big cost by collecting the flowers yourself - bouquets often start at just £50. Also, see the March/April issue of Conde Nast Brides magazine for their illuminating feature on spot-the-difference bouquets - it's like Gok Wan versus Brit Smith Start's fashion-offs, but better.

Say hello to your latest crush: the many splendoured works of Saipua.

Visit New York florist Saipua's website and blog for phenomenally beautiful ideas and inspiration. So pretty, you may need as lace-edged hanky to hand. Saipua.com and Saipua.Blogspot.com

DREAM LOVER: JENNY PACKHAM NEW 2012 COLLECTION

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:25:00 +0000

If you were lucky enough to become engaged yesterday (in which case, our most heartfelt congratulations - welcome to the ride of your life!) or are simply hunting for that one, undeniably heavenly gown among the myriad of offerings among the acres of tulle and enough sparkle to outdo Dolly Parton in full blown Memphis rhinestone mode, you will be fast become familiar with the ache of not finding that dream dress. There will always seem to be that one little twist that is missing from even the most near-perfect of wedding numbers, that one overlooked nuance that could have lifted a dress from meh to extraordinary. You will panic. There will be the hours of trawling the Internet and pleas from your Fiance, who will try and palm you off by telling you that you'll look beautiful whatever you wear (a sweet enough sentiment, but if you are a bride like me who is as fashion loving as they are fussy, an anodyne half-hearted dress won't cut the mustard - nor should it).

Worry not. You need only take one glimpse at the Spring Summer 2012 collection of paradisaical gowns from Jenny Packham to realise your hunt should start and quite possibly finish here. From the star-studded bodice and waterfall of chiffon that is Anya, to dark gilded embellishment on Iris (a real siren dress if ever I saw one), Willow with its delicate explosion of gossamer sequins on a classic Packham cap-sleeved, golden-age of glamour silhouette, or the faery-queen burnished gold yoke of Ormlie, these gowns bridge the gap between modern femininity and a lost world of spellbinding, glittering enchantment. The bridal fairytale re-imagined for our time, if you will.

SEE THE NEW COLLECTION HERE

JENNY PACKHAM

Bride Boutique, 75 Elizabeth Street, London SW1W 9PJ

T: 0207 730 2264

E: Bride@JennyPackham.com

www.JennyPackham.com

PENSHURST PLACE

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:08:00 +0000

This is a place that is very dear to my heart, one of the last times I remember spending with my lovely Nana who took (at the time, this was more like dragged) me to this ravishing house. She loved places with the sort of serenely majestic architecture you'll find here, all cobbles, corbels, soaring beams and oaken panelling. But upon returning to it, I find something new: that little whisper of a rock and roll spirit. It's there in the 14th Century Baron's hall, which speaks of groaning feasts, dancing and merriment. Again, in the bowers of the formal gardens where one imagines naughty encounters to have happened in bygone chivalric ages. You can almost hear the clank of spurs, or the everyday rustle of women's skirts as they trailed across the floor (and not just on their wedding day, as now). The fire pit and sinking, deep sapphire and crimson colours of the tapestries, lead-trimmed glass and decadent faded grandeur certainly help.

A Knight's Tale: the Baron's Hall in all its finery.

Nestled in the heart of the Garden of England, Penshurst Place is set among the undulating fields of Tonbridge Wells and is the family seat of Viscount De L'isle. Local lore has it that the figures perched under the eaves of the Baron's hall were the peasants and yeomen who worked the Penshurst fields, and they make for a witty talking point when enjoying a long, lazy wedding breakfast here.

Licensed for civil ceremonies, the catering is ably provided by Leiths, Whilst Penshurst is a venue for all seasons - when paired with heated marquees in the fragrant herb and evergreen bordered lawns in deep midwinter - to me it calls for goblets of wine and spitroasts, but tempered with loose country flowers and a knock-out Vivienne Westwood gown...

Vivienne Westwood 'Carrie' dress: big swoon.

Penshurst Place Near Tonbridge, Kent TN11 8DG.
Tel: 01892 870307
Penshurstplace.com

FEATHERED FRIENDS: TWO BIRDS BRIDESMAIDS

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:15:00 +0000

If you are anything like me, your best girls are likely to be a motley crew of various style sensibilities, shapes and attitude to the whole upstaging the bride debacle. You will also likely, like me, be tempted to make like an ostrich when the words 'bridesmaid dress' are mentioned. The adored team who support you in your day to day life and on your big day are all individuals with different assets and colourings, tastes and quirks who dress in a very distinct way to each other. And you no doubt love them for it: so why should a bridesmaid's dress be any different?

'Well, they did say these were knock-out dresses....'

Two Birds are dusting down the notion of staid bridesmaids' wear to create a capsule collection of dresses that - and here's the ingenious bit - can be worn in no less than 15 different ways. By way of bodice straps that can be whipped around the neck to form a halter, twisted and knotted to create sweet cap-sleeves or Grecian one-shoulder styles, one simple idea can be rendered completely unique yet totally in-keeping. With the assistance of an App that guides you through the steps to each look, there is bound to be a solution for every body issue (those possessed of a generous bosom will be pleased to hear there are also supportive bandeau's in matching hues available) or winning way to show off the bits they love, with four different lengths that range from leggy to floor-sweepers.

VISIT TWO BIRDS BRIDESMAIDS HERE

Made from a luxurious jersey blend that drapes and falls beautifully, the dresses themselves are perfect for destination weddings. Just scrunch it up into a roll and pack in your suitcase - although don't tell them I said 'scrunch'! - and are stocked nationwide if you cannot make it to their London studio. There are 19 delectable shades from antique rose to peppy pastel lilacs by way of cerulean blue and Delphic white (think Pippa Middleton) with the Rosette shape trimmed with ruffles at the hem or covering the entire skirt for a real wedding trend. All exude an effortless, easy kind of femininity that fits any mood or theme, be it high 1930s golden age glamour to a more breezy, bohemian spiritedness.

These are dresses for morning, evening and night that your girls can change throughout the day to suit their mood or fancy some more unbridled dancing, perhaps! There is something of the chameleon about Two Birds dresses - and thank goodness for that.

Twobirdsbridesmaid.co.uk
T: 0207 243 8647

MELTDOWN & THE WEDMIN SURVIVAL GUIDE

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:14:00 +0000

The Dark Side of Wedmin

I have a confession and an apology to make. Firstly, that I have been missing in blogging action for some weeks now. Sorry - bad QBride. Secondly, I need to admit how poor a state my (non-existent) wedmin is in. It was last seen sometime around Christmas, in a sherry-fogged realisation that I hadn't even confirmed with the vicar we were actually booked in to wed! Cripes.

With just eight months to go, I am in meltdown. I have no bridesmaids dresses, no flowers, no entertainment, no transport, no crockery, no spare toilets (the least attractive part of wedding planning), no drinks, no shoes, no hen-do, no rings, no photographer, no lighting, no decorations or props, no readings or hymns chosen, no first-dance, no veil, no grooms outfits, no tables nor chairs, no make-up artist, no honeymoon, no time.

Eight months may seem generous to those amazing brides who turn out a perfectly personal, stylish wedding day in the average six months: but I have been amazed by how quickly the past year and a half of being engaged has slipped past. I know the next eight months will do precisely the same, with the same unforeeables popping up (writing of wedding planning books, moving home, bridesmaids announcing pregnancies...). You get the gist.

This is the funny thing: as someone for whom wedding planning and styling is their day-in-day-out much loved job, the demanding and highly personal task of planning my own wedding suddenly seems overwhelming and appears to transcend everything. I have a new found appreciation of the virtues of the whole elopement or Las Vegas thing. As I start to take to the idea of Elvis as celebrant in all his glittery finery, I know I am in knee-deep trouble.

What is called for is a wedmin makeover - and some serious multi-tasking.

This is where my wedding planning survival guide comes in, drawn up initially to help me but shared with you in the hope it might help brides (and grooms!) as life's too short to worry so much about your wedding that all the fun and loveliness of the planning process gets taken out.

THE WEDMIN SURVIVAL GUIDE

Now is the time to unleash a swoon-worthy Smythson wedding planner, as to put it all in one of these beauties is to leap straight into the realms of the slickest of wedding planning - smoothly gets what smoothly does after all. Keep everything together for quick checks, including receipts, direct dials, payment dates and essentials.

· Learn from my mistakes: tackle the less-swoony formal aspects of planning (the ceremony with a church, or if you are opting for a civil ceremony find your local registrar via direct.gov.uk) before you start on the prettier, personal and more romantic parts of the planning process.

Church before Champagne: noted.

Make friends with the list: break it into sections of short-term and longer-lead tasks to tick off and include everything you have already done, too. Work out what's missing and what's most important to you from these. Then prioritise: sort your vows out before the favours for example, and if you're a fashion-conscious bride, look to completing your outfit before the wine choices (which you can no doubt happily leave to your groom. He'll love you for it). This will also likely have the added bonus of illuminating how much you have already achieved, and make the rest of the wedmin not seem so insurmountable.

Hotpants optional, although they may help with groom persuasion.

· Play IT girl: get to grips with creating an Excel spreadsheet to accurately track your spending and distribution of your budget. You should have every possible cost and list in a column on the left, note who is contributing to which costs (or how you are going to allocate any money your parents may be putting into your fund) create a column for the deposit figure and an outstanding total column too. Colour code for what 'stage' of the planning process these fit into and note when balances will need to be paid by.
NOTE: Always border on the OCD with your maths, and have a 'reserve' or contingency budget - 77% of brides overspend on their original budget so play safe, not sorry.

· Play dress-up: Put your entire bridal outfit on and check all is present and correct and sort it if not. Move around to check your heels aren't going to make you homicidal come nine o'clock, and invest in some Party Feet cushions if so. Boots.com

Watters Palm Springs gown: pair with silver shoes and a net beehive.

· Breathe: cortisol, the stress hormone, increases adrenaline, mistakes and skin complaints. There is only so much miracle last-minute cures and a glass of wine can do. Take a break, go for a walk, take a trip to a soothing spa. I love Hay Barn Spa at Daylesford Organic Farm for some blissful relaxation. Come back refreshed and tackle things anew. Daylesfordorganic.com

Daylesford Organic Farm's Bamford Spa: just looking at it soothes.

·Establish your day’s Running Order (or Production Schedule as we call it here at Quintessentially Weddings). This should list the timings for the ceremony,have an allocation of time for photography and journey time to get to your reception venue, your reception drinks and the breakfast serving times, too. Double check you have suppliers in place for each stage, and put a name next to who is your key contact for each area. Give your running order to a trusted, 'Scout-leader' friend (you know the type, hyper organised and likely to know what the traffic is like in the area some 10 minutes before the rest of you) some weeks in advance so they are briefed and can check everyone is in place with a quick phone call on the day. This means you can sleep easy knowing someone else also knows the masterplan.

·Do not delegate sourcing or choosing items or suppliers for things you care deeply about. This is a recipe for disaster - yes, ask your mum to find a choir or harpist but don't risk someone else's tastes in flowers, decor or food if you are fussy as it will likely niggle on the day.

·Sometimes keeping things simple and doing them well is better than a haphazard, all-or-nothing approach to decor and any concept or theme you are working to. It's always wiser to focus on one thing then only move onto the teeny details if you have time.

Plates, glassware, menus, flowers, ornaments - practical and pretty should come first.

·Groom your groom: don't shoulder it all and morph into a bridezilla - he's likely to know far more about cars, suits, alcohol, music and insurance than you might give him credit for. Ask him to start looking at these well in advance (8 - 9 months before the wedding) so that if he doesn't manage to come up trumps, you have enough time to rectify any oversights. Also get him to buy himself a sparkly new IamStaggered.com's Staggered Groom Guide.

An Aston Martin to the wedding? Yes please. Get yours from GreatEscapecars.co.uk

Remember that if a supplier is particularly good, they will get snapped up early. The legendary wedding photographers Julia Boggio, Lucy Tanner, Joth Shakerley, Shanna Jones, Aneta Mak, Marianne Taylor, Steve Gerrard (to mention but a few) and extraordinarily talented florists such as The Flower Appreciation Society (look at the gorgeous Annabel's LoveMyDress.net blog today!), Absolute Flowers, By Appointment Only Design, McQueens florists and the RealFlower Company all book up months in advance. And if you fancy some of the luminously beautiful Paul Antonio's pencraft as seen in Conde Nast Bridesmagazine (and on Kate Moss' Save the Dates no less), you'd be hard pressed to commission him this year, he's so run off his feet.

Stairway to heaven: the works of By Appointment Only Design.

·Leave the tiny minutae such as place or escort cards which can be done very last minute. Table plans however, riddled with politics and matchmaking fun as they are should be carefully thought through some weeks in advance. Grab your groom and a glass of wine and get it dusted.

Cutture beautiful tableplans - you wouldn't want to ruin one of these with last minute changes!

·Create a wedding planning 'trousseau' or box in which to stash all of the wedding paperwork, samples, fabric swatches, magazines, print out of budget sheets and Production schedules and all the little extras you will unwittingly collect along the way. This means that if panic sets in (remember, breathe) everything is together. The last thing you'll want to cope with on top of wedmin is a house that looks like burglars have been for tea.

Stack 'em high: Trunks from NotontheHighStreet.com

· Smile. It has a radiant effect, and you'll be surprised at the effect when haggling or negotiating with your groom.

AND KEEP YOUR EYES HAWK-LIKE FOR THE SECRET QUINTESSENTIALLY WEDDING GUIDE FOR MORE WEDMIN WONDERMENT (Launching Summer 2012)

Wedding dress fitting: the guide

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:11:00 +0000

As tomorrow and my first dress fitting beckons (!) I thought it was high time I shared some wedding dress fitting survival tips. Some are gleaned from the team here at Quintessentially Weddings, and some unadulterated insider knowledge by way of model castings and a Saturday job in a bridal shop as a teen. Some are just a little unashamedly self-indulgent as I see the fitting as an extra special excuse for some new Agent Provocateurs. Hello, bride!

1. Take the maids or friends who were unable to come on the dress hunt, and also those who will be honest with you about your planned 2 stone weight loss. You know who they are, and they love you just as you are (as does your future husband, who asked you, not you-three-sizes-smaller, to be his wife).

2. Go prepared with shoes: these should be either your actual wedding shoes or shoes of a similar height to those you anticipate wearing on the big day (and if you are doing your 'something old' with the shoes, give the soles a thorough clean to avoid messing the dress and annoying the shop assistants).

3. Plan an appointment as early in the day as possible. The dieter's logic is that you are generally 1 -2lbs lighter in the morning and you will likely be a bundle of nerves on the big day itself so will lose this amount naturally with the jitters.

4. Most bridal specialists will not order a dress for you based upon a hoped-for slimming down. They aren't being mean - quite the opposite in fact when it comes to your confidence and purse. Most brides do not lose that much weight, and there is only so much even a super skilled seamstress can do with a seam allowance.

5. You are better off going armed with some Spanx and trying to not drink too much (a beauty pageant trick I am almost ashamed to know of) during the day so as to lessen water retention and make your body appear more toned. Avoid carbs, salt, sugar and fizzy drinks for a few days prior to the fitting as these will be easy to repeat before your wedding day and give a realistic 'trimming' of your figure without full throttle, silly dieting.

6. My relationship with Agent Provocateur is almost as strong as I hope my marriage will be. Pretty, sophisticated and pleasingly saucy without the all-out kink of its mainline collections. The bridal ranges and Imelda strapless bra make for good choices if your dress is strapless or has a flimsy top (see right). And I promise there will be no yanking up of your dress every few nanoseconds.
Agentprovocateur.com

7. If there is lacing, don't be afraid to ask for a good hauling-in.

8. Move around in your dress and don't be afraid to ask for a little more fabric in places where you feel restricted if your gown is made to measure or can have such alterations (Ian Stuart is fantastic at letting brides play with their dresses). You need to be able to sit, dance and walk with ease.

9. A tip learnt from the lovely Miss Bush Bridal Wear: don't be cheeky and expect any alterations for free. The seamstresses bridal shops will use will be exquisitely skilled. Their time is worth every penny. Equally, don't scrimp on alterations - a gaping or ill-fitting gown will make you feel uncomfortable and not look your best in pictures.

10. Enjoy seeing your dress again - it isn't likely you will have any wobbles, but some bridal shops will (with a bit of gentle persuasion) allow you to switch to another gown. However, check you can afford any difference in cost and no formal order has been placed. This is the 'forever hold your peace' part when it comes to your gown.

And that's it!

Good luck brides.

FANTASY FRIDAY: Dior Couture

noreply@blogger.com (Quintessentially Bride) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:03:00 +0000

With its steal-your-breath beauty and legendary couture, Dior Couture is the stuff of dreams. Bridal inspiration does not come much more fairytale than these images of masterpiece gowns as captured in the new tome.

Even the images of designs from the label's definitive 1947 New Look hold ideas for the vintage-referencing bride. There has been little since to surpass the whipped in, dainty waists and explosions of skirt of these classic A-line dresses when it comes to making a stylish statement on your wedding day. Then there is the knockout beauty of Galliano, or the glamour of Yves Saint Laurent's designs to look-to. If you are just starting out on your hunt for the dress (in which case you really should read 'How to find the one after The One') you won't go far wrong with a copy of this toted around as a reference.

Luminous fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier's portraits of the likes of Gisele Bundchen, Natalia Vodianova, Charlize Theron, Karolina Kurkova and Gemma Ward perfectly encapsulate the atelier's appeal: fantastical, grand and exquisitely romantic. Quite simply, these are gowns and wedding gown inspiration like no other.

CLICK HERE TO READ HOW TO FIND THE ONE AFTER THE ONE

Dior Couture published by Rizzoli is out 6 December.