Bridal Express

Brilliant reasons why it's great to have a smaller wedding

Many couples are thinking about having smaller weddings. Whatever your reasons are, Damian Clarkson, MD of A-list caterer Red Snapper Events who have catered for the likes of OK! magazine and the Angels Ball has give us a whole list of reasons why you're making the right choice.

Damien says, "As the big day draws closer, I have seen many brides become increasingly stressed and worried about the big day. I often notice that the stress associated with a wedding is proportional to the size of the invite list. So why give yourself the unnecessary extra work?"

His top reasons for having a smaller wedding are:

- Smaller weddings are usually more intimate. Most people choose to invite only family and very close friends. This can make it a really special day that you will enjoy and everyone invited will remember, rather than it blurring into a hazy memory with all the other similar large weddings they've attended.

- Having a restricted guest list means you can spend more of your budget on making the day truly spectacular. You can allow yourself to opt for the slightly more expensive menu and higher quality wine choices - following the expression of quality over quantity!

- An intimate wedding means you can actually have time to speak to all the guests, and share your special day with them instead of rationing your time by dividing it between 100 plus guests.

Flickr Finds: gift tags for wedding favours

 

I've only just started getting into Flickr (it's taken me a long time to join the bandwagon!) and I've been on the search for gift tags today. Gift tags like these are really versatile - use them for place settings or for favours. I think some of them should inspire some creativity and it shouldn't be too hard to make your own with your own colours and themes. Enjoy!

Top: Paper flowers by Carambatack; Flourish tags by Sesame Letterpress

Middle: Kiwi tags by A Scrappy Designs; Scallop edged tags with coloured ribbon by Handmade by Amy

Bottom: Two letter monogram by MeTania99; Scalloped name tag by Little Bugs Boutique

Students' futuristic wedding dresses shortlisted for Bridal Buyer Award

Pictured: Suzannah, left, and Astra with their shortlisted designs.

It's the stuff of dreams for some students to have their creations shortlisted for a top award but that's exactly what has happened to Astra Slater and Suzannah Leigh, both 20, from Leicester's De Mortfort University. Astra and Suzannah have been selected among nine finalists for the the 2009 Bridal Buyer Awards, organised by top industry magazine Bridal Buyer and are understandably thrilled.

"The brief was designing a futurism wedding dress. I wanted to keep the colour traditional with an ivory colour and focus on details of construction and embellishment. using a vast amount of beading and also used glass ball balls.  Also, my design includes cloak with a massive hood," said Suzannah. "I was inspired hugely by the designer Swavskoski.  I wanted my dress to look mechanical yet glamorous.  I also looked at lamps, glass (shattered glass), and night as inspiration.  I also went to look at the Bath Costume museum and was actually doing my designs on the coach home."

Astra drew on inspiration from architecture for her design. "I wanted to create a structured stylish dress that accentuates the contour of the body."

"My design has been inspired by 18th century collars and cuffs, but also the futuristic architecture of Barcelona.  I have taken curvaceous structures and transformed them into a pleated frill which emphasises the silhouette.

More pictures after the cut!

Wearable fashion by DePloy Couture and Hennumi

Deploy Couture hit on a great idea when they created their collection of mix'n'match pieces. The idea is really simple. Instead of having one special dress you may only wear once, why not have a dress that can be split into various elements then mix and matched with other pieces to create new outfits.

Sister label Hennumi are certainly worth a mention. Headwear is created using offcuts or recycled from other outfits to create unique pieces that can be customised with freshwater pearls, crystals beads, feathers, and vintage buttons to create styles like the ones above.

Their flagship store has just opened at 34 Thayer Street W1U 2QX or visit DePloy Couture and Hennumi online.

Etsy finds: Pretty items for your wedding

Etsy - as many of you will already know - is a treasure trove of gorgeous and unique items. There are plenty of things available suitable for weddings from favours to stationery and accessories - see what I've found to add the unique wow factor to your wedding.

Top: Damask monogrom guestbook, $40 by Lilyelle; Silk monogram ring pillow, $37 Peekb4.

Middle: Birdcage veil, $45 ChuletinDesigns; Pocket invitation, $5.25 by EmbellishedbyTiffany.

Bottom: River rocks personalised name favours, $16 for 2, sjengraving; Silk Japanese clutch $55, DavieandChiyo.

'Rosa' by Rachel Simpson Shoes

I was fortunate enough to interview Rachel last year and took a good look at her range of shoes. There's definately something for everyone and comfort has not been sacrificed for style online - top marks for that!

Alot of the range has a vintage edge to it with different heels and shoe types. I'm quite keen on this ivory leather 'Rosa' shoe with a very delicate gold detail and floral trim. The price at £139 is great for a bridal shoe too.

See her bridal range here.

Wedding tiaras for hire from BluBangle

How many times will you wear a tiara? Perhaps just the once, and if you're not fussy about keeping it, it might make sense to hire one instead. BluBangle have a small range of tiaras available as part of the jewellery hire service including this crystal leaf and pearl tiara, left, and the Princess tiara, right. Check out the range online here.

Children's activity box from Les Enfants

If you're having children at your wedding, I heartily recommend putting some thought into how the little dears will be entertained. if you don't want to put together a gift box yourself, and they can be challenging, then children's party specialists Les Enfants have created a Wedding Activity Box.

Inside the white box there's a wedding activity book, stickers, coloured pencils, a card game, a board game with spinner and counters, and a keepsake box all of which are suitable for three to ten year olds and costs £18 each.
 
“Children at a wedding can be lovely, but long speeches and having to sit still can test the patience of even the most angelic child. Normally parents have to pack a few toys or crayons in their bag when going to a wedding with their children. Our packs take that hassle away as they’ll keep kids occupied for hours, letting their parents relax and enjoy themselves,” explains Katie Burnett, founder of Les Enfants.

Les enfants also have Le Kids Club, a childcare service with activities fromLe Cinema to Le Arts and Crafts and Le Theatre to keep the shorter guests entertained.

Check them out online here.

Blog Catalog

Is that a wedding dress we spot on Penelope Cruz et al at the Oscars?

Good to see that the A-listers are still flying the flag for high fashion with these distinctly bridal style frocks. First up is Penelope Cruz in vintage Balmain -

Sarah Jessica Parker goes for a cinched-in belt detail on her Dior ballgown -

And, Marisa Tomei swept in in a one-shouldered Versace gown:

 

I wouldn't be surprised to find similar styles cropping up in the next bridal collections.

Check out the best and worst dresses at The Fashion Police.