A Truly Romantic Real Wedding

Welcome to the Wedding of Dan and Rosie.  They really do have a lovely story to tell, as well as a beautiful Wedding at St Hugh's College, Oxford.  So take some time out, make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy this romantic and heartfelt tale.

Dan and Rosie met at Oxford University.  Dan was the organist at the Chapel and accompanied the choir which Rosie conducted, so they worked closely together for three years, even composing music together. It was not until the last day of Rosie's first year at university that they finally got together.

"It sounds cheesy, but it was the best thing that's ever happened to me - Dan is my best friend and I've never felt so comfortable being myself with anybody before or since meeting him."

"The venue was the perfect place for both of us - we first met in the Chapel where we had our marriage ceremony, so it was a place of huge significance for us. The bride usually marries in her home church, and this felt like 'home' for me. We also knew that we would be able to hold the reception in the same place, making the most of the beautiful landscaped gardens of St Hugh's. We knew that we wanted to hold our reception in a place where it would almost feel like we were outside (without having to contend with bad weather), so we chose a room with huge glass doors that slid back to reveal views of the lawns."

"We wanted a relaxed, summery feel, and the pastel colours that we chose for our flowers as well as the mismatched vintage china really brightened up the room and looked beautiful. We kept the actual decoration of the room fairly minimal, as the tables were bursting with colour, and it drew the attention to the gorgeous centre pieces that we had on each table. Our flowers were Piano Roses  combined with more structured sweet avalanche Roses, Stocks, Lisianthus, Blue Veronica and Eucalyptus leaves.  We kept the vases simple, choosing vintage-style mason jars alongside sleek glass cube vases which allowed the flowers to speak for themselves.  My engagement ring is a sapphire, so also wove a mid-blue into my bouquet as well as my bridesmaid's, and tied the colour in with the bridesmaid's dress and the groom's tie and pocket square."

"Tea played a large part at the reception - we both drink far too much tea and have quite a collection of different flavours, so we wanted to incorporate this into the day. It took quite a while to work out how we were going to organise it, but we wanted all of our guests to have a variety of teas to choose from. We bought little cream gift boxes from John Lewis and filled them with individually-wrapped teabags that we picked out from the selection at the Twinings Tea Shop in London. The wrappings were multi-coloured and looked gorgeous in the little boxes, and we managed to keep it a surprise from our guests until the afternoon tea - people really loved being able to pick out their own individual flavour. We also tied in the 'tea' theme by having our table names as different teas that are favourites of ours (this also worked really well as we were able to match some guests to a table named after a tea they really love, so it felt more personal and didn't go unnoticed!)."

"My husband is a musician and we met through our love of music, so we wanted to tie this in to our day too. We hired a grand piano and had a pianist playing throughout the afternoon tea, playing old classics such as 'As Time Goes By'.  It was a really special touch and was really atmospheric during the reception. We also had a very subtle nod to music in our wedding cake; we had little musical notes piped in amongst the swirls on the icing. We didn't want them to jump out when you looked at the cake, but we were both happy knowing that they were there."

"The best memory I have, though - and Dan and I agree on this - was leaving in a rickshaw. We were taken on a full journey around Oxford, where we were able to stop for photographs so we have some beautiful shots that are really unusual, and it was also a chance for us to spend some time alone together for the first time that day. As we rode through town loads of people called out congratulations to us and waved, and it really made our day extra special - the perfect ending to a wonderful day."

"Finding a wedding dress was a bit of a nightmare for me. Being very short, I had to find a dress that wouldn't make me look as wide as I am tall, which was no mean feat! I chose about four versions of 'the dress' in total - from a sparkly, frothy dress to a very fitted, vintage-style gown, but when I put 'my' dress on, even after months of searching, I felt excited. I think the fact that I kept looking even after I thought I'd found 'the one' meant that I still wasn't happy with it, and I'm really glad I went for my gut feeling and went for just one last appointment! I was so happy with the dress that I bought it there and then - it combined everything I was looking for and I felt really beautiful in it."

I had a whole mix of emotions when organising my wedding, but I look back on it extremely fondly! At times it was a challenge - there were so many meetings with different suppliers, so many different choices to make, and so many disappointing dress appointments - but overall it was a wonderful experience, and the good outweighs the not-so-good! The satisfaction of finding the supplier who is just right or of finding that perfect decoration for your venue is a really great feeling, and I loved seeing it all come together. It took me almost a year in total (during which time I actually planned two weddings - we were originally planning on a winter wedding!) but it does feel weird not having anything to plan now!

Rosie's Three Top Tips: 

1) Accept help when it's offered - by the time the wedding comes around you will be grateful for it, particularly when everything suddenly needs doing!
2) Stick to your guns. If there's something you really want, do everything within your power to make it happen, even if it means trekking across central London to find obscure little tea shops two weeks before the wedding! You will notice it on the day, and it'll feel like a little triumph - so don't let people talk you out of it!
3) Something is bound to go awry on the day, but don't let it faze you. In the end, what's important is that you're getting married to the person you love, and everything else pales into insignificance on the day itself.

Suppliers: 
Dress -  Maggie Sottero 'Nora' (bought at From This Moment Bridal, Surrey), Veil -  Rainbow Club 'Intrigue' (single tier, Chapel length, raw edge), Shoes -  Rainbow Club 'Cheryl' (these can be dyed by the company even after they've been worn so I will be able to wear them again), Flowers -  Joanna Carter Contemporary Flowers (http://www.joannacarterflowers.co.uk/), Make-up - Juliet Cunnington (http://www.bridalmakeupbyjuliet.co.uk/), Hair - I did this myself but I used products I would swear by for curly hair and then let it dry naturally: John Frieda Frizz Ease Hair Serum, Kérastase Créme D'Huile Oléo-Curl, Redken Curvaceous Ringlet, Bridesmaid Dresses - Dessy After Six (Style 6666) in 'Sailor' (http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/6666/#.Uk8pyYYsmSo), Cake -  Streatley Village Cakes (http://www.streatleyvillagecakes.co.uk/), Vintage China - Jolly Vintage Tea Party (www.jollyvintageteaparty.co.uk), Chairs - Oxford Event Hire (www.oxfordeventhire.co.uk), Photographer - Huw Evans (http://www.huwevansphotography.co.uk)

Nudwear - The Perfect Bridal Underwear For No Visible Lines

As I am sure many of you will have found so many times in the past, finding underwear to suit dresses that require strapless and backless underwear is just impossible.  And for your Big Day this is especially important!  Which is why I am sharing Nudwear with you all.

Created by best friends Astrid Montalta and Sammy Ivanko who, when Sammy got engaged, in their search for the perfect wedding dress they too discovered that what you wear underneath your perfect dress on your big day was just as important.  With no luck in their search, these two business savvy ladies decided to take on the High Street and Nüdwear was born.

Nudwear promise 'no straps, no lines, just curves' and I have to say... it works! So well that we ordered Nudwear for all of the bridesmaids for Fleur's Wedding!

Now, they are not the most attractive garments to wear but they really do what they promise, and they are well worth buying for the no worry factor of straps and lines visible on your big day.

Nudwear are offering Bride De Force readers 10% off all purchases, just use the code: 'bdforce' at the checkout.

A Beautiful and Traditional Real Wedding

Welcome to the beautiful Wedding album of Ami and Andrew. I think their Wedding has achieved a  perfect mix of traditional, luxurious and delicate details.  I absolutely love their Wedding Post Box and their Wedding cake is just amazing. This is definitely a Wedding to cheer up this miserable Monday morning!

Huge thanks goes to the amazing John Alexander Photography.

The Perfect Wedding Present For The Couple Who Has Everything!

When you are seriously stuck with what to get for that person who has everything, don't fear... I have found the perfect solution! When pondering (for hours on end) about what to buy my sister, Fleur, and her fiance recently my husband came up with a fantastic idea... a double swing for their new garden.  It ticked all of the boxes... something to keep forever, something unusual that no one else would buy and something they could both use.

I then came across Make Me Something Special who created exactly what I wanted.  The beautiful double wooden swing was delivered just two weeks after I ordered it, handmade using the finest English Oak (to make sure it will last) and beautifully carved with their initials and Wedding date.

Make Me Something Special also have other fantastic ideas for personalised Wedding presents, I absolutely love their engraved chopping boards, that would also make great cheese boards... one for my Christmas list!

For 10% discount at Make Me Something Special use the code: BRIDEDEFORCE at the checkout. 

Designer Bridal Trends for Spring 2014

Sitting alongside a sea of very excited future Brides at The National Wedding Show's catwalk show, we were greeted by an array of absolutely breath-taking gowns.  Here are just some of our favourites from the collections, as well as an insight into the up-coming trends for Spring 2014. 

Art Deco:
The vintage-theme wedding isn’t going anywhere and the designers are embracing it, taking inspiration from a truly Golden Age of Fashion.  Stunning art deco styled gowns were the order of the day with amazing intricate beading, delicate detail and beautiful layered antique lace.

Red Carpet:
Think elegant necklines, sophisticated slim fitting and elongated silhouettes. Designers used these key features to create absolutely fabulous red carpet worthy contemporary styles.  The use of textures in the making of these gowns really stands out with appliqued details and embellishments added to their designs.

Traditional:
For some brides ‘Big and beautiful’ is just the only way to go… and why not!? Exquisitely layered, full skirted designs with endless frothy tulle and shimmering crystals; gorgeous.  Brides who wanted true fairytale princess styling were not disappointed.

Modern Victoriana:
Both classic and romantic, this is a style that looks set to stay.  Delicate lace in the upper bodice and sleeves, inspired by traditional Victorian corsetry, makes these gowns both modest and truly beautiful.  

Statement Gowns:
Vivienne Westwood fans would’ve been blown away by the collection of gowns from Atelier Hanny Bienkowskiej.  Inspired by the decadent opulence of the eighteenth century there were some truly fabulous creations showcased in the collection.

Which dress is your favourite? 

Dresses (from top, left to right):

Lucy Bennett Bridalwear, Ivory & Co, Jenny Packham,  Naomi Neoh, Claire Pettibone, Jenny Packham, Blue by Enzoani, Eliza Jane Howell, Ellie Sanderson, Justin Alexander, Ivory & Co, Blue by Enzoani, Ivory & Co, Berketex Bride, Qiana Bridal, Qiana Bridal