Add Something Unusual to Your Wedding Reception.

I absolutely love these personalised swings. If you are getting married in an outdoor location with a large tree... why not add one to your list of decorations? Not only will they look amazing in your photos and entertain your guests but they make a great keepsake from your Big Day too!

Priced from £149, available from Make Me Something Special.

Brighten Your Day With A Rainbow Clutch

For those of you looking to add a pop of colour to your big day I have found the perfect clutch to accessorise your look. Be it for your bridesmaids, mother of the bride or perhaps even yourself, Wilbur and Gussie have an amazing selection of clutch bags in fabulous colours. As well as a great selection for those of you looking for something a little more subtle.

Priced from £160 these fabulous bags are available from Wilbur and Gussie

Fabulous Floral Head Pieces By Florrie & Eve

The tradition for brides wearing flowers in their hair, dating back to Ancient Greece and possibly beyond, is back in full force and Florrie & Eve are striving to keep this tradition alive.  Flowers in your hair evokes a magical and hippie chic vibe that I just love. 

With fresh flower headpieces lasting just for one day Florrie & Eve decided to create perpetual pieces that would last a lifetime.

Each piece is created by designers Nadia and Penelope, and is unique to you. These beautiful and realistic creations are handmade to order using silk flowers and traditional floristry techniques.

"Many of my brides wear a fresh floral hair piece created just a few hours before the wedding ceremony, and while these provide the ultimate finishing touch to the brides attire there is no way of knowing what the piece will be like until it arrives that morning. The designs created at Florrie & Eve mean each bride can try her accessories a head of the big day, ensuring that the hair and gown can be styled to her exact wishes. Our perpetual pieces benefit from the flexibility of floristry techniques that allow the pieces to be manipulated to fit and their look ensured on the big day and beyond."  Nadia Di Tullio, Florrie & Eve.

For further information and prices, visit Florie & Eve.

Freya Rose's Bridesmaid Shoe Collection

Are you looking for the perfect Bridesmaid shoes? And something that will double up as an amazing gift for your closest girls?

Freya Rose has launched the most amazing collection of Bridesmaid shoes. Available in three fabulous colours (pink blush, navy and champagne metallic). I think you may be tempted to get a pair for yourself too! I surely am!

They would also make a great treat for the 'Mother of the Bride'.

The 'Eva' Shoes are priced at £165 and available from Freya Rose.

'Get The Look For Less' - Bridal Headdress

Jenny Packham's 'Stellina Headdress II' is the epitome of Hollywood glamour. Perfect for any hair style from soft curls to a bridal up-do.

This 'Glitzy Secrets' vintage-inspired floral side tiara is a treasure. Featuring a layered floral adornment encrusted with clear and smoky Austrian crystals, it combines 1920's drama with 40's Hollywood glamour.

 

Available from: Jenny Packham - £344.00 / Glitzy Secrets - £74

Put A Sign On It...

Put a sign on it... with these sweet little personalised signs for your Wedding day. 

Each sign can be personalised with the date of your wedding, and you can choose between three neutral colours. French Grey, Vintage Cream and Pebble. Available from Not On The High Street and priced from £18.  They would make a fantastic present to a Bride and Groom for their Wedding Day.

Interview with Upper Street Owner - Julia Grinham

My history/training...
I’ve always wanted to have my own business from a very early age and laughably used to daydream about rushing around with a briefcase on route to very important meetings.  I took a Business Studies degree and chose to start my career in the corporate world to give myself a good foundation to build from. I then spent several years running consumer websites and then my own internet consultancy before launching Upper Street with my sister Katy.  Today I am lucky enough to combine my business skills with my undying passion for shoes.  I’m living out my childhood dream although I’ve substituted the briefcase for a gorgeous March Jacobs handbag these days.

I was first inspired to become a designer by/when...
The idea for Upper Street really came about from my sister Katy’s shopping frustrations. Katy was getting married and wasted hours trawling the High Street and internet looking for her perfect wedding shoes.  Just on the fringe of a total bridezilla flip out, her dress designer brought out her magic wand and introduced Katy to a Hong Kong shoemaker who could create her a bespoke pair.

Katy loved the whole process of picking out the shape, material and colors to create exactly what she wanted for her big day. She soon designed herself a whole wardrobe bursting full of beautiful shoes - shoes to take to her from the office to the bar, to run around in at weekends and for super-glam nights out – every creation was perfect just for her.

When Katy squealed to me about her new shopping addiction, not only did I obviously want in on the action, but I saw our calling to share the secret with other like-minded shoe lovers. Given my background in running online businesses, the idea was to bring the design experience online, so that women all over the world could design their own beautiful shoes without even having to stray from their from the comfort of their sofa.

I am now inspired by...
If I had to pick one person I’d probably say Nicolas Kirkwood. He creates the most amazing statement shoes. I especially love the use of graphic prints in this season’s collection. This has really inspired me to get some Upper Street shoes made up in an unusual print, which we are always happy to do as a special order for our customers.

Upper Street shoes appeal to...
Our customers range from the shoe-obsessed who are now coming back for their umpteenth pair, to brides searching for something unique for their big day. In offering sizes from UK 1.5 to 10, we also attract a large number of women with large or small feet who are being dreadfully underserved by the High Street.  Women react with so much desire and emotion with shoes. For our customers it’s a really special experience to receive the beautiful handmade shoes that they have actually designed themselves. It makes them feel really amazing.

My favourite designer is...
Vivienne Westwood. She’s a real bastion of British style and a total legend in the fashion business. Her designs are so irreverent and quirky, yet she knows exactly how flatter a woman’s body. I also love the fact that she has managed to maintain her independence as a luxury fashion label.

My studio is...
Our studio "The Shoe Lounge" is on the first floor of my home in the Islington area of London. This is a unique place where customers can come and try on shoes and design in a comfortable environment. Our shoe stylists are on hand to show customers the materials and help them create the shoes of their dreams. As one customer called it, “shoe nirvana”.

It’s amazing how many shoe secrets have been revealed in the Shoe Lounge when a bunch of bridesmaids and the bride get together – some are most definitely not for print! I’m not sure whether it’s the relaxed atmosphere that helps, or the glass of fizz they have in hand whilst designing. Either way we love getting to know our customers and their stories.

My best designs/ideas have come from...
I’m no designer (our amazing designer Rosa creates our range) but I do love fashion and am a meticulous wardrobe planner. I’ve always been a big fan of colour and draw inspiration from the catwalk for the colours that will be big for the upcoming season. I then use our iPad app to create a standout shoe that no one else has. I do often get a second opinion from Lizzie, our Customer Relations Manager. She’s a real pro at helping me choose which designs work best with my wardrobe and I have to admit she’s been the creative force behind some of my most treasured creations!

Every bride should...
Every bride deserves to feel totally special on her big day. No one wants a cookie cutter wedding and that goes for everything right down to the shoes that are going to walk you down the aisle. We’ve helped brides design red shoes to match their flowers, ivory shoes with special blue bridal insole for a unique way to incorporate something blue, we’ve even designed shoes in animal print for a bride who was getting married in a zoo! Whatever you choose to wear, you’ll want to experience your first steps into the next phase of your life in shoes that are perfect for you.

Shoe prices start from... £195 ranging up to £350 for more premium materials and complex designs. We also have some limited edition bridal materials available on request.

Customers can create their perfect shoes at www.upperstreet.com or download our iPad App from the App Store.

Wedding Morning Dressing Gowns - It's all in the detail!

As we are in the midst of planning the fast approaching Wedding of Fleur De Force I thought I would share with you all the most recent addition to the accessories we are stock piling for her Big Day.  There is actually a reason for this addition... in the photographs that I have getting ready for my Wedding Day we all look a little bit scruffy, all wearing mis-matching hoodies and PJs. As it is a great time to get some fantastic photographs of you and your closest friends together in your last moments of being a single lady, why not make the most of it.  So, Fleur and I decided that fluffy dressing gowns would be perfect for those hours spent doing hair, make-up, eating cupcakes and drinking Champagne we have ordered personalised gowns from Towelsoft.

We opted for fairly simple personalisation on each of the gowns, choosing 'Bride' for Fleur's and each of the bridesmaid's names on theirs... watch out for an appearance in Fleur's Wedding Photographs that we hope to share with you all.  Towelsoft can pretty much do anything you like...  be it a motif, embroidered initials or even a family crest. 

They also have a also a fantastic selection of colours to choose from, so you can even work it into your Wedding colour scheme!

Available from Towelsoft, priced from £40 each.

New Look Launches New Bridal Range

The Great British High Street strikes again with the launch of New Look's new bridal range.  They have embraced the gap in the market for high-end style at a fraction of the cost, no doubt putting a smile on the faces of many budget restricted brides.

Wedding Dresses are yet to feature amongst their collection but brides wishing to accessorise their gowns can do so with New Look shoes, tiaras, head pieces and bags. My favourites include their simple lace shoes (priced at £24.99), which could be perfectly accessorised some shoe clips, and their floral hair slide (priced at £9.99). 

Speaking about the latest addition, a New Look spokesman said: "Our bridal shoe collection provides a range of satin, lace, and delicate bows, sat back with pretty embellishment, beading and pearls, at great value for every customer."

I love the way they have designed the entire collection to compliment each other too - so you can match your hair slide to the detail on your shoes in order to complete the perfect bridal outfit.

With the Store's fantastic history of designer collaborations perhaps a new range of Wedding Dresses is next on their agenda? We can but hope...