Sunday, 28 September 2014

Shoe Collection

I think most girls have a constantly growing shoe collection & i'm definitely no exception. I have some pairs that I've had for years & just never get bored of & others that I have a love/hate relationship with. Either way, I love shoes! They're such a weakness & I could spend all of my money on shoes if I really wanted to!

Anyway, here's my shoe collection :)

Click on the shop name to find the shoe or a similar option

(Disclaimer - I'm not showing off I just love reading about other people's shoe collections & wanted to do a blog post of my own) 

- Heels - 




















- Flats - 


- Boots - 













Thank you for reading

Love,
Dainty Bride xx


(Pictures on this blog post are property of DaintyBride unless stated otherwise with an asterisk *. Any images marked with an asterisk * are sourced from the internet & are believed to be public domain & have no rights affiliated with DaintyBride)

Wednesday, 24 September 2014

The Dress Code

I mentioned previously that the only thing a groom has control over is their Stag do. I realise this isn’t entirely true because you also have your outfit for the day. That said, if you turn up wearing a purple velvet suit, fur overcoat, top hat and cane looking the Snoop Dogg then do you think you’ll get away with it? 
What I wear is important because I want to look the 2nd best at my wedding, (behind my Bride) and I want to look unique. You may also want to take into consideration what time of year you are getting married, what time of day and your location. 
Getting married at 11am in the local registry office? Then don’t wear a Tuxedo!

 Here are some options that I think look good and how you can make them that extra bit special;

I have added links to those in bold which are my favourite. 


A nice dark Navy suit can be worn with or without a waistcoat but in my opinion I would say with. 
Another colour option could be a grey Prince of Wales Check. Pair this with a crisp white shirt, a slim Navy tie and black Oxford Shoes. 

Time to throw in some foliage in the button hole, possibly a crisp white pocket square and NO BELT.  Altogether this is a great outfit as you can recycle it by wearing all of it again, so why not take the time to find the perfect cut and colour, maybe even visit Savile Row to get one made? I like the cut of Cad & the Dandy.


One of the most popular formal dress codes in the UK, black or grey single-breasted Morning Coat with Grey Trousers and waistcoat. Please match the waistcoat, do not wear one of those horrible wedding ones hire companies provide that are in a cream/ivory floral design, they make my skin crawl. 
Match this again with black Oxfords and a white shirt and you will look like a classic gent. but you also get free reign over your tie here. It's best to match it to your colour theme and don’t go for your football team’s colours. 
(Remember what I said above, “some control”)


Something more common in the US but I believe will catch on more and more here. Navy or black dinner jacket with satin/silk lapels, matching trousers, black Oxfords (notice a trend), white shirt and navy/black bow tie. 
Traditionally trousers, jacket and bow tie should match but I say mix it up a little, go for a navy jacket, black trousers and black bow tie OR black jacket, navy trousers and black bow tie. With this outfit you can also mix around with the material combinations as the trousers could have a grosgrain trim on the outside or you could use a hand knitted bow tie, all to add some texture.


Have a good one!

Sunday, 21 September 2014

Floral Design

Flowers are so beautiful & there are so many different types that this task is a daunting one!

I've actually struggled quite a bit with choosing my flowers but I have finally decided & put the deposit down :)

Here's a quick checklist on what you need to think about when deciding what you want...

1. What's your budget?

It's really important for you & your groom to work out how much you want to spend on flowers because believe me, you could spend a fortune! You'll need to be realistic & remember that flowers are expensive even if you're not wanting too much.

2. How many people do you want to have flowers? 
(ie. bride, groom, bridesmaids, flower girls, mothers, fathers, groomsmen, best man, pageboy)

Obviously, not everyone will have a bouquet of flowers like yourself & your bridal party but you will need to think about if you want the boys to have some buttonholes & the mothers to have a small corsage.

3. Do you want them to match your colour theme?

Some people want the flowers to fit in completely with the wedding theme & others are happy to have a bit of a mix. What you do is completely up to you, don't feel pressured to keep within your theme.

4. How big do you want each bouquet?

This is more to do with age than anything. You just need to decide if some of your bridesmaids will need a small bouquet than the 'adult' bridesmaids.

5. Do you want flower centre pieces?

This one was a real pain for me. I couldn't decide if I did or didn't want flowers as a centre piece & this will also add on a considerable amount to your budget!!!

6. Do you want a flower arrangement on the top table?

Most people will answer yes to this straight away but remember that there are other options if you're running to a tight budget.

7. Would you like the flower shop to deliver them to the venue?

For me, yes would be the easiest option because then you don't have to worry about ruining them or setting up but with some companies this could be an extra charge so just make sure you check!

8. What type of flower would you like?

This is by far the hardest & most time consuming question!! You will spend hours & hours researching different flowers & colours. If however, like myself you have an amazing florist who will offer a lot of suggestions for you, along the lines of what you've suggested then you'll be well away!

'Flowers On Main Street' have kindly offered these pictures which are all stunning & show a variety of colours & styles. 













I know, that seems like a lot of questions, which I guess it is but once you answer the main question of 'What's your budget?' then you'll find that other answers will fall into place :)

Thank you for reading

Love,
Dainty Bride xx


(All pictures on this blog post are not property of DaintyBride. All images have permission to be used on DaintyBride & are believed to be owned by 'Flowers On Main Street.' They have no rights affiliated with DaintyBride)




Wednesday, 17 September 2014

The Stag Do

When it comes to being a Groom there is only one thing you have total control over… the Stag do. And even then you may not have full control as the best man and your best friends want to succeed in humiliating you as much as possible.

For me however, a stag do represents everything you love as a Groom that you wouldn’t do with your Bride, for example  visiting a Strip Club…*
(*obviously a joke…)

So what are your options for a Stag do? Here are a few options that I believe to be relevant and cover all bases:

1.
Visiting another city for a weekend away (mainly involves partying). This always appears to be a popular option, especially where we live. It seems there isn’t a weekend that goes by when our city centre isn’t full of Stag (& Hen) Do’s. The big UK cities are always the chosen few but what I would suggest is somewhere like Bruges in Belgium. If you're going to spend £££’s anyway why not go to the home of Belgium Beer! 

2.
The adventure weekend is another favourite. I did this a few years ago for Charlie’s cousin’s Stag. We went Rally Carting, Quad Biking and then on to see a Guns n Roses tribute band. This was fun because it was a long day but we got a lot in and the carting/biking added a competition element which always makes for good laughs. Other things to consider would be Paintballing, Go-Karting & Assault Courses.

3.
Do something out the box, I’m thinking Wine Tasting, Shooting (Clay pigeons or Real Grouse/Pheasant) and cookery classes. There are country estates that offer these kind of days and to me this doesn't seem as crazy as a weekend of partying but has the competition and alcohol elements that everyone would enjoy!


As it is YOUR Stag do make sure you are doing something that you want to but also take into consideration those who are invited; what would they want to do to help you celebrate, what can they afford and finally will it be fun?!

Have a good one.

Sunday, 14 September 2014

A Birthday In Brighton

I'd never been to Brighton before. I've always wanted to go, it looked so much fun & I just had to take the trip. So during the Bank Holiday weekend before my birthday, myself & 6 of my friends went down.

Getting up at 6.30am wasn't the ideal start to a Sunday but we knew we'd have to make the most of the day & with a 3 hour 30 minute drive ahead of us we rolled out of bed.

Brighton definitely didn't disappoint. It was cute, touristy & sunny! We had great weather which meant we could fully enjoy the day exploring.

Arriving in Brighton, we jumped out of the car & stretched our legs by wandering along the beach & pier.













We couldn't help ourselves indulging in some fresh doughnuts!

















I loved all of the little shops & cafe's in the arches along the seaside


We then found ourselves exploring 'The Lanes,' getting lost & wanting to buy everything in sight






Having found this cute shop called 'Lavender Room' we all bought a bracelet or necklace to remember our trip down to Brighton






In need of some refuelling, we stopped at an independent restaurant 'Food For Friends' which turned out to be vegetarian. Not something I would have originally gone for but I was so glad that we didn't realise this until we had sat down as the food was amazing!!




As per usual I had to have my usual Amaretto Sour :)


I then followed that with this amazing coconut curry which was packed with vegetables & some really tasty dumplings.


We couldn't resist indulging in pudding & we definitely weren't disappointed. I opted for the 'Caramel Chocolate Fondant' which was to die for!


Feeling well & truly stuffed, we headed to the Royal Pavilion for some culture & to walk off some of that tasty food!






Back at the water, we had another mooch around the shops, grabbed a cuppa & went to relax on the beach







I had such an amazing day visiting Brighton. I'm definitely going to be returning & I'm so happy I decided to celebrate my birthday down south :)

Thank you for reading

Love,
DaintyBride xx

(Pictures on this blog post are property of DaintyBride unless stated otherwise with an asterisk *. Any images marked with an asterisk * are sourced from the internet & are believed to be public domain & have no rights affiliated with DaintyBride)