The Big Day | Hair & Makeup

I think deciding on my hair & makeup had to be one of the hardest decisions I made. I wanted to look flawless & natural but also wanted to have a slightly smokey eye. When it came to my hair I had decided on a neat but boho hair look. So you can imagine the trouble I had...

The Life Of A Bride | Thoughts & Advice

I was lying in bed the other night thinking about all things wedding which I must admit, is something I do more often than I probably should.
All of a sudden I realised that my fiancé & I have been engaged for 9 months already & the time is just going faster & faster! My brain then went onto overdrive about all the things I've done, need to do or haven't even thought about yet!  Scary times I can tell you.
Amongst all this craziness in my head, I found myself creating a list of things I would have done better or advice I'd have given myself which is why I thought I'd share it with you. My lovely readers. 

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. 

Straight Up & Classic

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.

Morning Dress

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”)

Black Tie

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!

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)

The Wedding Dress

I could literally spend hours & hours looking at different wedding dresses online so I decided to do a top 10 of different styles for all you brides to be :) 

Most of these dresses are really expensive as they are designed by some amazing designers but I always find looking at these is a good idea even if you can't fit them into your budget as you can get so many ideas of what you want!!

(These aren't in a particular order)

1. Pronovias - 'Lacinne' (2014 collection)

This tulle wedding dress has silver & mother-of-pearl embroidery. It has a beautiful v-neck as well as a bow at the front of the skirt. I absolutely love this style! It looks so elegant & classy :)

2. Naomi Neoh - 'Fleur' (Secret Garden Collection)

This dress is stunning! It is definitely one of my top 3 dresses! This dress is inspired by the 1950's classic styles that were worn by Audrey Hepburn. This dress is also perfect for those brides who want a change of outfit for the evening as the reverse french lace jacket can be removed as well as the sash which will give the dress a completely different look! Talk about a multi-tasking dress :)

3. Naomi Neoh - 'Clementine' (Secret Garden Collection)

This dress is quite similar to number 2 in the skirt as it's very flowy (is that even a word?)  & the main difference being that there isn't a full lace top. This dress would be perfect for a summer wedding as it looks really cooling & easy going. It may also be suitable for those who are going abroad as the material looks lighter than others I've seen.

4. Naomi Neoh - 'Beatrix' (Love Letters Collection)

This bridal gown is so sophisticated & elegant that it makes me want to cry! This dress is inspired by the 1930's which is obvious by the vintage detailing on the back of the dress. This isn't a dress i'd have even considered for myself but it just makes you want to try it on!!!

5. Vera Wang - 'Josephine' (Autumn 2012 Collection)

This dress isn't your typical bridal gown as, well, let's all state the obvious… it's black!! For some reason, I still think its gorgeous & just so different but in a good way. The low back makes the dress really sexy & sophisticated yet from the front it looks really fairytale-esque. It almost reminds me of a disney bridal dress! I feel like this dress is for those who want to shock & don't like the "traditional" route :)

6. Coast  - 'Serene Maxi Dress'

This wedding dress is one for all us budgeters out there :) I stumbled across this beauty on Coast's website & just thought it was so clean, simple & most of all, affordable!! 

It's really feminine & graceful in the design & will really flatter a bride with the waist being defined.

7. Sassi Holford - 'Bluebell' 

The detail on this dress is beautiful with the bodice of mini-flower appliqué which gives it texture & makes it stand out! I also think its a dress that almost matches the 'fairytale wedding dress' that some of us always dreamed of :) & the satin ribbon gives the dress some more shape as well. You could even change the ribbon to suit your colour theme.

8. BHS - 'Grace'

This dress is definitely another dress that you can get with a small budget & with it being from BHS, it's easily accessible. The lace detail at the top really reminds me of the wedding dress that Princess Kate wore at her wedding. It doesn't look as well fitted as some of the more expensive dresses but I feel that you can always go to a dress fitter & ask them to fit it properly once you've bought it!

9. Maggie Sottero - 'Dalton'

This dress is absolutely beautiful! The lace makes it so classy yet because it's fitted I feel like it looks really sexy as well. The lace is all sequinned which would be amazing if the sun came out as you would sparkle all day long :)

10. Maggie Sottero - 'Marianne'

This dress isn't usually a style that I like but I feel like rather than it being a harsh mermaid effect, its more subtle and elegant. I love how it has a light pink colour running through it as well so its not completely white! 

So there you have it :) a list of 10 wedding dress styles! All beautiful in different ways :) 

Thank you for reading

Love,

Dainty Bride xx







(All the pictures on this blog post are not property of DaintyBride. All images are sourced from the internet & are believed to be public domain & have no rights affiliated with DaintyBride)

Your Photographer

It's time to start thinking about the photographer that you want 

(that's if you want one)

*

This can be a really tricky task as you want to make sure they have what you want in mind & are going to produce some amazing pictures of the day you'll never want to forget!

You don't have to choose your photographer as early as I am (I'm getting married next September) but I just felt that once I'd researched a lot of photographers, I wanted to have it all booked so that I didn't have something to worry about closer to the time. Maybe that's just my inner organised freak coming out :)

My fiancé and I hadn't even discussed a photographer before going to a wedding fayre at Norwood Park in Southwell as we have a family friend who is a photographer so we always thought we'd use him. However, after going to the wedding fayre and meeting a photographer we felt that we'd rather have someone who does it for a living as they will know what to do & what shots to get & it'll be one less thing to stress about on the day!

*

Anyway, enough of the blabbing… 

Here's a few photographers that I researched on the internet

1. One Love

2. Crash Taylor

3. Jon Rouston

They all looked beautiful & also quite different in styles but in the end we chose to go with a lady called Helen King. She was the photographer that we originally met at Norwood Park Wedding Fayre & we just loved all the photos that we'd seen & the style that she shoots - You should definitely check her out!

*

1. Decide if you would like a photographer

(It can be quite a large expense)

2. Decide what sort of style you'd like the pictures to be shot in

3. Go onto google & research plenty of photographers in & around your area. You can also go to plenty of wedding fayres where you'll be able to meet & chat to the photographers yourself to get a better idea of what they're like!

4. Get in touch with them ASAP! Like the venue, they get booked up pretty quickly so you don't want to be disappointed

5. Pay a deposit to secure your desired photographer

Once you've booked your photographer you will get the chance to meet up with them for a meeting to discuss what you want & what they can offer (you may also get to have some coffee & cake!! Delicious.) This is the chance for you to explain exactly what you want in terms of style. For example if you wanted something a lot more casual with them just taking shots of people talking & enjoying themselves or if you wanted something more formal & structured with them asking specific people to come into a picture & making people stand in specific places! Whatever you want, they'll be happy to do - with their own ideas as well obviously :)

Thanks 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)

DIY Save The Dates

Having begun my search for save the dates & invites, I soon discovered that they're very pricey!! This isn't so good if you're like me; 22 and not a millionaire! I found so many that were simply beautiful but I just couldn't justify spending that amount of money on paper when I had also found an amazing DIY blog for free :)

If you're lucky enough to have a large wedding budget then here are some of the websites I would have used:

1. Papergrace (top right)

2. Twenty-Seven (bottom left)

3. Lola's Paperie (bottom right)

4. Pogofandango (top left)

I also found Not On The Highstreet really handy as they offer such a wide range of wedding invitations and save the dates to browse.

*

After realising that DIY was the best/cheapest option, I started hunting around the internet for stencils or templates. There are so many amazing blogs out there that give you ideas so even if you're going to buy everything, just use them to get ideas of things that you may not have even thought of!! The blog I stumbled across is called Upcycled Treasures and I believe that their wedding was mostly DIY. It's so creative and makes people like me (who aren't creative at all) think that they can achieve this as well :)

Now onto making your Save The Dates…

(An easy 4 step guide - when I say easy, I mean EASY!!)

Step 1:

Choose what you want to use for the actual invite, for example; luggage tag, pocket fold envelope, a picture. My fiancé and I decided to go with a luggage tag as we felt like it was a little different but simple at the same time. I got my luggage tags from a company called East of India in a little shop near where I live called 'The Tokenhouse.' It's such a cute little shop and is amazing for cards, ribbon, presents, house hold items etc etc.

 Here's some pictures of 'The Tokenhouse'

The luggage tags we chose;

We decided that we didn't want to keep the rope on the end so we went into John Lewis to choose a coloured ribbon to match the ink that we had chosen

Step 2:

Change all of the rope to ribbon 

Step 3:

Put the details onto the Save The Dates

We decided that we would get a personalised stamp so that they looked rustic yet all the same! (Also, I didn't trust myself not being that creative to write out every single one as I knew they'd all look different and messy!) 

We found the stamp that we wanted on a website called The English Stamp Company. It's a really easy website to use and you can choose what you want your stamp to say. One thing I will say is that the customised stamps only come in one size which I didn't realise at the time but luckily the stamp just about fit onto the luggage tags!! :)

Step 4:

Wait until they are dry & then put them into envelopes to be sent to your guests!

(I also bought a gel pen from Paperchase in the same colour as the ribbon and stamp ink to write the guests names on the back)

There you have it, cute, rustic, individual save the dates for all of your guests

I hope this can give a few of you some ideas especially if you're trying to budget!

Thank you for reading 

Love,

Dainty Bride

(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)

A Wedding Checklist

Happy weekend fellow brides :)

Whilst in the midst of my planning, I decided that it would be a sensible idea to create a wedding checklist as, let's face it, even the most organised of us can't remember EVERYTHING! (Even though we may try!) 

This little checklist has definitely been my saviour so far, especially working full time as I seem to forget all the little bits & bobs that need doing and sorting out. You wouldn't believe how much there is to plan. You think you've got it all sorted and then boom, you forgot about the ceremony music!

Thank you very much for reading, I hope you find this useful!

Love,

Dainty Bride xx

(Most of this will apply to everyone, although some points may only apply those of you who don't live in the UK!)

Next blog; Save the dates - DIY

That Perfect Venue

So you've just got engaged? 

Congrats if you have :) 

(If you haven't but like to look at different venues just in case then congrats too - let's face it! We've all done it)

I recently got engaged and have been having so much fun researching, pinning and tweeting all things weddings so I thought that it would be a good idea to create 'Dainty Bride' - A place to show you wedding ideas as well as my own.

The most important part of planning your wedding is finding that perfect venue that you both feel at home in! You don't want to feel like you can't do anything or that you might get shouted at for asking a simple question. For me, this was a rather quick process as my fiancé (still finding saying that a bit weird) was moving to America for work. You may find that you have months & months to research and contact venues which would have been great but you can also find somewhere amazing in a short time frame!

Where to start?

1. Get yourself a little notebook to write down all the millions of ideas that are going to swamp your brain! *

2. Think about what kind of venue you would like. For example; castle 'fairytale wedding', vintage, classic, outdoors or even abroad. This is really important as you don't want to waste time looking around venues that are completely different to the 'theme' that you want - time is definitely of the essence! *

3. Go onto 'google' and see what's available in your area or the country/county/town that you are interested in! (Remember to write them all down in your notebook with pros & cons)

4. Choose your favourite 3 or 4 with your partner to go & have a look around either at a wedding fayre or an individual appointment. *

5. Get in contact with a few available days in mind as they are always SO busy! I had to keep juggling things around as I could never get an appointment on the days that I was free! Bit of a pain but I guess it shows its a good venue if always busy.

6. Once you've seen the venues, think about a ranking order and then try to visit again as there will be many things you've forgotten or questions that you want to ask. (My partner & I were always really quiet until we got back into the car and then would both say "So…. what did you think of that one?" - that turned into a bit of a routine for us :)

7. When you have decided on THE venue, get in contact asap so that you're not disappointed about the dates they have to offer! They will then let you know the process so that you can officially start the planning of your wedding! YAY!

So there you have it - a brief list of the basics that you will need to find a venue. You may walk into the first venue and know that that's the one or you might be the kind of person who wants to see everything and anything to then make a decision - whatever you choose, do what's best for you, after all it is your wedding day.

Hopefully this will help some of you out as I didn't really have a clue what I was doing to begin with and just learned along the way.

I'd love to hear any of your ideas for finding the perfect venue!

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)