A winter wonderland wedding scheme
High school sweethearts Katrina and Leigh share their stunning day, featuring a winter wonderland wedding scheme with a pop of colour…
How did you and your partner meet?
We met during year 11 at high school.
How did he propose?
He proposed on my 25th birthday with breakfast in bed and wrote me a love letter, read it out and asked me on one knee.
What’s your most important piece of advice for creating and maintaining a strong relationship?
Dont sweat the small stuff, life waits for no one.
How did you choose your wedding gown?
I wanted something modern without all the “frills” and hallmarks of being a wedding dress. As soon as I had it on that was it, clean, crisp and unique.
Number of guests at your wedding:
250
What sort of style did you envision for your wedding day?
I envisioned a winter wonderland with a pop of colour. Silver, purple and deep pinks were my choice.
What was your favorite moment from the day?
The first dance with my husband, I’ve never been so overwhelmed with love in that one moment, I just wanted to stay like that all night!
Any DIY décor elements?
Yes! I made the candle gifts for my guests
If you could do it all over again, what would you change?
Stuff the budget! We didnt have all the luxe elements because of it and we look back and think we should of done this….
Any tips that you can give to future brides?
This is your day! Dont let people overshadow it and take over decisions.
The details
Wedding Invitations: Bwedding Invitations – http://bweddinginvitations.com/
Dress: Brides of Beecroft – http://www.bridesofbeecroft.com.au/
Makeup: Manushi Singh & Kerry Beever
Hair: Manushi Singh
Shoes: Ebay
Accessories: Ebay
Stationary: Adorn Invitations – https://www.adorninvitations.co.uk/
Bridesmaids Dresses: Jean Fox Parramatter
Grooms Suit: MJ Bale – https://www.mjbale.com/
Photographer: Splendid Wedding Photography – http://splendid.net.au/
Cake: Celebrations Cakes
Printing: InkTank Printing – www.inktankprinting.com
Ceremony Venue: Bicentennial Park
Reception Venue: Waterview Homebush – http://www.waterviewvenue.com.au
Real life Bridesmaid dress inspiration
If you need a little bridesmaid dress inspiration, check out these fabulous ideas from real brides who have been there done that…
Andy Gaines Photography
Vintage is still one of the hottest wedding looks around, and this dusty rose colour is a gorgeous choice for creating a chic vibe. Team with traditional rose bouquets in the same sweet shade, just like bride Francesca, to complete the look.
Lavenham Photographic
Why not make your bridesmaids your something blue like real bride Demi? We adore this idea and love the pale blue shade she’s used – perfect whether you’re creating a pastel scheme in Spring, or an icy themed winter celebration. Fancy a different shade? Bright blue or even navy would be a great ‘something blue’ alternative.
Zest Photography
Not only do we love the Autumnal shade of these gowns (above) but notice how the girls have different necklines, too. Choosing multiway gowns like this is a fantastic way to create a uniform look, while suiting each of your bridesmaid’s individual shape and style. Perfect!
Hollie Carlin Photography
Who said only the bride can wear white?! Traditionally bridesmaids always wore white to confuse evil spirits and disguise the bride. We love the idea of dressing your ‘maids in the same colour as you, perfect if you’re holding a black tie wedding. The contrast with the black suits of the groomsmen is oh-so chic.
Squib Photography
Dressing your girls in different, but complimentary, shades is such a fab idea. Choose the shade that best suits each girl’s skin tone for a beautiful array of colour. Team with flowers in the same combination of shades for a real pop of colour. Real bride Bianca and her three bridesmaids look fabulous rocking this style!
For more bridesmaid dress inspiration, check out our dedicated bridesmaid section now!
A chic winter wedding
A stunning white winter wedding in December with subtle nods to Christmastime. Real bride Lauren tells us what gave her day the wow factor…
How did Dan propose?
“We were in London and I think Dan tried all day, but couldn’t find the perfect time (or was too nervous)! He finally blurted it out at Joe’s Southern Table and Bar in Covent Garden.”
What dress did you wear?
“Despite trying, I was never going to be a bride who fell in love after only trying on one dress. I went into boutiques with an idea in my head of what I wanted, which was more ball gown-style, so my mum and nan suggested going bespoke. Sarah Treble Couture in Exeter got what I wanted instantly: a pale pink tulle skirt, with the top heavily embellished all over.”
And the accessories?
“The dress didn’t need any extra bling – there was enough already! I wore a bracelet that Dan bought for me years ago, and had fresh flowers in my hair.”
What did Dan wear?
“Dan’s suit was also bespoke. It was a lovely dark blue with a tan stripe and a tan waist coat, designed by Zebel – who are also Exeter-based.”
Who were your bridesmaids and where were their dresses from?
“My maid of honour was my younger sister Jasmin, and my bridesmaid was Rosanna, who’s one of my closest friends since university. They both wore a black high-low dress from Coast. They were exactly what I wanted and they both looked so beautiful. They had fresh flowers in their hair and a corsage instead of a bouquet.”
What was your theme?
“I wouldn’t say I had a theme, as such. However, with it being winter, I wanted warm deep colours for my flowers (by Heather Flowersmiths in Dartmouth). I wanted the fires all on in the venue to give a feeling of being cosy. I also had candles everywhere, with a lovely spiced orange Yankee candle scent. We had mini Christmas trees dotted all around the venue with fairy lights on. We just wanted everyone to enjoy themselves and feel comfortable… And for them to be warm!”
What was your best buy?
“It had to be the venue. I fell in love on the first visit – I was so glad we made the decision to go with Rockbeare Manor. The food was brilliant. All the guests said it was the best wedding food they have ever had!”
What was the highlight of your day?
“My dad’s speech was probably the highlight of my day. He was so nervous, bless him! But as soon as he opened his mouth the room roared and they didn’t stop the whole way through his speech. I was extremely proud and impressed.”
The Details:
Date: 16th December 2017
Venue: Ceremony at Broadclyst Church, Broadclyst, Exeter. Reception at Rockbeare Manor, Devon rockbearemanor.co.uk
Photographer: Holly Collings Photography hollycollingsphotography.com
Lauren’s dress: Sarah Treble Couture sarahtreble.co.uk
Dan’s attire: Zebel zebel.co.uk
Bridesmaid dresses: Coast
A rustic festival wedding in a beautiful orchard
Ben and Casey tied the knot in a fun-filled, relaxed festival wedding with plenty of gorgeous rustic touches – including a real-life apple orchard! Here’s more from the big day…
How did Ben propose?
“It was Valentine’s Day 2015. Starting at home with a romantic breakfast, and waking up to a room filled with helium balloon with photos attached to them of our memories together. Ben disappeared for about 20 mins before calling me out to the roof, which he had covered with blankets and fairy lights. We sat up there for a while and listened to music, but Ben had left the ring inside! We then went for dinner, and when we returned Ben got out the bubbly, covered the living room in tea lights, sat me down and asked me to marry him!”
What dress did you wear?
“My dress was by Augusta Jones, bought from Abbey Brides in Sherborne.”
And the accessories?
“My shoes were from Next, my jewellery was my wedding gift from Ben, and our wedding bands were custom made by Andrew English, who is based in Hatton Garden in London.”
What did Ben wear?
“The groom and best man’s outfits were from Marion Baker of Bond Street, Yeovil, with shoes by Loake.”
How did you feel when you saw him up the aisle?
“When I saw Ben I couldn’t stop smiling, my nerves went, and I thought how gorgeous he looked.”
Who were your bridesmaids and what dresses did they wear?
“I had one adult bridesmaid, one of my closest friends; Claire. She wore a dress from ASOS. We had three flowergirls – our daughter, Ben’s niece and the best man’s daughter. I dressed them as little flower fairies in outfits from Monsoon. The pageboys’ outfits included a Marion Baker shirt, Matalan waistcoat and chinos, and shoes from Next.”
What was your theme?
“Festival! We wanted it to be really laid back and for everyone to have a good time. To create that feel we had some fair stalls to entertain the 40 children attending, and the food was served from stalls, catered for by The Bakery Cafe in Sherborne. We gave wristbands as our wedding favours and the order of the day was given in a lanyard.”
What was your best buy?
“I think the stalls were our best buy as they kept the kids really entertained.”
What’s your saving tip?
“We saved money by running our own bar. Ben makes cider so we had that on tap!”
The details
Date: 11th-12th September 2015
Venue: Dorchester Registry Office & Ben’s parents’ farm in Longburton, Dorset
Photographer: Cummins Photography
Casey’s dress: Augusta Jones
Ben’s attire: Marion Baker
Bridesmaid dresses: ASOS
Flowergirls: Monsoon
Pageboys: Marion Baker, Matalan and Next
Shoes: Next
Bridesmaid dress ideas from real weddings!
Looking for bridesmaid dress ideas? Take inspiration from these gorgeous real weddings from our sister magazine, Love Our Wedding!
chrisjevans.com
Floral bridesmaid dresses are super on-trend this season, and we can think of no better match for a romantic Maui wedding that these pink floor-length numbers! Bride Krista chose these gorgeous flowery gowns from Eliza J, and we think they go perfectly with the bouquets.
larafrostphotography.com
If you’re struggling to find necklines to match all your ladies, then multiway dresses could be the ideal choice for you! Bride Kathryn picked up these beautiful metallic dove grey gowns from Debenhams to suit her three leading ladies.
realpeoplephotography.co.uk
We LOVE how classic this black-tie bridal party look, especially when paired with the men in their suits! A little black dress is always a fab option that your girls can (genuinely) wear again, and we love how bride Lauren paired hers with simple monochrome bouquets.
olegssamsonovsphotography.com
This is a gorgeously quirky take on mismatched bridesmaids, and it perfectly matches bride Jeska’s bright and colourful woodland theme! The adult bridesmaids wore jewel-toned multiway dresses made by Jeska’s own boutique, The Bridal Boutique of Jules, and she contrasted them with bright floral flower girl dresses from Joules.
alexbradbury.co.uk
Is there anything more glamorous than Art Deco-inspired sequin bridesmaid dresses? Oh wait, there is – when those dresses are paired with gorgeous faux fur stoles! We love that bride Farrah thought to keep her Winters bridesmaids warm with elegant cover-ups, and these dresses are a total steal from high street store Quiz.
craigevasanders.co.uk
For a classic bridesmaid look, you can’t go wrong with a bridal party wearing pretty pastels! These flattering powder blue maxi dresses from Chi Chi London suit all the brides, and complement bride Ruth’s pastel bouquet.
Looking for more bridesmaid dress ideas? Check out our Bridesmaid section!
An elegant Essex wedding with an all-white theme
For a magically minimalist day, bride Natasha tells us about her elegant Essex wedding and how her bridesmaids got everyone dancing…
How did Nicholas propose?
“He constructed a fake trip to Brighton, where we had first met, saying that we were going to be spending the weekend in a caravan. Instead, he took me to Brighton Beach and proposed, before surprising me with a scrapbook of memories and tickets to Amsterdam – so no caravan, after all!”
What dress did you wear and where did you buy it?
“I was very picky with my dress – I had a very good idea of what I wanted. I found my dream dress by Tara Keely at Les Trois Soeurs at Canary Wharf. It had a full-sleeved lace inset with a figure-hugging body and a long train. I customised it so that I was able to pin the train up for some dancing later on during the night!”
And the accessories?
“I decided to go for a minimalistic look, so I didn’t wear many. I didn’t want anything to take away from the glorious dress! I wore a diamond necklace, bought for me by Nick’s mum, and small diamond earrings to finish off the look. I also wore a long veil, which trailed behind with my dress.”
Who were your bridesmaids and where were their dresses from?
“I had four of my very close friends and my sister-in-law as my bridesmaids. They wore long, dark purple dresses from ASOS with low, embellished backs.”
What did Nicholas wear?
“Nick wore a blue-grey Reiss suit with a subtle checked pattern that he picked all by himself – very dashing!”
What was your theme?
“I wanted our wedding to reflect our personalities. We opted for a minimalistic theme, with decorations and flowers that were simple and elegant. We chose to have pretty white peonies on the flower centrepieces and on our bouquets.”
What was the highlight of your day?
“The bridesmaid dance. The girls had put together a dance routine that involved some of my favourite songs and pulled off a great performance! Everybody loved it and it was a fantastic way to start the dancing!”
What’s your saving tip?
“Less is more. It can be quite overwhelming, with endless options and it can seem quite daunting to pick the right thing. Stick to your theme and style. I always go with my gut instinct, which has worked well for me during wedding planning.”
The Details:
Date: 27th May 2017
Venue: Gosfield Hall, Essex gosfield-hall.co.uk
Photographer: Jasmine Jade Photography jasminejadephotography.co.uk
Natasha’s dress: Tara Keely jlmcouture.com/Tara-Keely
Nicholas’ attire: Reiss
Bridesmaids’ dresses: ASOS
A glamorous Art Deco wedding in a pub!
How incredible is the pub venue at this Art Deco wedding?! Bride Sophia tells us all about her glamorous big day…
How did Joshua propose?
On Christmas Day 2016, I wasn’t feeling well, and Josh was acting strange and got up really early. He kept asking me to come downstairs but I was being grumpy and wouldn’t go downstairs and kept sleeping. After more asking I eventually did go downstairs and saw a tiny little box wrapped up under the tree – when I opened it just cried! I felt quite guilty for being grumpy after I realised what he was up to!
What dress did you wear?
I wore a 1920s-inspired dress called Cathlyn from Phase Eight.
And the accessories?
I wore my sister’s veil as my ‘something borrowed’, an Art Deco style hair clip from Debenhams, shoes from House of Fraser, and an opal necklace that Josh brought me from a local jewellers. I wanted an opal engagement ring but Josh was told it’d be too fragile, so he bought me this necklace for Valentine’s Day to wear at the wedding.
What did the groom wear?
He wore a jacket and waistcoat from Moss Bros, trousers, shirt and shoes from Next and a tie and pocket square from Swagger & Swoon.
How did you feel when you saw him up the aisle?
I was overwhelmed by seeing all of our guests as I walked in – everyone did a big cheer! I was very emotional up until I finally saw him, and then I just felt pure happiness at that moment in time. I also felt relieved at how amazing the venue looked and how well it worked getting married in that pub – everyone had a drink in hand during the ceremony, which we loved!
Who were your bridesmaids and where were their dresses from?
My bridesmaids were my two sisters Katie and Lily. Their dresses were from Phase Eight and very glamorous! I wanted sparkly champagne gold dresses and when I found these and they tried them on we were all happy as they suited both of them so well.
What was your wedding theme and how did you create it?
Our theme was an Art Deco Autumnal wedding with a touch of fun. I wanted champagne sequin tablecloths to match the bridesmaid dresses, with beautiful Autumnal flowers laid across them and lots of candles (I think we had over 100 candles in the end!) to create a nice warm feel. Our table numbers were the Art Deco part, and featured photos of us at each age up until 12 years old. The fun elements were the photos and also our wedding cake, which was Connie and Colin the caterpillars dressed as a bride and groom.
What was your best buy?
Our best buy by far was the venue. It’s a beautiful pub right in the middle of historic London which used to be an old bank, and the toilets are the old bank vaults! Our venue cost £3,700 which included 100 day guests, 3 course dinner, 3 bottles of wine per table, a glass of prosecco for everyone after the ceremony, the DJ and the London location! It was fantastic as the dance floor was right next to the bar too so everyone was there all the time and not having to pop to different rooms. Another thing we loved was that the whole day was in the same place. It was so much fun getting married on the balcony overlooking our guests!
The details
Date: 14th October 2017
Venue: The Knights Templar jdwetherspoon.com
Photographer: Masha Unwerth unwerth.co.uk
Sophia’s dress: Phase Eight phase-eight.com
Joshua’s attire: Moss Bros moss.co.uk
Bridesmaid dresses: Phase Eight phase-eight.com
Our favourite bridal looks from real-life weddings of 2017
If you’re looking for some serious bride inspo, you just have to check out the real-life weddings over on Love Our Wedding! Here are some of our favourite bridal looks of the last year…
Hannah in Sottero & Midgley
For her Italian-inspired wedding in Lake Como, bride Hannah looked every inch the part in her Stella dress from Sottero & Midgley. We love how she styled it with a teardrop ivory bouquet and full-length veil.
Rosie in Laura Fray Bespoke
Laidback bride Rosie helped design her gown to make it unique to her, and decided that her dream dress needed to have polka dots and pockets! We think she was definitely on to a winner, and we love her casual half-up do and red lippie combo.
Jessica in Lazaro
Talk about fairytale! Jessica paired her dream Lazaro ballgown in frothy tulle with a full-length veil, vintage-inspired pincurl updo, vampy lipstick and a faux fur bolero for chilly outdoor shots. A real film star look.
Cat in Allure
Beach bride Cat let her incredible Allure wedding dress and natural beauty do all the talking, forgoing a veil for an elegant double row of pearls and loose hair. We’re also big fans of her modern boho foliage and rose bouquet.
Harriet in Vera Wang
Harriet searched high and low for her gorgeous Gemma gown from Vera Wang, and we think she got it 100% right! We love the ruched detail, figure-hugging mermaid silhouette and blush ribbon belt, and the birdcage veil is the perfect finishing touch.
Ruth in Ronald Joyce
Beautiful bride Ruth went for full-on glamour for her fairytale Scottish wedding. Her beaded fishtail gown works perfectly with loose pinned waves, a full-length veil and an elegant ivory and blue bouquet.
Love these looks? Don’t forget to check out the real-life weddings on Love Our Wedding!
