War time love stories...when guys actually put pen to paper!

I have always been a teenie bit obsessed with 1940s war time Britain....and in particular the epic love stories that progressed during this period. When men didn't know if they would be alive or dead from one day to the next so wrote beautiful heart felt letters to their sweethearts without thinknig about whther they were being too keen....they went with their hearts and said what they felt. Love was more intense, marriage and weddings were a way to hold on to eachother and show your commitment...I sometimes really think society lacks this sort of epic romance. Noways a girl is lucky if she gets a reply to a text, let alone a hand written letter with a young man professing his undying love!

Anyway whilst in London I saw an exhibition advertised based completely on war time love stories, love letters and amazing memorabilia from those past years of true romance. So if you are planning a vintage wedding and would like some romantic inspiration then head the the 'wives and sweethearts exhibtion' where you will find out what it was like to be in love with a soldier and how a soldier felt being torn from his lover...gives me tingles!

http://www.nam.ac.uk/exhibitions/online-exhibitions/wives-sweethearts

Vintage bouquet inspiration....

I have started to think about flowers for my big day and the type of bouquet I would love, I know that I would like lace involved and a vintage broach holding it delicately together. I have a real passion for wild flowers so that is my preference, so I started looking around to see if I could find any pic's of bouquets that pulled these idea's together. I came across these:

                 Dream bouquet! so beautiful, I adore everything about it

       Love the simple ribbon tie, really let's the flowers be the wow factor.

Looking from vintage inspired bridesmaid dresses? I've got just the place!

After an epic long search to find a vintage inspired bridesmaid dress that would flatter all heights/figures, was available in a number of colours and didn't break the bank, I finally found my dress!

I truly love shopping, and love researching, but this search really pushed my patience! I was shocked to find very little vintage style dresses out there that a.)were reasonable and b.)were actually available to try on or order online in the U.K. If I could design dresses I would seriously set up a business in ol' Britain! I came across so many dresses that I would think "finally I have the dress" then would try and purchase and couldn't!

Anyway one afternoon with an earl grey and lap top in hand I was committed to finding something and lucky for me I did...'.Courtesan Boutique' have a range of lovely vintage style bridesmaid dresses that are unique, yet classic and offer a range of lovely shades and avoid the hideous shiny standard boob tube dress that let's face it don't really suit anyone unless you look like Gisele... and even then I think she'd struggle to pull of the shiny look! Here's their website: http://www.courtesan-boutique.co.uk/bridesmaid_dresses.html

I was so impressed with the great customer service I received- I have two sisters with very long legs and I went back and forth asking about measurements and length of dresses- and alterations and really got a swift friendly response via email, and a helpful attitude which helped me to select my dress and work out the measurements. Its a website that still gives you the personal 1:1 customer service that you can miss out on if you don't go into a shop to purchase.

Here are a few of their pretty dresses that I was really taken with....note the pretty vintage shapes, adornments and style. A rarity I assure you!

lace,pearls&bouquets save the dates now selling on Etsy!

I have decided to set up shop on Etsy so all you lovely people can now purchase my hand made save the dates. There will be more paper goods added on there very soon as well as hand made vintage favours.

To place your order go to:
http://www.etsy.com/people/lacepearls?ref=si_pr

Very excited! :-)

Handmade vintage favour idea's

Just came across a lovely wedding planning business who also make vintage style favours. Love the hand made jam and decorated jars, as well as the lavender filled pretty pockets. Such creative lovely idea's for your special day- go check out the website: http://www.sweetdaysandroses.co.uk/

Vintage Shoe Clips to add a bit of wow to those feet!

I just stumbled across this American website who make vintage shoe clips to adorn your bridal shoes- if you are looking for something a little bit quirky to vintage up your heels with for a reasonable price, go and check it out:
http://www.shoeclips.biz/vintage_shoe_clips.aspx

Dream dress...I think not!

Courtesy of Miss Palmer...this delightfully hideous picture of a mannequin donning a vile gown...dress or straight jacket? you decide!

Beautiful wedding stationary idea's

Through the wonderful Twitter I stumbled across Vicky Trainor and her delightful stationary collection. I gasped in awe when I saw all of her pretty vintage style bits and bobs, go take a look at her website:
http://www.thevintagedrawer.com/

Sooo pretty!

Vintage bouquet save the dates

I have just made the first save the date for my wedding, so thought I would share. Here's my handy work with the help of www.123stitch.com gorgeous vintage bouquet ink stamp, and lace and ribbon trim from my local textile store.

'123stitch' is an American website, they ship over their goods swiftly and cheaply and have so many beautiful stamps. Go and take a peak to add a vintage twist to your save the dates or invites.

Ornate wallpaper for the big day

Whilst on a romantic break in Somerset this weekend I stumbled across this beautiful wall paper and thought it could make a really pretty back ground to a vintage themed wall plan, with the names pinned onto it.  Why spend a fortune on a ready made wall plan when you could pick up wallpaper as perfect and gorgeous as this and use as your background? Absolutely love it, the bird cage, and pastel colours are so dreamy and romantic, just had to take a snap of it.

Vintage bridal haven....my saviour in the search for authentic exquisite garments for the big day

I am feeling incredibly enthused after a little visit to see Isabel While, owner of vintage wedding dress and styling business ' The Bridal Styling Company' in Bristol. After spending a couple of hours chatting over a cup of earl grey in Isabel's beautiful vintage inspired home, I found out about her make-up and hair styling career in film and television and decision to give it up for her love of vintage clothes and desire to set up a business for brides who are looking to be styled for their day. She offers make-up, hair styling and a lovely collection of dresses ranging from 1900s to 1980s, what more can a vintage bride to be ask for?

Her collection is breath taking, a lovely range of dresses for all sizes, offering the classic vintage ivory lace number to a bright turquoise 50s prom dress. Isabel also makes pretty head pieces, I fell in love with one in particular for my day. If you are looking for your hair and make-up to be taken care of with a vintage twist and a personable, lovely girl to be the one to do it, Isabel is your lady.

She encouraged any idea's and dreams I had for my wedding, and really made me think about the way I wanted to look for the day, as well as offering me potential vintage bridesmaids dresses after an epic battle to find the right ones; so all in all, a successful and enjoyable morning! If you are struggling to find authentic vintage dresses or garments for the big day or need a professional make-up artist and hair stylist I would really recommend visiting Isabel.

To contact Isabel go to her website: www.bridalstyling.co.uk

                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                                          

Sweetie shop table displays

One aspect of a vintage themed wedding that I love is the idea of an old fashioned sweet shop on a table as an extra little gift for your guests. 'The wedding of my dreams' website now supply sweet scoops, candy stripe paper bags and jars to hold all of your treats, so your guests can scoop up their favourite sweets and take them away with them. This is also great for children if you have any attending the big day.

Go to:
http://www.theweddingofmydreams.co.uk

Mood Boards

The best place to start when planning your wedding is to create a mood board with images of things that have inspired you. Stylemepretty have a great template on their website to source images and put together an idea's/theme page.

I have popped this one together with all images that I am hoping to incorporate in my day- the blue vintage shoes are a must! :-)

To create a mood board go to: https://www.stylemepretty.com/

Vintage Twee Heaven!

I came across this website and just thought WOW! So many beautiful idea's and little bits for your special day that would adorn your tables, your doors and your guests! Confetti cones made of vintage sheet paper, hand made bride getting ready signs, gorgeous favours, rose petal cones for your centre pieces....go look and be mesmerised....be warned it is too much beauty for one's eyes to bear!
http://www.vintagetwee.com/

Looking for something a little bit different with a vintage twist for your name cards?

If you are looking for something a little bit different for your vintage themed wedding these are great, a selection of shaped name place cards that are really elegant.

To place an order or if you just fancy a gander at the other products, go to: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TimelessPaper

Ravishing ribbons....

How amazing is this chair decor?! the perfect alternative to the classic chair cover, why not adorn your chairs with maypole-esque ribbons...very pretty wedding theme. May steal this little gem of an idea for my day... Find the rest of the images of this wedding on Ruffled blog:
http://ruffledblog.com/

Pretty cakes and table arrangements

I stumbled across these images when I was looking for some inspiration for my cake. The pastel colours and pearls are so pretty, and the crockery is sublime, it  really works as a centre piece for your room.

I also love the simplicity of these vintage glass jars with a beautiful rose in each, it adds that romantic feel to the table.

Vintage wedding venue search...

I began planning my wedding by focusing on the most important decision (other than the dress of course!) the venue. Although all of the little things really make the day special and personal, its the background to these pretty things that bring the wedding alive. I have always loved the British seaside and so based my search on seaside towns, and after watching 'Never let me go' at the cinema a childhood memory of happy days strolling around antique shops, and feeling the pebbles on my feet as I walked along Clevedon front came back to me.  As you may know this film shot many of the scenes in and around Clevedon and the poster is a beautiful image on the infamous pier, the romance of the film and book just really inspired me. 

The Grand Victorian Clevedon Pier

                         A little snapshot I took of the pier

 

So I had found the perfect seaside town, now onto the venue....I was concerned as I had always dreamed of finding a beautiful house like the one used in Atonement as that story and the house was my idea of epic romance. I didn't know if it was possible to combine the two ideas without it all being too over the top. However, I stumbled across a perfect place, Clevedon Hall. This grand house embodied everything I was looking for, romance, amazing grounds, high ceilings, atmospheric rooms, and a 5 minute stroll to the pier, it was perfect! It even had the lake....minus Keira in her flowing green dress, but you can't have everything! So far the venue and staff have been everything I could hope for and I would recommend to anyone if you are looking for a venue with style, grace, history and of course...romance!


http://www.clevedonhall.co.uk/