Real Spanish Flamenco-Style Wedding

Cherries and a flamenco-style wedding dress = me in heaven. This incredible Basque country wedding took place in San Sebastian, home of more Michelin starred restaurants per capita than Paris. So not only is it an incredibly beautiful town, but the food is amazing. The happy couple chose wedding dream-team Lisa Vorce {planner}, Mindy Rice {florist} and photographer {Aaron Delesie} to create their perfect wedding, and didn't they do a fabulous job! I'm loving the beautiful old-fashioned stationery in grey, the French lavender and kumquat tree table decorations, and the traditional dancers outside the church. It's always wonderful when you include local traditions in your wedding. And have you spotted the fantastic welcome bag in the last picture? It looks so tempting - and presents are a great way to welcome your guests, particularly if they've travelled a long way.

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My DIY Wedding Ceremony & Advice

Before I got engaged, I presumed that the type of couple that wrote their own wedding ceremony were either massive hippy-types, or hugely arrogant of their own writing skills and a bit sappy. As we're neither, I'm not sure how we ended up writing our French wedding ceremony. It was partly thanks to our friends {The Ducks}, who hosted their own fabulous Caribbean-themed wedding with their own inspiring ceremony, and partly because we don't believe in God. With a church wedding firmly off the cards, and the civil ceremony so depressingly meh, we weren't left with many options. I did buy the Humanist wedding ceremony guide, but deary me, that booklet knows how to take the romance out of vows. So we wrote threw caution to the wind, and using the Church of England ceremony as a template {minus God}, we came up with our own. And now you can read it, and hopefully see that it wasn't a naff sludge-fest, but actually quite meaningful and dead romantic {my Boy's terms}. Hopefully it should still act as a decent template, should you be looking for one! Click here to take a look. You'll notice from the gorgeous Caught the Light pictures below, that we said our vows in a churchy-looking place. We were very lucky that our venue had an unconsecrated chapel, so we had the beauty of an historic building, without the religious obligations.

{Photo Credit} Our wedding by Caught the Light

P.S. Remember that to legally get married you have to either have a civil ceremony or a religious ceremony of some kind. We had our civil ceremony in London, so strictly speaking the French wedding didn't count. Although for us, it was our wedding day, and the 28th May is what's engraved in The Boy's wedding ring {mine is too narrow}.

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Original Vintage-style Wedding Stationery

Yippee! Boutique British graphic designers are finally getting in on the wedding stationery scene. I'm all about using independent wedding suppliers, and Vintage Designs are a humdinger! The lovely Andrew works from his home in Oxfordshire with trusty partner in crime, Alfie the Labrador. I think Alfie probably does most of the work, but Andrew insists that he studied design and photography at university, and that's one of the reasons why his work is so beautiful. I'm obsessed with the old-skool style typography and illustrations in his invitations, with my favourite design of all the one with the peas. Which is yours?

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Wedding Beauty Preparation: Do’s and Don’ts

{Posting by Julia Bowden, Before the Big Day's Hair & Make-up Expert} Any wedding lead up is stressful. How's yours ticking along? So many things to remember, and I bet you have lists coming out of your ears. That's why this week I thought I'd take one task off your hands and create your very own Wedding Beauty Do's and Don'ts Check List. It's sure to keep you on the straight and narrow as you prepare to walk up the aisle.

{Photo Credit} Julia's make-up brushes!

DO
Have lots of make-up trials at beauty counters. Whether you’re doing your own wedding make-up or hiring a professional, this will freshen up your product knowledge, and help you understand what looks and feels right and wrong. Why not get a trial at MAC, Bobbi Brown, Estée Lauder, Lancôme or Laura Mercier? Often you can redeem the cost of your wedding make-over against product purchases.

DON'T

Use products on your wedding morning that you haven't practiced or trialled first. You're risking allergy, colour, and comfort issues on your wedding day.

DO
Get a wedding make-up trial {if you’re going with a professional}, as close to your wedding day as you can. There's no point having a trial a year in advance, as the look won't be fresh in your mind. You want to be able to discuss any last minute changes with your wedding make-up artist with confidence.

DON'T

Try a crazy new make-up look for your wedding day. It's great to experiment, but make sure you feel comfortable with the look you have chosen. On their wedding day, brides should look like a more polished and shiny version of themselves, NOT like someone completely different.

DO
Experiment with professional brow shaping and lash implants two to three months before your big day. This means you'l have time for re-growth or tweaking if anything doesn't go to plan first time.

DON'T

Get a fake tan a few days before for your wedding day. As with brows and lashes – experiment a few months in advance so you know exactly how you look, with fake sun-kissed skin.

{Photo Credit} Wedding Hair & wedding make-up by Julia Bowden Weddings

DO
Leave plenty of time on your wedding morning. Your make-up artist should plan this with you, but if you're doing your own wedding make-up you can never underestimate how quickly time passes on a wedding morning. Allow 2 hours for your hair and make-up, and an hour each for mothers and bridesmaids. This way you are bound to have some contingency time. Always aim to be ready and in your dress 30 minutes before you are meant to leave for the ceremony.

DON'T

Worry if you feel caked in make-up and you're not used to it! No-one is going to be studying your face up close, it's all about the overall look – and you need those extra touches to make you stand out in photos.

DO
Think about the time of year and the setting. Summer or winter, indoor or outdoor – make-up can be tailormade to suit. For example, a candlelit wedding would suit a more dramatic sparkling look, whereas bright summer sunshine requires softer wedding make-up.

DON’T
Squeeze any spots, or go for facials a few days before the wedding. Your wedding make-up artist will be very experienced in covering blemishes, so leave it to the expert. Facials are great but can drag out the impurities, so you may end up making your skin temporarily worse.

DO
Create your very own bridal beauty scrap book. Once you start it'll become addictive, and you’ll soon learn exactly the kind of wedding make-up and wedding hair you like. This will also helpyour wedding make-up artists at the trial stages. Take a look at Pinterest – it's an online scrapbook with thousands of wedding ideas.

{Photo Credit} Funky Photographers

DO
Get a touch up kit for the day - foundation, cover up, powder, anti-shine, mascara, liner, lips and blush – they're an absolute must…just get your bridesmaid to carry it for you on your wedding day!

DO
Analyse your skin a few months before your wedding day so you have time to address any issues you may have. There are plenty of solutions out there, from a brilliant moisturiser to a quick trip to the doctor – whatever it is, get it sorted and under control in advance!

DO
Get a reputable professional on board to do your make-up if you want a wedding make-up artist on the day. Love Hair is a fantastic agency providing an excellent wedding service for bridal hair and make-up. Make sure you take lots of pictures once you are happy with the end result, and ask your stylist for a list of products they used so you can pick them up for your touch up kit. You may end up with me on the day, as I'm one of their wedding make-up artists. Alternatively, you can book me direct - do get in touch.

Good luck! JB x

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