Sunday, November 29, 2015

A Beachside Wedding in Ibiza with Jimmy Choos & Bouganvillia

This amazing Ibiza wedding will have you dreaming of summer! It's a stunning example of a destination big day. Simple, chic, and perfect. The great thing about getting married abroad is that the venue usually speaks for itself - you don't need stacks of extra wedding decorations. Plus all your friends feel like they're on holiday, so they come ready to party!



We hosted our wedding in Ibiza!! We both went to Ibiza a few years ago for my birthday with a group of friends. Back then, we were just friends but during the week, we started to feel differently about each other – the magic of Ibiza made us fall in love!


I went on a recce with my maid of honour and made appointments with lots of venues on the island over 3 days – and visited lots of beautiful churches! It was a tough job but someone had to do it! ;) Our ceremony took place at San Agustin Church, and we chose the Elixir Shore Club for our reception venue.


We kept it really simple as the venue was so beautiful and had the most beautiful backdrop of Es Vedra – the magical island of love.


My wedding dress was the 'Amelie' by Gemy Maalouf from Secret Dress House. I had tried on lots of the traditional-style gowns in other boutiques and really didn't feel like 'me'. Then, following the recce with my maid of honour, we knew I needed something a bit different – and suitable for the HOT weather!  


A friend had recommended Secret Dress House and as soon as I met Kelly and checked out her beautiful and more 'fashionable' collection, I knew this was the boutique for me! I knew I didn’t want a strapless dress {partly due to it being a church wedding} but other than that, I was open to options – but it had to be cool!


When Kelly picked 'my' dress I wasn't sure at first but as soon as I tried it on, I knew! I finally felt like me – and as it was made of pure silk, it was so breathable and perfect for the Spanish heat! I loved Grecian feel, the detail, the train…and the lace back! I asked for the longest veil they had – I wanted a statement veil for the church!  


Jonny & I love our House Music – so I walked down the aisle to a live piano version of Penguin by Avicii. On our way back up the aisle as man and wife, our church band played an acoustic version of 'We Found Love' by Calvin Harris & Rhianna – another song that means a lot to us. 


My hair and make-up was done by Jaime Bravo. Ok, I’m lucky, Jaime is my sister-in-law {and bridesmaid}, but if she wasn't I would still pay for her to come to Ibiza to beautify the wedding party – she is simply the best! She is so 'on trend' and knows what looks would suit each girl. She is super quick, yet a perfectionist – what a winning combo on your wedding morning! She even converted girls reluctant to have their hair & make-up done into them wanting to use Jaime every day!


Jonny knew he wanted to wear a suit in a blue/grey colour - and something quite relaxed. Burton has a great range and he opted for skinny fit trousers and a waistcoat, with braces for the evening.  


Jonny and his ushers' blush bow ties were custom made from Kraft 2 Kotton 1 Korner on Etsy. He also wore blue shoes from Dune, a white skinny fit shirt and pink socks from Charles Tyrwhitt  


Our wedding flowers were created by Florist Dreams, who came highly recommended to us via a contact we made in Ibiza. 

Gary and Holly were a pleasure to deal with. I knew I wanted a simple blush rose bouquet and gypsophila for the bridesmaids and buttonholes – I love the simplicity and how the colours worked together.




Without a doubt, my shoes had to be Jimmy Choo! They were the first pair I tried on and I fell in love. They were classic white, peep toe with sparkles and a comfortable heel size. For the evening - dancing and shots on the beach – I changed into bespoke Swarovski Crystal Havianas flip flops.


Our wedding photographer was Ily Grantham. We met Ily when she did our engagement shoot in Arizona and we fell in love with her! 


We were quite nervous about doing a photo shoot and felt a bit uncomfortable at first but within minutes, Ily had us relaxed, enjoying it – and the photos were incredible!!! We knew we had to fly Ily out to Ibiza!


My bridesmaids gowns are the convertible 'Annabelle' in blush by Jenny Woo for BHLDN. I came across these first on Pinterest and was obsessed – I then visited the BHLDN boutique in Beverley Hills {love that place} and tried them on with my {bridesmaid} sister-in-law. I loved the fact that they could be styled in so many different ways to best suit the girl. 

For more on this wedding, click for Part 2!

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Friday, November 27, 2015

Before the Big Day Black Friday Wedding Sales

It's a big day in the world of sales, and this is your chance to buy everything for your wedding at a bargain price! Black Friday is a pretty new concept in the UK, but wedding vendors are jumping on the bandwagon, so it's definitely worth taking a look at your favourite shops, to see if you can snap up something special. Wedding dress, bridesmaids gowns, and wedding decorations are your best buys - here's my round-up of some of the BEST Black Friday Wedding Sales.....








♥  Luxury shoe and accessories brand Freya Rose is offering a whopping 30% discount off their exquisite creations for one day and one day only. Use the code BLKFRIDAY

♥ WOW - BHS has a brilliant wedding collection, with flower girl dresses, groom's suits and even mother of the bride outfits. And talk about a deal - they're offering a whopping 50% off everything this Friday.

♥  Book your wedding make-up with Beauty Call today, and they'll do one of your maid's hair or make-up completely free - saving £60.

♥  For wedding decorations, presents and original accessories, it doesn't get better than Not on the High Street, particularly with up to 50% off this Black Friday! There are literally pages of discount - my fav? These Bubble Gum balloons with 30% off!


♥  You'll be amazed what you can find for your wedding on ASOS - fab bridesmaids dresses, pretty accessories, and the all important 'getting ready robes'. They even have beauty products for your big day. All with 20% off this weekend, with the code CYBER.

♥ If you buy your wedding dress from bridal designer Louise Selby this weekend, she'll give you a veil for free! Book your appointment on 020 8948 8681

♥ I'm a big fan of Coast's Wedding Collection - they have brilliant bridesmaids dresses for brides on a budget. And now you can snap up a deal with 30% off their entire wedding collection. Use the code JUSTFORYOU at checkout.


♥ Another massive deal for you - House of Fraser is offering 50% off everything today! It's a great opportunity to get reductions on pretty Phase Eight wedding gowns and smart suits for your hubby-to-be.

♥ Bought your wedding rings yet? Take a trip to reliable high-street jeweller Goldsmiths for 25% off selected watches and jewellery from Friday through to Monday.

♥ Buy your wedding undies from M&S, with 30% off today. It's knicker-tastic!

♥  Buy your wedding stationery from fantastic designer Printed Love Co today, and you'll get a massive 25% off with the code BLACK FRIDAY






♥ If you're worrying about the cost of your wedding day look, take a look at my blog post on how to buy your wedding dress for less.

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Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Totally Tropical Boho Bridesmaid Dresses

Random fact of the day - I'm planning a tropical themed New Year's Eve party {long story}. As part of my research for fun ideas, and what to wear, I stumbled upon the most incredible bridesmaid dress company E-V-E-R. If you're a boho bride, or fun-spirited, or just love a good print, you're going to fall head-over-heels for this brilliant brand called Show Me Your Mumu. Created by two fabulous girls who live in New York, their website is stuffed to the rafters with fantastic gowns, playsuits and getting ready robes. Be warned - you'll come away wanting an Hawaiian themed big day!



Here are just a few of my favourite gowns.....





{Sources} Top picture from Green Wedding Shoes Blog, all other shots from Show Me Your Mumu

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Friday, November 20, 2015

For Eternity Engagement Rings

Engagement rings are a constant source of fascination for me. There are very few objects in the world that symbolise so much - they represent a choice, a promise, hope for the future, and of course love. I've long been a fan of the solitaire diamond - to me, the single gemstone meant my husband had chosen his one love. But now I'm intrigued by the new trend in eternity rings - and they way they look forward to the future. This diamond band by Silly Shiny Diamonds is particularly pretty - would you choose an eternity ring for your engagement?


{I want this!} Diamond Eternity Ring, £560 by Silly Shiny Diamonds

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Thursday, November 19, 2015

Cute Christmassy Winter Wedding Favours

Is anyone else already getting excited about Christmas? Twinkling fairy-lights, warming mulled-wine, snug scarves and rustling presents under the tree? It's no wonder winter weddings are amongst the most magical. Several of my friends have chosen to host their big day in December, and all their weddings felt like we'd stepped straight into Narnia. Add a little bit of fairy-tale to your wedding reception with these adorable gingerbread house coffee biscuits. Delicious favour, and sweet treat in one, they're the perfect after-dinner treat. Cookie Art London make stacks of amazing biscuits - check out their 'Will You Be My Bridesmaid' set, and edible Christmas tree decorations.


Gingerbread House Biscuits, £12 for 16 by Cookie Art London

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