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Jewellery and marriage go to together like the proverbial horse and carriage – from engagement rings through to special items for your big day and even gifts for bridesmaids, a wedding is a wonderful reason to indulge in beautiful pieces that will stand the test of time and stir memories for years to come.
Earlier this week, Love My Dress® was invited to a showcase of the beautiful jewellery by British designer Alex Monroe and oh my goodness, how we lost our heart to the delicate rings, necklaces, earrings and more, all in his signature whimsical style.
Images supplied by Alex Monroe and Tamryn Lawrence
Alex himself grew up in the wilds of Suffolk and the influence of the countryside, its plants and animals have a huge impact on his work today. From the iconic bee emblems used on necklaces worn by the great and the good to the oh-so pretty styling of the flagship London boutique, nature is at the heart of everything.
And, as a result, every item is simply beautiful. We wandered around the boutique, delighting in it all, mentally compiling lists of all the pieces that would be perfect gifts for others or treats for ourselves and the absolute stand-out items that we couldn’t wait to share with you.
The necklaces, earrings and bracelets are just delightful. If the thought of being weighed down with bling on your wedding day doesn’t appeal, you will swoon for the Alex Monroe collections. Delicate, feminine and incredibly appealing, every item is utterly eye-catching because of its simplicity. If you prefer to whisper rather than shout, this is the jewellery for you.
So, let’s start this journey through wedding jewellery at the beginning with the engagement ring itself. Well, there are so many charming choices from the more traditional diamond solitaire, albeit with a more unusual textured band, through to similar styles featuring a wide variety of stones and bespoke items that you can help design.
Then, we move onto the beautifully feminine stacking rings. We absolutely love the idea of adding to your story over time and using your jewellery to tell your tale – the engagement itself is only one tiny part of your lives together so start with a ring for this, add a wedding ring, another to celebrate a birth, a move, an anniversary or a special milestone. Alex says that this approach is becoming incredibly popular with people choosing stones for each ring that represent the occasion being celebrated. We’re all for making memories and this seems utterly perfect.
Can we also suggest that the ‘enchanted alphabet’ necklaces would be the most wonderful gifts for bridesmaids? The pineapple necklace would be a perfect reminder of a tropical honeymoon, the daisy earrings are ideal for a country wedding and the stunning forget-me-not bracelet is a gift to give with love. Gold, silver, bejewelled or strikingly unadorned, Alex’s designs are that very rare thing – understated yet bold, full of personality but not overwhelming and special enough for any occasion whilst bearing eminently wearable every day. What more could you possibly ask for?
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Today we have news of an exciting event being held at Blackburn Bridal Couture, one of London’s leading independent bridal boutiques. The exclusive Claire Pettibone Designer Weekend is taking place from Friday 6th - Sunday 8th June, and as the designer's final trunk show of the season, it's a not-to-be missed opportunity for you to view the full collection and benefit from an exclusive 10% discount on purchases made throughout the weekend.
As the largest European stockist of Claire Pettibone gowns, Blackburn Bridal Couture will be showcasing the 2014 Still Life Collection alongside gowns from the Decoupage and Earthly Paradise Collections. We make no secret of our deep love for Claire Pettibone. We have featured many a real bride wearing one of her incredible gowns on these very pages. Her exquisite designs are ideal for those of you coveting an utterly romantic look for your big day.
The designer's signature ethereal style combines a gentle use of colour, couture details, European laces and intricate embroideries, to create the perfect bohemian look.
With gowns starting from £1,600 up to £5,500, a range of styles suitable for all budgets will be available to browse and try on throughout the weekend. Attendance is strictly by appointment only. Appointments are priced at £20, redeemable against any purchase made throughout the weekend.
Continue reading "Blackburn Bridal Hosts Claire Pettibone Designer Weekend 6th-8th June 2014" »
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Weddings can be such fun for dressing the little people up, don’t you think? Dare I say the little people almost steal the show in this pretty Spring-time celebration, but not quite - bride Anna looks delicious in her Eco-luxe wedding dress by designer Minna.
Anna, a Rights Manager at Channel 4 married James, the Director of an Investor Relations Agency, on 19 April this year at Islington Town Hall Council Chambers, followed by a reception at the London Canal Museum. Their day was such a beautiful, colour-filled Spring celebration, but oh my, look at the children’s outfits!
“We just wanted our wedding to look and feel full of happiness. I tried to have a basic colour palate of grey and yellow, and embrace the London wedding thing, but really just stuck to stuff I liked. It was important that it felt personal to us - we really didn’t want that corporate wedding venue feel. I do think the fact out wedding was held on Easter Saturday also helped guide our style choices.”
Photography Copyright (c) 2014, Richmond Pictures
“We got engaged after five years - James seized the initiative one drunken evening having been waiting for an opportune moment, but realised that there was no likelihood of being one anytime soon as we were both going through very busy spells. He already had the ring hidden in his sock drawer and proposed at the bottom of our bed.
I know it wasn’t on a beach in the Caribbean ,but I couldn’t have asked for a proposal which was more ‘us’. We got married 11 months later."
"The London Canal Museum was the first place we found that was a quirky fun venue, but also didn’t make us use overpriced catering or charge corkage. Plus we could arrive there on a boat!
My Maid of Honour, Alix, had been married a few years previously and she and her Aunties plus Mum had made metres of homemade bunting, and we got to borrow it on our wedding day. We decorated the rest of the venue with a mix of flowers, vintage finds, and the requisite Ikea purchases. We also made a giant piñata for our guests to ‘feed’ with our wed-libs. We are going to crack it open on our first anniversary!"
"We travelled on the canal boat My Fair Lady to the reception venue. It was such a fun and unusual way to get there!"
“James and I met in a pub called The Bedford in Balham. I was working as a nanny at the time, and had had a pretty full on day so went to the pub with my sister, and I looked horrific! James introduced himself as Juergen the Norwegian hairdresser, and I fell madly in love – I was mildly disappointed later when I realised I wouldn’t be getting my highlights done for free!”
“We did the flowers for the venue etc ourselves. I, my Mum and my sisters went to Covent Garden flower market a few days before the wedding. My Maid of Honour Alix arranged the flowers in the venue’s back room the day before the wedding. The bouquets for myself and the bridesmaids, and the posies for the little flower girls were all done by Hattie Fox at That Flower Shop."
I really do love that Anna chose to wear an ethically produced dress by Minna. Every dress is hand embellished and made from sustainable, organic, recycled and locally produced textiles. You can read more about Minna gowns here.
“Minna was the first place I went to look for wedding dresses. I personally couldn’t bring myself to spend the amount of money that many people suggested wedding dresses should cost. Minna had these beautiful dresses, made from ethically sourced material, at a much more reasonable price. I fell in love with their studio – up in the eaves of an old church in Brixton. It is really worth a visit, just for the experience!
The Vera dress was the last one I tried on. I had originally dismissed it as I so wanted to get the Valerie dress. My sister snuck it back into the pile and as soon as I tried it on I loved it!”
Anna's shoes were by Rachel Simpson - a purchase she made via the brilliant online wedding shoe boutique, Arabesque. I love how the peach shade adds to the pretty Spring time hues of this wedding.
“My bridesmaids each chose a different yellow dress from various high street shops. I wanted them to feel comfortable so let them choose the dress themselves.
The bridesmaids hair accessories were all made by my very talented friend Tea Lautala Graham, who doesn’t yet have an Etsy shop but I keep telling her to get one! The girls also all wore a bee necklace which I bought them as a thank you for being my bridesmaids - from Wedding In A Teacup."
“The amazing Karina and Tom from Richmond Pictures were our photographers. I still can’t quite fathom how they managed to get some of the shots they did. They are so talented and bloomin’ lovely!”
Continue reading "An Eco Chic Wedding Dress for a Pretty Yellow Spring Time Wedding" »
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