Wedding Day Beauty

Its your big day, your going to look stunning and all eyes will be on you, a little scary but true, after all you are the bride.

So when it comes to your make up the first thing you need to decide is are you going to do your own or are you going to hire a professional?  You may be a dab hand at your everyday make up but with the stresses of your big day you may want to hand your bridal beauty to someone else. 

If you decide to book a make-up artist, you will need to arrange a make-up trial before the big day. This is where you can take along photos and discuss make up ideas. It's especially important you get a make-up look that suits your skin type and face shape. But don't forget to be yourself - just because it's your wedding day, that doesn't mean you have to wear loads of make-up

If you decide to go ahead and do your own make up, why not take a tip to the local make up counter and seek some advice, there are plenty of consultants that will assist you in creating the look you want for the day. Besides its a good excuse to treat yourself to some new cosmetics!

In the weeks prior to your wedding try to drink plenty of water, eat healthily and try to get enough sleep, these are all things that will help your skin and eyes clear and bright on the day.

Also try not to change your daily skincare routine, after all you don't want to risk

 blotchy skin now do you?

Try to keep your look light and natural and you will look amazing for the duration of the day.

for any brides in North Yorkshire that are looking for a great make -up artist then why not try 

Katy Burnham-Moss at Belleza Beauty 

http://bellezathirsk.vpweb.co.uk/?prefix=www

Alternatives To Traditional Wedding Cakes

Today's brides are now looking beyond traditional when it comes to wedding cakes. Some people just do not like wedding cake, others just want to stamp their personality on their day. Even traditional cakes have changed over the years where brides are no longer restricted to fruit or sponge, with everything from chocolate to peanut butter flavour!

A while ago I wrote a short post on alternatives to wedding cakes, as requested by one of my followers we are revisiting this topic in a little more detail.

so we will start with Donuts!  if you love donuts then this is the option for you, just by arranging them on a suitable cake stand can transform it into the cake of your dreams.

Not for you? something more adventurous? what about jelly shots, again arranged on a display stand

A Pizza lover? how about this for an alternative

What about a sweet treat cake

sweettreatco.co.uk

This is a cheese wedding cake, a choice of cheeses stacked on top of one another that can be displayed and decorated with either fruit or flowers

Pork Pie wedding cakes are surprisingly popular

 Cupcakes! one of my favourites, you could choose a selection of different flavours to suit 

all your guests

This couple decided to just have a dessert table and not have a cake at all, a great opportunity to share all your favourite desserts with your guests

 another growing trend is cake pops

Why not have a Sweet Table instead, providing a variety of sweet treats in jars and containers with scoops and bags, a lovely idea for guests to take home or eat on the spot

What about a rainbow display of macaroons or why not try cookies of your choice

Saving the best until last, waffles.... with a selection of fruits and creams, let guests add their own fruit and creams.

So when planning your wedding think outside the box, your wedding is about you and your groom, your personalities and likes, mixing tradition with your own touches is a perfect way of creating a memorable day

If you have a topic that you would like to discuss here on our blog or any advice or questions then please get in touch.

Fresh Flowers v Silk/Artificial Flowers

When it comes to making your decision about your wedding flowers there are a few factors to take into consideration.

Firstly Fresh flowers v Silk/Artificial Flowers

The first Myth to dispel is that Silk Flowers are cheap. If you want really good, realistic looking flowers they can end up costing as much as real. These days silk flowers are so realistic that it is not until your guests actually touch them or try to smell them that they realise.
I recall at my wedding a few years ago that my table decorations were made of silk and set in a gel which looked like water, at the end of the reception I decided to give them away to some of my guests - it was not until a week after the wedding that one of my guests told me that she had carefully carried it on her lap home for over an hour in the car so that she didn't spill the water or disturb the flowers!

http://www.sarahsflowers.co.uk/

Silk/Artificial Flowers

They can also look as realistic

The can be slightly cheaper than fresh flowers

Great choice for people with allergies

Great idea for destination weddings as they travel better, cost less than importing fresh flowers

If you are getting married in the height of the summer, especially if you have nowhere cool to keep your flowers

Preservation - What better way to keep your bouquet as a permanent reminder of your special day

Some brides who have lost someone close to them choose to place their bouquet on their grave, as a symbol of wanting to share their day with them.

http://www.weddingandevents.co.uk/

 Fresh flowers

Using fresh flowers with the colour and smell always lends an air of romance to your celebrations

If you really love flowers and you have a good budget then why not go all out and hire a florist to help you and work together on choosing the types of flowers you need and help you create your vision for your wedding.

If you have a flower that has a special meaning to you, think about incorporating them into your arrangements. My husband to be moved from Australia so when choosing my flowers I chose to have some eucalyptus added to my bouquet. After all its your day so the perfect time to add those little personal touches.

If your on a tight budget then why not only get a bridal bouquet, posy for bridesmaids and buttonholes for groom and grooms men.

Try and buy flowers that are in season at the time of your wedding, consider buying flowers direct from the growers rather than the florists.

Still cannot decide?

Why not go for something alternative? 

                                                  http://www.facebook.com/TheTiaraBoutique

http://www.lovebouquets.co.uk/

Sylvia Weinstock Wedding Cakes

Sylvia is the one that all celebrities turn to when looking for the wedding cakes, in her 80's and with her company based in New York some of her creations can cost anything up to £45,000!! 

The Clinton's as well as Catherine Zeta Jones & Michael Douglas are just a couple of her celebrity clients.

The secret ingredient for Sylvia Weinstock’s success is there are no shortcuts– in cake or in life. She uses only the best ingredients available. While the flowers for a large cake may be made weeks in advance, the cakes are baked, filled, and iced one or two days prior to the delivery date so every client receives a fresh, tender, and delicious cake

This week I thought  it would be lovely to feature some of her work .

http://www.sylviaweinstock.com/index_fl4.html

for brides who are interested in Sylvia's cakes you have to call direct to make a personal appointment

Special Feature .. The Tiara Boutique By Victoria Corbin

Earlier this year I came across the stunning work of Victoria Corbin of The Tiara Boutique, with the care and attention to detail that she puts into her work, along with a little bit of her own special magic you have to agree her work has an elegant beauty all of its own. As one of her newest fans

 I asked Victoria to write a feature for all my special followers about her work and where she gets her inspiration from. 

The sound that every jewellery/bouquet designer dreads...thousands of beads hitting the laminate flooring and escaping to every corner of the room at a rate of knots...I would say that happens about every three days in my house, Nevertheless, I never learn, as I type this there is a pot of seeds beads perilously close to the edge of my dining room table and my two young children are tearing around the house as children do....it’s like a ticking time bomb...

It all started with my best friend asking me to make her some pins for her wedding day, they were so well received at the shop she purchased her dress from that a tiara collection followed and The Tiara Boutique was born. 

Since then I have extended my range to artificial and crystal bouquets.

Artificial flowers are no longer the poor plastic imitations we used to see at our Nan’s house, they are now beautiful and very realistic in appearance.  Beautiful artificial flowers often act as the base within my work and I dress them with brooches/ bead work/wire work to transform them into a unique design. I am often asked how do I have the patience, but like many others in this field of work, I consider it a labour of love so I don’t think of it as a chore.  I do feel extremely lucky to have a job I absolutely adore.

I wouldn’t call my style modern or vintage inspired, elegantly understated or wildly flamboyant, I like to think I have pieces that cater for all tastes.  I do offer a bespoke service which many of my brides have taken advantage of. My collection offers my clients a diverse selection of styles and techniques and, crucially, shows the quality to which the items are produced to. My brides appreciate that all of my items are handmade and are labour intensive. I am very particular in my work and hope this attention to detail shines through. 

Each piece can be personalised with the addition of personal items such as family heirlooms, jewellery, lockets, watches, buttons and so much more...the options are endless!

I have, perhaps, a rather romantic notion towards my work.  I hope that my pieces are cherished by the bride and may one day be passed down to her children, be proudly displayed in her home once the big day has passed or stored away as treasured keepsake of her big day. 

I try to make my products available to all brides.  My prices range from £40 - £500 and many of my designs can be customised to fit within a realistic budget. I am all too aware that times are tight on all of us at the moment so I offer the option of payment plans to brides who wish to spread the cost. This has proven to be very popular as many brides have chosen to order something extra special as it doesn’t seem quite so extravagant when you pay in installments.

My business has only been going three years now, it’s been hard work but this year it has really taken off.  I believe it’s because I offer something a bit different that appeals to the brides of this age who are breaking from tradition and being a little more adventurous in their choices. Social media has been invaluable to getting my products out there without breaking the bank spending out on advertising in wedding magazines.

I am not for the hard sell approach I like to think my work speaks for itself – I want a bride to carry/wear one of my creations down the aisle not because the price was right but because she fell in love with it. I want her to treasure it and when looking back on her big day she can open up that keepsake box many years afterwards and the bouquet/tiara will be just as beautiful as the moment she said ‘I do’... 

If you would like to check out more of Victoria's work or contact her for more information then please check out her page http://www.facebook.com/TheTiaraBoutique

Fantastic News!! - North of England Wedding Awards

North of England Wedding Awards
This evening I received some wonderful news, that I am a finalist in the North East of England Wedding Awards!!  I am totally thrilled and would like to take the time to thank all those lovely brides past and present that voted for me, It really is humbling and its times like this that really make everything so worthwhile, just to know that in some way I have been able to help.

here is to many more years helping brides all over the UK realise their dream day

Pretty Pink Rose Inspiration

Pink Rose Inspiration, whether you choose baby pink or shocking pink or both together, roses are traditional and never fail to create a stunning look