What with the prospect of warm summer evenings, it’s time to forget about spending a night in some poorly-lit basement club! Trade in sweaty sofas and sticky floors for grassy knolls and starlit skies. Nothing quite says Glamorous Camping like an informative nature trail led by our specially trained Woodland Survival Experts – simply a perfect opportunity to forage for ingredients for bush cocktails but also a great time to lead the bride-to-be on a pre-planned treasure hunt. (Hansel and Gretal fancy dress optional.)

Upon returning to the campsite nestled in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside, groups can snack on a hearty batch of Chocolate Orange campfire muffins whilst exploring their luxury Yurt, tipi or bell tent, or simply enjoy an old school game of rounders as their instructor prepares supper. There is nothing to stop packs of excitable hens from dressing up, (animal prints are particularly relevant) and dancing around the campfire or just sitting back – locally sourced elderflower martini in hand – as the sun sets. Perfect!

The White House Tipi Village lies 30 minutes outside of Oxford, and less than an hour from the gorgeous Bourton-on-the-Water with its famous tea rooms and miniature village – absolutely ideal for a relaxing day trip to complete your weekend of countryside bliss.

For ladies that favour luxurious occasions, but do not want to venture out of their respective cities, it may be time to indulge in a spot of Vintage Afternoon Tea and Cupcake Decorating. Settle down in a deliciously vintage setting and be greeted with beautiful crockery and cake stands crammed with scones, jam and fresh clotted cream. These sweet treats will fuel a lesson in the fashionable art of sugar-craft in our cupcake decorating class. Why not don a few vintage accessories or slip into a Swing dress, complete with a squared neckline, floral prints, flared skirt and over sized bows – perfect for a girly day out!

This article was written by Polestars, a London based hen party company who have worked nationwide for almost ten years in delivering the best alternative hen activities. Ranging from dance classes to art lessons to chocolate making workshops, Polestars really has something to offer everyone. http://polestars.net/

Emily and Richards truly gorgeous wedding photographs where kindly submitted by the very talent Christian Furse of Christian Micheal Photography.

Over to Emily

Richard and I have been together since I was 15 and Richard was 16 in 2001. We met at school and have been together ever since. Richard soon started joining me and my family on our annual camping trips to St Ives. Eventually we were allowed to travel down on our own and so the tradition continued.

In 2009 on our yearly holiday we went for a wonderful meal and spent the evening on the Porthmeor beach. Little did I know Richard planned on proposing. It was the most perfect proposal. My favorite place in the world, It couldn’t have been better.

The Dress!

Buying my wedding dress was the part of our wedding planning I dreaded the most. I had never envisioned my wedding before and all I knew was that I didn’t want something too traditional and ideally I didn’t want something too big (I planned on going for a play on the beach).

Shopping with my mum, sisters and best friend for my dress was a nightmare, I didn’t like bling, I didn’t like this I didn’t like that and in our last shop I was like a spoilt child having a tantrum, whinging about every dress I tried on.

My friend walked out to the show room and grabbed the biggest dress in the shop, brought it back and told me to ‘just try it!!!!’ I wasn’t allowed to say no. I put the dress on and instantly knew. It was the opposite to what I wanted but just perfect. The dress I eventually chose was the Maggie Sottero – Venecia. It was just Perfect!!

The Ceremony/Reception!

WOW! This was fun. The minute we got engaged, I knew where I wanted to get married. There was no doubt that our wedding would be in the most important place in the world to me, St Ives. My parents were really supportive as they both love Cornwall as much as we do.

We went to view a few hotels, however it was a no brainer really Tregenna Castle was the place for us. In the October 2009 a few months after we got engaged Richard and I came down to St Ives with my parents to view a few venues.

Tregenna Castle was our first venue to visit and as we drove up the drive my dad (who is normally very quiet) said ‘Should we just cancel the rest of the appointments? We all knew straight away that this beautiful venue with the most outstanding views was they place for us to celebrate our special day.

Being from Manchester, it was obviously difficult to plan a Wedding 350 miles away, however the Staff at Tregenna were so easygoing and organized it was just amazing. We booked a week at the castle for the Wedding, a few days before and a few days after the day.

The day of the wedding was great, so chilled out, so relaxed. Richard stayed with his parents in a rented holiday home nearby and I stayed at the Tregenna with my best friend/ maid of honour. We used the room to get ready. It was just perfect and worked so well.

The Theme/details!

PINK! No theme as such but I just knew I needed lots of cerise pink. I was very determined on what I wanted. I wanted everything very plain but WOW. Bridesmaids were pink, flowers and small details. It worked really well and nothing was over the top. Perfect.

The little details were so hard to put together working from Manchester but everyone who played a part did the most perfect job in helping us plan our special day.

Our flowers needed to be Pink! I knew gerberas were perfect for our wedding, pink bold and simple. Very summery. Anna from Wedding flowers in Cornwall supplied our flowers and they were the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Not only did she provide the bouquets and button holes but also the decorations for the tables and even wands for the flower girls.

The table names and seating plan were made by me, pictures of local beaches which we love. The place names, menus, table games and invitations were also made by me and my mum.

Our cake was gorgeous, absolutely beautiful and more importantly the yummiest cake. It was made by Clare’s Cakes in Cornwall. It was made up from lots of smaller cakes and one bigger ‘cutting’ cake on top. Made up from two types of cakes, a chocolate cake with milk chocolate slats around the edge and a vanilla sponge with white chocolate slats.

Entertainment

Both Richard and I love our music and this is what helped us get together as teenagers. Deep at heart we love our metal as do many of our friends. When we booked a DJ it was important that we could let our hair down and have a god old dance to a bit of metal at the reception along with the usual wedding disco. It was important to us that a DJ would respect our plans and be able to work it into the night. And it was done perfectly. The dance floor was full from first dance to last. Amazing.

Photos and film

Together we decided that good photographs were one of the most important aspects of our wedding and it was vital that we got the perfect photographer who would do justice to our beautiful day. But also to embrace the fun we intended to have. We met a few amazing photographers but when we met Christian we both knew that he could capture our day perfectly.

After speaking to him a few times in preparation this confirmed our choice, Christian was great to work with.

On the day Christian truly helped make the day memorable for us. Not just by capturing all the fun we had and all our silliness, but also embraced the fun. It was one of the most relaxed and laid back days but also fun. I haven’t laughed as much in my life and Christian captured this perfectly.

When our photographs arrived I invited the whole family over for champagne whilst we looked through the pictures. They were amazing. The photos brought back all the emotions of the day, we laughed, we cried. It was fantastic. We couldn’t be happier with the photographs of our special day.

List of Suppliers & their website’s

Christian Michael

http://www.christianmichael.co.uk/

Wedding Flowers in Cornwall – Anna Sawle

http://www.weddingflowersincornwall.co.uk/

Sitting Pretty

http://www.sittingprettysouthwest.co.uk/

Tregenna Castle

http://www.tregenna-castle.co.uk/

Claire’s Cakes

http://www.clarescakes.co.uk/index.htm

Designer threads

Show the wedding couple you’ve made an effort by picking a designer outfit for your child. Although prices may be greater than highstreet offerings, clothes are often better made and use finer fabrics. Buying designer clothing for the kids also means you can pick something really unique, and avoid that embarrassing situation of seeing other kids in the same outfits as your own! Many big designer labels now produce spin-off collections of children’s clothes and whilst some are designed for everyday wear, others are more special. Dolce and Gabbana have a number of cute dresses which are ideal for spring or summer weddings. For the boys, look to Armani Junior, whose range of well-cut suits work all year round.

Comfort

Whilst you’ll want your child to look smart for a wedding, it is almost equally as important that they are comfortable too. A summer wedding can mean a hot venue, so cheap man-made fabrics are out – these are not breathable and can cause kids to feel even hotter. For girls, look for loose-fitting dresses and add a cute cardi to their outfit for warmth, if needed. If your son is wearing a suit, avoid choosing a tie as this can get itchy and uncomfortable during a long day. A designer shirt and suit should look stylish and smart on its own.

Footwear

You may have seen celebs dressing their daughters in high heels, but this is one A list look not to be repeated! High heels can cause damage to little feet, and young girl’s footwear needs to look more comfortable and cute than mature and chic. If shopping for a spring or summer wedding choose partially-open sandals for your daughter and team with white ankle socks. These stop feet getting too hot and can be removed if necessary. For little boys, go for a plain black loafer style shoe. This should be comfortable all day and avoids the hassle of laces – perfect for little ones!

Weddings can be great fun for kids as well as parents and dressing your child in an outfit which is both trendy and comfortable means they can enjoy the special day as much as you.

Guest post by alex and alexa

The UK weather hasn’t been great so we decided to shoot indoors at my Studio, which is situated within the Old bakery Studio’s a beautiful old building situated at a prominent waterside location, right in the center of Truro. The building is full of charter with a hint of rustic charm and perfect for our styled shoot.

Dress: The stunning bridal gown’s our model wore came from Vu’s Bridal Boutique in Wadebridge Tel: 01208 815440 Website

Styling: The shoot was styled by the talented Kirsty Andrews of Too Pretty by Far and Escential Blooms Tel: 01208 74372 check Website

Make Up & Hair: We had a fantastic team that worked perfectly together when creating Katie’s look Make up artist Sally Orchard did a smokey eye with with pink lip’s. I really love the smokey eye look for brides especially when a darker colour palette is used. Senior Hairstylist Kerry Prynn of Number 8 Hairdressing in Truro did an amazing Job with Katie’s Hair.

Make up Artist: Sally Orchard Tel: 07969572302 Website

Hairstylist: Kerry Prynn Tel: 01872 260424 Website

Hair Accessories: Veil Simply Bridal Website, Flower headdress Website

Photography: Sharron & Mark Lean from Radical eye Photography Tel: 01841 533254 Website

Bridal registry is just one part of your wedding but should not be overlooked; your guests will all want to be part of your day, and that includes giving you a present that they feel gives appreciation at being invited to such a special occasion, as well as expressing their admiration of such a great event of commitment! The best way to handle the questions of “is there something specific we can get you?” or indeed the prospect of 10 toasters, is to be well organised by drawing up a gift list.

A list that offers variation and gift vouchers is a really good idea and always check that the service is free and there are no hidden costs such as delivery or charges to change a gift after it has been purchased. Ask plenty of questions and the other thing to make sure of is to remember to tell your guests of your wedding list, an insert in the invitation is perfect for this and many bridal registries will offer this service. Flexibility is the key as you really want to keep it easy for your guests to use and also offer them a wide selection of gifts and costs to suit all budgets, from great aunty Doris to your boss.

Many brides today have already set up home but this is an opportunity to perhaps start a collection of a much longed for luxurious dinner service or indeed to re-style your home with designer items such as cushions & throws; or what about a totally decadent walnut & nickel chess board? The super stylish bride of today expects luxury and wants those special gifts ‘to have and to hold’ so relax and enjoy creating your individual and personal list.

Guest post written by Amara Bridal Registry

Over to Robin: For this bridal shoot we chose to use the bride’s own home, an historic Victorian house with enormous charm and amazing architecture. The bride was absolutely stunning and the location proved to be more than I expected. We started indoors in the formal sitting room. Two of the many porches that grace the house made for wonderful shots while giving us different lighting in the different areas. The gorgeous grounds opened up even more opportunities to showcase the beauty of the bride and the location. Before wrapping the session we popped a block away to pose the bride in front of the red wall to get a few pop photos and toss a bit of a twist into the reel. The overall breezy feeling of the shoot perfectly captured the bride’s carefree beauty and her truly sweet spirit.

Photographer: Studio Eleven Photography

My career came about purely by accident when a friend of mine wanted to get married, in 1981, but didn’t have enough money for a dress. I enjoyed the experience of making someone feel so special and soon realized that I had a flair for it.  I love enhancing the female shape, and having made my first dress from a shop bought pattern soon got a taste for making my own patterns.

Like all my collections So Sassi, my new esprit label, is handmade in England using a gorgeous array of satins, tulles and laces, and all the styles have an integral corset.  The dresses are young and
vibrant, and I have worked with a youthful, dynamic team to create them which was a great opportunity to work closely with young designers and combine their enthusiasm and creativity with my
commercial experience

Do you have any tip’s for brides to be when finding the perfect wedding dress?

When buying a wedding dress my team of fitters and I always suggest to brides that they don’t view too many.  The received wisdom is to try on everything you can find, but buying a wedding dress is a unique experience and you cannot treat it like buying any other dress. You get a tingle when you try on your first wedding dress; if you try on 48 wedding dresses, anything after the fourth is just not going to give you that tingle and you’ll start viewing them all as disappointing and stop seeing the dresses in perspective.  Let a good fitter point you in the direction of maybe three dress styles that will work for you, and then choose between them.  Disregard what your groom has said he’d like…obviously he has your best interests at heart but when you get the right dress for you he will think you look incredible and will forget whatever style he suggested.

Be open to suggestions from the fitter.  Just because a particular hemline suits you in evening wear don’t assume that you have to have that same hemline for your wedding dress.  The criteria for a
successful wedding dress are completely different to that of a normal dress.

When designing do you have a certain type of client in mind?
I tend to work with themed mood boards, for instance ‘romantic’, ‘retro’ and ‘regal’. So, it is images not personalities that help me create a diverse collection.

What do you love most about your job?
Working within a creative environment with a great team.

Sassi Holford’s new collection can be view at http://www.sassiholford.com/

Over to Tonya: Jessica and Keith will be having their art deco wedding in March of 2013, and decided to stay true to their love of vintage for their engagement session. We were inspired by the upcoming release of the new film starring Leonardo DeCaprio The Great Gatsby and the hugely popular television series Mad Men. Many of their wedding vendors took part in their styled engagement session:

Wedding Planner: Kelly McWilliams with Weddings by Socialites

Hair: Lindsay Johnson with Hope Artistry

Makeup: Hope Henderson with Hope Artistry

Photography: Tonya Malay Photography

Clothing and Accessories: Vamped Up Vintage

We were fortunate to have the owner of the very trendy downtown Fort Myers vintage boutique, “Vamped Up Vintage”, take part in the shoot. Wende’ Gilmore styled Jessica and Keith with her authentic vintage clothing and accessories from her boutique.

The styled shoot took place in historic downtown Fort Myers.

Over to Kathleen: This is a Tennessee farm vintage styled shoot with wildflower centerpieces in mason jars, an amazing white mantle that fit in perfectly on the farm with wooden pews, and a DIY paper boutonniere. The table runner was also hand-made from pages of vintage books from the 1950s. Grab a cold glass of sweet tea in a mason jar, kick your heels up, and enjoy our Tennessee farm styled wedding shoot!

Retro clutches

The clutch bag is a hot choice right now – because it comes in such a great range of colours, styles and looks, it can be teemed with a huge variety of outfits. You can find a pretty and stylish clutch to co-ordinate with matching dresses – choose a complimentary shade in a simple but elegant design so dresses aren’t overwhelmed. If you choose to let your bridesmaids pick their own outfits, clutches are a great way to bring their different looks together and keep them cohesive – try the same style in different shades to match each girl’s outfit.

Bling it up

Jewels are a great add-on accessory, but the key is keeping is stylish yet discreet. After all, it’s your wedding day, and you want all eyes on you! Go for pretty and subtle details, like pearl earrings or a delicate necklace that your bridesmaids will cherish for years afterwards, and can easily re-wear in future. Another fun option is the tiara – especially for younger girls, who will love feeling like a princess for a day in a pretty, sparkly headpiece.

If the shoe fits

Footwear is a great choice of accessory for bridesmaids – which girl doesn’t love having more beautiful shoes to add to her collection? Shoes are also a great way of letting bridesmaids differentiate their look – even if they’re wearing the same dress. Different styles in the same colour and style can be worn according to their individual preferences – perfect if some girls prefer not to wear heels, or flats.

The personal touch

There’s nothing more special than receiving something that’s been customised just for you. With many jewellers now offering custom engraving services, having a special message will give a souvenir of your big day that they will treasure for a lifetime, as well as showing them just how much each bridesmaid means to you. Keep it simple so that the message can shine through without looking tacky – a slick silver or gold pendant or charm would be a lovely gift.

Guest post by New Look