A UK wedding blog with the aim of inspiring brides to create a day which will make them and their guests beam with delight.....whilst of course with a glass of champagne in hand.Guest Fashion - Pretaportobello
I have just discovered this website and it’s so good that I just had to share. Pretaportobello is dedicated to bringing the fashion and accessories of Portobello market to everyone. No trudging around London, rain or shine, it’s all there at the touch of a button.
In true market style you even get the opportunity to haggle on some items so you can make sure you grab a bargain.
There is so much on offer so I have just picked some of my favourite pieces to show you which I think would work for a wedding. Get yourself onto Pretaportobello to see more - it’s amazing.
LOUCHE Electra Foral Maxi Dress - £65
LOUCHE Butterfly Maxi Dress - £79
NEVER FULLY DRESSED Green Pleated Mini Dress - £49 or haggle
PPB Cream Chiffon Back Military Jacket - £49
JOVONNA Nude Pleated Tasha Skirt - £65
JOLIE MOI Mustard Pleat Midi Skirt - £30
JOLIE MOI Coral and Sequin Blouse - £28
EMIN & PAUL Red Corsage Bow Headband - £23
ELMSTONE Gold Vintage Sequin Headband - £15
PPB Bright Union Jack Oversized Scarf - £15
PPB Cream Ski Print Scarf - £15
POR D Green Enamel Triangle Necklace - £32
AIR DE SARAH Pink Double Ball and Ring Necklace - £16 or haggle
Photo Credit: Portaportobello
Stationery - Vintage Birdcages
I love vintage birdcages, almost as much as I love lanterns!
I think that they look awesome as part of your stationary, especially if you are planning on using them throughout your day.
Here are some of my favourite birdcage inspired stationery ideas:
I love everything about this vintage bride.
Photo Credit: Style Me Pretty
High Tea in the Spring - Elizabeth and Jess
I beamed when I first looked at these pictures - this wedding is right up my street, and thanks to Jo Photo I get to share these with all of you.
Elizabeth and Jess were married in the Spring at Maryville, Tennessee.
Elizabeth and her mother, Leslie, planned a small intimate 2 o’clock afternoon wedding with English adornments to include personalized doilies under each plate with each guest’s name on them, lumps of sugar and vintage decorative tea bags.
The bride’s veil was hand made by the groom’s mother, and there were antique hankerchiefs for ‘happy tears’ during the wedding ceremony.
The guest seating cards were hand made on vintage paper and hung on twine across antique wooden screen doors.
The reception catering included scones, marmalades, delectable tea sandwiches, and hot tea provided in vintage tea pots. The bride and groom’s teapot was hand painted by the bride’s grandmother.
An assortment of blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry jams were favors for the guests - the berries were hand picked by the bride’s mother and father months before the wedding, canned in their home, and personalized for Elizabeth’s wedding day!
I love that this wedding includes a photobooth…
This is a bride after my own heart…tea, mix match and a photobooth. Genius!
Caterer: Holly’s Eventful Dining / Floral Designer: Lisa Foster Floral Design Studio / Dress Store: White Lace & Promises / Linens and Coverings: White Table / Event Venue: Smithview Pavilion & Event Center / Other: The Bride Link
Bridal bling
Like many women I am a bit of a magpie when it comes to things that sparkle and I’m discovering that your W-day is the perfect excuse to buy/borrow/plead for your favourite jewels.
From left to right:
- Jenny Packham
- Etsy
- Jenny Packham
- Net a porter
- Etsy
- Links of London
- Liberty In Love
- Tiffany
- Liberty In Love
Photo Credit: Jenny Packham, Etsy, Net a Porter, Links of London, Liberty in Love & Tiffany
Rustic Elegance
If you’re like me then you will love this ‘shabby-chic’ look. Mason jars, candles, hay bales, wooden logs - maybe even a rippling bicepped farmer to cut the logs for you (ok, venturing into fantasy land) but the point is it all comes together to create real rustic romance.Such an easy and cheap look to re-create.
I especially love the hanging umbrella’s - genius.
Photo Credit: Style Me Pretty
Afternoon Tea
Vintage tea cups, finger sandwiches, jam scones and of course Champagne make the perfect Afternoon Tea.
You can adapt this theme by using teapots and tea cups as vases, add a final course of coffee or tea with a scone or my absolute favourite idea is to serve your champagne out of vintage teapots into your guest’s very own vintage tea cups (credit for this idea has to go to my future mother-in-law)
So very British and so very scrummy.
Photo Credit: WeddingHigh.blogspot, UKAWP, You and Your wedding, Vintage Touch & MulberryInspirations.blogspot.
Travel The World With Me
As travel is such a huge part of most of our lives it makes perfect sense to use this as inspiration for many couples. Most of these pieces can be bought from either Etsy or notonthehighstreet but I am sure that many of you can see how easy it would be to create your own map bunting, placemats and labels if you have the time/inclination to do so.
From left to right
- Save the Dates
- Map Placemats
- Map Bunting
- Cake Toppers
- Mini globes from local market
- Table Card
- DIY from Style me Pretty
- Menu card
- Name tags
- DIY from Style me Pretty
Simple DIY
Using labels and stamps is one of the easiest ways of creating a ‘vintage feel’ place name, drink label, food label or just for simple décor.
I have used:
- Stamp kit by Cavallini & Co
- White strung labels from Amazon
- Heart and star stamp from Hobbycraft
So very simple but oh so effective.
Photo Credit: Publisher’s own
Vintage wedding rings
I am lucky enough to have chosen my sapphire in Sri Lanka (place of proposal) and create essentially my dream ring and my very own history. However, if we were so lucky to have a family heirloom like any of the above then a vintage ring it would have been.There is something about the combination of history and detailing which makes a vintage ring so special. Auction houses are a great place to pick up pieces with history, especially if you can afford to browse in the famous Sotheby’s.
I just hope that my ring is timeless enough for my grandchildren to want to inherit. After all, it does come with a pretty good story…..
Bought in Galle, Sri Lanka (post engagement champagne and dinner), we spent hours inspecting and haggling with local jewellers until I saw ‘the one’. Perfect size, perfect shape, perfect Ceylon blue colour. Done. And we even bartered for two ‘free’ diamonds. It stayed in a little straw woven box for the rest of the blissful holiday - peeped at almost every hour with sheer delight.
In Dubai it was fitted into the style and clasp and finally I could wear it on my finger (I had on occasions supplemented the stones with a hair-band…doesn’t have quite the same effect on people).
Back in England a country walk proved to be quite eventful after we returned home I noticed that there was a hole where the sapphire used to sit. Panicked, we retraced our steps and after an hour long search we gave up. Tears began to make themselves known whilst HTB remained calm, and on the defeated walk home, HTB noticed a small sparkle in a muddy puddle. All that IED training has served him well!
So now there is a triumphant story of the lost-and-found sapphire on my finger, re-fitted into a sturdier clasp, and long may it stay there.
