Bridesmaids + Groomsman

I often wonder (and have seen brides go through this daunting task) about picking a bridal party. I can't in anyway think or imagine that it would be easy or enjoyable task, but it must be done (unless you aren't having a bridal party)! 

I've done a little research on various well knows bridal websites (not going to mention any names) and have come away disappointed by what I have read and the advice they are giving out! I have found such things as 'general rule of thumb, 1 bridesmaid to 50 guests' 'a large bridal party signifies a traditional formal wedding''choose based on who lives closest for help with arrangements'.. blah blah blah. 

I think the only rule you should set yourself is that the bride and groom are the only 2 people who should be making the decision regarding who is going to be in the bridal party! Don't let family members get involved in the decision making, and brides let the groom decide on his side of the party (bridezilla).

Here is some advice which may help with the decision making:

• select people based on long term relationships
• don't not pick someone because it might offend someone else. If they are a true friend they will understand your reasoning and get over it!
• don't pick someone just because you were in their bridal party
• what are you expecting from your bridal party? Do you want help with the planning and management of the wedding or do you just want your favourite people next to you on the big day?
• it's no longer necessary for anyone to hold the title 'maid of honour' and 'best man' 
• bridesmaids don't just have to be females; groomsman don't have to be just males!
• once you decide on your bridal party, get the word out; that way people won't be offended or thing you are keeping it from them
• it's all about fun, laughter and lifelong memories! If someone doesn't fit into those 3 categories, you may regret it later!

Cards: thelittlepress + Paperrileco | Wedding photos: Ruffledblog 

EMM FILMS

As you might be aware, videography now has a HUGE market in the wedding industry. I want to share with you an upcoming videographer and her unique style.

Meet Emma Wedrat, a cute 23 year old newly wed! Emma is an assistant nurse in aged care during the week and wedding filmer (from their business Emm Films) with her husband Benji, on the weekend. She is a bike rider, gym goer and avid coffee lover. Emma + Benji attend Hope Centre Church and love spending time together, venturing to find places to enjoy meals and their coffee.

Ever since Emma was a little girl, she loved video cameras and you could always find her filming anything and everything in sight. When she was 21 years old, she moved from the little city of Cairns, to the big city of Brisbane. She studied for one year at JMC academy, receiving a Diploma of Film and Television.

Emma’s love of filming came from how a couple’s story can be told through editing and the different emotions you are able to make your audience feel by being a film editor. She admits that she is a fellow wedding lover and has shed many tears over watching wedding video’s (what a sweetheart!).

Emm films is based in Brisbane, but their services are available to any couple willing to pay for travel costs. She mainly stays around the Queensland area but does have a Sydney wedding to film next year. Emma + Benji have built their business around relationships with their clients by supplying quality service. Emma loves making clients feel important and super special when having face-to-face meetings or online contact. They have a strong belief that wedding videography is just as important as the photography, as the day goes by so very quickly and you can relive the moments and emotions over and over again.

This couple describes their style as a ‘fly on the wall’ by filming the days events and emotions naturally and not through set up shots (where couples look made up and awkward). They enjoy filming creatively through the use of different angles and objects such as mirrors and through doorways into different rooms.

Emma says that her favourite part of filming a wedding is capturing the grooms speech and watching the brides reaction. She admits she gets emotional every time, even if she doesn’t personally know the couple!

If you are interested in asking this cute couple to capture your special day (or any event), here is a list of their social media sites:

FACEBOOK

VIMEO

Here is one of my favourite Emm Film creations. For more visit their Vimeo page!

S xx

FOX & BRIE

As you know i have a love for bow ties, so i wanted to share with you one of my favourite handcrafted menswear stores, Fox & Brie. 

Fox & Brie specialise in bow ties, ties and pocket squares for the gents (and they are extremely adorable). From the first cut to the final stitch, each item is lovingly made by hand by Jess in her Austin, Texas studio. Their ties are made from a variety of vintage & dead stock fabrics that have been collected from all over the world (which is what i love most about these). 

Jess says 'My grandfather was a Southern gentleman, who taught me how to build things with my hands and treat others with kindness & respect. He treated me like a person, not just a little girl; and believed that a tidy appearance was the mark of a true gentleman. Together we shined shoes, tied ties, and arrived in style. I create menswear in homage of the gentleman—whether it be man or woman—and for those who still believe in quality & kindness.' 

Jess was kind enough to answer some questions i have been wanting to know about her business:

What inspired you to start Fox & Brie?
'I've always felt a strong need to create. During a business-heavy semester in grad school, I kept finding these amazing vintage neckties and skinny-ing them up for my husband. Once I figured out the elements of their construction, I just drew up a sewing pattern and began making my own neckties. I opened up my online shop as a hobby while I was still in school, and by graduation it had turned into a full-time job!' 

Can you tell us any stories or places where you have sourced your fabric from?
'Since I use a variety of different vintage & dead stock fabrics, my eyes are always open for new sources. I've found 1950s plaids at a barn sale in Louisiana, floral linens from a seamstress in Maryland, and I basically live at the estate sales here in Austin! It's a lot of hard work, a bit of luck, and the ability to keep your mind open to new possibilities.'

Do you do custom orders for wedding parties based on chosen colour palettes or wedding themes?
'I love custom orders! Some couples will know exactly what they want and others will send over their colors and a few basic key words -"rustic chic" or "modern industrial". We work together to find the perfect print & color combinations for their special day. It's so rewarding to know that I have this opportunity to add a little something unique to their wedding, to play a small part is such a big life moment.'

You can find Fox & Brie's social media sites here: 
ETSY 
WEBSITE 
FACEBOOK 
TWITTER 
FLICKR
INSTAGRAM

I wanted to share some of Jess's unique style with you, so head to my FACEBOOK PAGE or INSTAGRAM to find out how you can win a lovely Fox & Brie bow tie for yourself or your favourite gent!
  
S xx

TIED IN A BOW

Once in a while a wedding comes along that checks all the loves of mine. This usually entails a bow tie! Bow ties always remind me of another time, and I often find my cheeks hurting from smiling at the sight of them. The thing which I think I love the most is the different colours, prints and textures you can create a bow tie with. Being able to mix-and-match these with collared shirts, suit jackets and boutonnieres is enchanting and whimsical; in my eyes.

For the best effect, I’ve come up with these simple steps which will help you achieve something one-of-a-kind, special and cute!

1.Bow ties: Use a printed bow tie that matches in with the colour palette and theme of your wedding.  The print doesn’t have to be featured anywhere else in your wedding, but it’s important that it blends in and doesn’t look out of place.

2.Collared shirt: Mix-and-match your bow tie with either a single coloured, checked, stripe or spotted shirt. A nice effect is using a colour that isn’t featured in your bow tie, but is all brought together by your boutonniere. I wouldn’t recommend mixing a bold print bow tie and a bold print shirt; this could all be too much and go very wrong!  

3.Boutonniere: Use this to tie everything together by drawing out, and attention to, the colours used in both the bow tie and collared shirt. This can be done by using a simple piece of ribbon or fabric to wrap around the foral arrangement. Don’t forget your boutonniere doesn’t just have to be a floral arrangement! You can use materials like twine, lace, ribbon or buttons (the list goes on) which have been featured in your wedding (I can feel another blog post coming on). I’d recommend when meeting with your florist to discuss boutonnieres (if you have chosen to use a floral piece), to take a photograph or samples of the colours/prints and textures you are using so that they show you some different options which may work in drawing the look together.

4.Pocket square: If you have decided to use a pocket square, in my opinion, you HAVE to have a boutonniere (i think it looks a little bland or like something is missing?). Either try using the same fabric as your bow tie (if it isn’t too much) or a plain contrasting colour.

If you are after a more simple look i would suggest a block colour bow tie, block colour shirt and a boutonniere which blends in with your colour palette. I recently went to a wedding where the from wore a navy bow tie and jacket, white shirt and the boutonniere matched with the mustard pant (cute!!).

I’ve found some photographs of looks (and added text with the above steps) which I believe work together, are visually attractive and cute!  

All photos were found on Style Me Pretty.

S xx

VINTAGE + BLUE

I spend a large amount of my time browsing through vintage gowns online and drooling over the exquisite wedding dresses which are from another time. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a fan of vintage attire and that there is a story behind each piece (would highly recommend reading 'A Vintage Affair' by Isabel Wolff or 'The Secret Lives of Dresses' by Erin McKean and you may understand what I mean).

I remember coming across a blue tulle number which was titled as a ‘prom’ dress (equivalent to formal dress in Australia) and sending a photo to my mum, telling her I want to get married in this one day (my mind changes every week might I add). I continued to do further research to see if any brides had taken on the ‘vintage prom dress’ style and to my surprise, they had! Might i just say that not everyone can pull it off (of course it’s not everyone’s style) but if you can, I guarantee it will look amazing!

The first (and my most favourite) was worn by a beautiful Australian bride Annabelle, and can I say, when I saw her dress, I died inside a little. The textures of her dress, lace jacket, veil and hair piece all work so well together in bringing out her unique style (not to mention her Miu Miu shoes, swoon!!). Samm Blake Photography shot these amazing photographs.

Another favourite is Cath (another Australian Bride) who wore a soft powder blue ruffled 1950’s gown to her vintage/nostalgic/handmade styled wedding. The dress was purchased from an online store based in New York, Wallflower Vintage. Adrian Tuazon Photography snapped their wedding.  I’d recommended taking a look at their unique wedding style.

So, how can you get your little hands on one of these gowns? I wish you luck! Over the years Dear Golden Vintage owner has spotted a few along her travels. Here is a few I have been lucky enough to find on her online shop. Some of these are already sold but keep a look out as she updates with new items daily!

I'd also recommend looking at the Forever Vintage online shop or give Cheryl + Casey a call to see if they are able to source something for you. I fell in love with every gown they had at the Melbourne Vintage Fair last year and can personally say, you won't be disappointed by anything they have available.

S xx

YOU'RE ENGAGED! NOW WHAT?

One of the most important decisions you should make before you start any planning or purchasing for your big day, is deciding on a style/theme/genre/era that both suits and incorporates you and your partner. This will establish a base for your invitations, location, dress, menu, table settings, colour palette etc. There is nothing worse than seeing a wedding that is all mix-match and screams ‘the bride’. With DIY and the resources now available, ANYTHING (rustic, elegant, carnival, romantic, nautical, woodland, vintage… and the list goes on and on) is achievable and possible.

I’d recommend starting by pouring a spiced rum on the rocks for your partner and a champagne for yourself and making a list (yes, I am a list person) of any ideas which you both may have. Remember that no idea is stupid or lame. There is ALWAYS a way to incorporate Star Wars into your vintage inspired wedding (and I’ve seen it done several times).

I love these rustic custom and personalised wedding Journals from In or Out Media. It’s a cute and practical way to keep all your ideas, lists, and clippings together in one place. Julia is truly an inspiring lady and a delight to talk to. Her little online etsy shop, In or Out Media, is run to support the medical expenses and treatments for her daughter with special needs, Phoebe! Julia has an amazing eye and talent for rustic styled wedding stationary and we will definitely be showing off her work in posts to come! 

A few key points that you should consider are:

Your budget: If you are working on a budget you need to be realistic! There is no point wanting the biggest and best of everything when you are saving your pennies. DIY is a great way to achieve certain looks without spending a large amount of money!

The season: Planning on having a beach wedding in the middle of winter? Or a tropical outdoors wedding in the middle of winter? These are still possible to achieve but a little more thought will need to go into the planning to ensure that your guests are comfortable. 

Your personality and style: As it is your special day, it's important that the wedding represents you and your partner! The worst thing to do is try be something you're obviously not. Don't try to achieve a look or style when it's not you and your partner.. I guarantee people will take notice.

Atmosphere: How do you want guests to feel on the night? Having fun with lots of laughter, maybe a carnival theme! Sit down with speeches with limited dancing and talking, maybe a formal theme! 

Happy listing! 

S xx 

WHO AM I?

If any of you personally know me, you may not (or may) know that I’m an avid wedding lover (and wedding stalker). My love first began in my single digit years when my beautiful cousin married her prince charming in an amazing chapel in the city of Brisbane. She wore a traditional princess gown with a flowing veil (yes, Cinderella) and I remember falling in love with the white, black and gold colour palette. Over time I have hidden my large collection of wedding magazines from my family and friends, embarrassed by my obsession (you know it’s an obsession when your wedding magazine collection outweighs your vogue and bazaar collection). 

My real passion is not for traditional/formal weddings, but for how you can incorporate aspects of yourself and your partner by daring to be different! So.. I’ve decided to share with you some ideas, sources and images in the hope that in some way, I can inspire you to think outside the box for your big day (and other exciting events) 

S xx