Wedding Fayre with a Vintage Twist - 17th April

Goldney Hall, Clifton, Bristol will be hosting a Wedding Fayre in association with Aunties Vintage China on the 17th April. The event will be running from 11am till 4pm and entry is £1.  All entry fees will be donated directly to Breast Cancer UK.

For more information visit www.goldneyweddingfayre.co.uk or call 0117 954 5501.

For those of you affected by the recent cancellation of Cheltenham Race Course’s Valentines Wedding Fayre, the people at Clevedon Hall are here to help.  They’re offering a reduced rate for any exhibitors who lost out and welcome all visitors on the day.  Their event will be held on 27^th February and entry to visitors is free.

Wedding planner at Clevedon Hall, Abi Kynaston, said: “When we heard what had happened at Cheltenham our hearts went out to the hosts, the exhibitors and the would-be visitors as we know just how much effort and money goes into putting on these events.

“We understand from our contacts that some suppliers have lost up to £1500 in booking fees and expenses at a time when everyone is feeling the pinch. That’s why we are offering to make room for a few extra stands at our event so some of these people get another chance to show off their wares.

“Our prices to exhibit are a fraction of what was being charged for that event and entry for visitors is free but we attract huge crowds and we hope that at least a few of those let down last weekend will be able to take advantage of this offer.”

 

Contact Karen Morledge at karen@plum-communications.co.uk or on 01934 812972 or Vicky Banham on 01823 443656.

The death of the strapless dress?

You know wedding season is coming up when searches for wedding hats have increased by 235% in the last month. How do we know this? Well, Twenga, the new-generation search engine which enables shoppers to see items from different retailers across the world in one handy place, has released data today about what brides in 2011 are looking for online.

The dress silhouette of the moment, according to the research, is the princess cut, closely followed by the mermaid and empire line. Perhaps marking the end of the strapless dress' dominance over the last few years, the most popular necklines are off the collar, scoop and v necks.

Veils are also up in popularity, with Twenga noting a 113% increase in searches for this item.

Pronovias is the most searched-for brand, but Ronald Joyce and Justin Alexander, in second and third place, have seen a rise in their popularity. In fourth is Benjamin Roberts and  budget-savvy brides have resulted in Nicholas Millington coming in fifth.

Of course, with two Royal Weddings coming up in the next six months - as well as fashion royalty Kate Moss - it will be interesting to see how the dresses chosen will influence other brides' choices. Just as copies of Oscar gowns go on sale immediately after the ceremony, so too have Royal Weddings traditionally led to dress styles being emulated within days of their first glimpse - something that began in Victorian times. Whatever Kate, Kate and Zara opt for will soon be showing up in Twenga's search results.

Inspired by... Boardwalk Empire

Boardwalk Empire is the new TV show that everyone is talking about. As the jewel in the crown of new channel Sky Atlantic the show has some pretty good credentials; it’s produced by Martin Scorsese and stars Steve Buscemi and Kelly Macdonald.

But as well as cracking storylines, Boardwalk Empire is also causing ripples in the fashion world. Just as Mad Men inspired ladies to flaunt their curves and match their handbags to their shoes, so Boardwalk Empire looks like it's on track to make shops sell out of flapper dresses, strings of pearls and cloche hats. 

We’re going to be running a regular feature on the blog looking at how you can use TV and film influences for your wedding day, and we’ve picked Boardwalk Empire as our inspiration. So sit back, pour yourself a martini and enjoy our pick of the 20s and 30s.

First of all, take your inspiration from icons of the age...

 Top, the original flapper girl Louise Brooks, and above, the Queen Mother on her wedding day in 1923

Then see how they've been reinvented for the 21st century bride...
 

 "Mary" and "Clara" dresses by Lindsay Fleming

Find some accessories to finish off the look.

 

  pearl necklace and pearl choker by Accessorize

 "Audrey" and "Rhea" headpieces by Jo Barnes

 long black satin gloves from Claire's Accessories

 

"Ladonna" and "Kerianne" shoes by Linzi 

 

Want a venue in keeping with your theme? Try the Little Cinema in Bath, a beautiful Art Deco building in the city centre (photo by Jessica at Red Rabbit Photography).

  

And finally - a toast to your marriage!

 1920s crystal glasses from The Clear Cut Crystal Co

Beautiful wedding photos with Firetop Photography

This edition of West Weddings is crammed with goodies but the one I'm most excited about?  The gorgeous inspiration shoot on the ss Great Britain of course!  What more could you ask for?  We've got a handsome groom, stunning bride and a super sweet location.  We were lucky enough to have Venetia from Firetop Photography with us on the day and  I'm sure you'll all agree that the pictures are amazing.

As Venetia says on her website, "I discovered my love for photography while travelling overseas, photographing people, places, anything and everything. My introduction to wedding photography was when a friend, who had seen lots of my pictures over the years, persuaded me to be her wedding photographer in Bristol. That was five years ago and since then I haven’t looked back." 

 

Venetia specialises in relaxed and informal wedding photos that really allow the love of the couple to shine through.  She has a contemporary style focusing on simply beautiful images, and  rather than gimmicky effects she offers a mix of informal, reportage style (capturing the moment) mixed with lots of detail shots and some semi-directed, stylised bride and groom shots (with a hint of fashion) and a few groups if required.  She labels herself as "a very relaxed, friendly, non-pretentious, non-stressed and definitely not a stuffy or bossy photographer".  Venetia can also arrange a wide selection of the very best, bespoke albums, storybooks, frames etc to present your photographs. 

To see some more examples of Venetia's work head over to Firetop Photography or check out her blog! 

 

I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we did

- Hannah

 

P.S. Seriously, the wedding shoot made me swoon! My dear old dad got married on the HMS Victory in Portsmouth and I was in awe of the whole day - Venetia's photos brought it all back!

Coming up in the spring edition of West Weddings...

The spring issue of West Weddings is out next week - and as usual it's jam-packed with ideas, inspiration and tips for couples tying the knot in the West Country.  

Our "Be Inspired" section is full of real life wedding stories, from intimate country weddings in Gloucestershire and Bath to urban weddings in Bristol - including how one bride used Scrabble as part of her big day! We bring you the best in venues in the South West region, from a luxury eco lodge to castles and stately homes.

In the beauty section, we roadtest the latest pedicure trend - dipping your feet into a tank of fish! - as well as seeing what Hobbs Hairdressing in Bristol can offer in the way of bridal hair makeovers. We consider the "Trash the Dress" phenomenon, debate what Kate Middleton might wear on 29th April, look at honeymoons ranging from safari in Africa to beer and cheese tasting in Germany, and showcase the myriad of clothing options available for the groom to wear.

West Weddings has also had a bit of a makeover - do let us know what you think of the new design.

West Weddings is available from a range of bridal shops in the region as well as selected supermarkets and other shops. Click on the "stockists" tab on www.westweddings.co.uk to find where you can pick up your FREE copy!