What Katie did... A Royal Wedding

We held our breaths.  We placed bets.  We speculated.  We gossiped.  And now the big day is here and we can see just how Prince William and Catherine Middleton celebrated their special day.

The dress was kept well under wraps and we all spent a long time trying to figure out what style she would go for.  Whoever said understated elegance and style, kudos for you.  Kate embodied Grace Kelly’s wedding day look and chose to wear a McQueen gown designed by Sarah Burton.  We saw close fitting Chantilly Lace sleeves, a slightly pleated skirt, simple veil and short train.  She wore her hair down but pulled back from the front to frame the beautiful ‘Halo’ tiara, made by Cartier in 1936 and held a discreet bouquet.  It was her beauty and poise that captured our hearts. 

The flower girls were adorable in white pleated dresses and her Maid of Honour, her sister Pippa, wore a white cowl-necked also designed by Sarah Burton. The flower girls and Maid of Honour’s hair were all adorned with flowers.  The pageboys looked fit for a royal occasion in their red and white attire.

 

Carol Middleton, the MOB, wore a blue Catherine Walker dress and a Jane Corbett hat while Queen Elizabeth II looked regal in a primrose Angela Kelly dress.

Of course there were hundreds and thousands of well-turned out guests, from Tara Palmer-Tompkinson in electric blue to the ever stylish Posh and Becks (who I must say looked incredibly dashing with his medal).

Kate and Wills decked the entryway of Westminster Abbey with beautiful spring trees.  The green canopy made a dramatic entryway for the ceremony and Kate ensured that each was local and replantable; we all love a ‘green’ Princess. But it’s not the first time trees have been used inside a wedding venue and it won’t be the last. Sophie Kinsella’s popular novel Shopaholic Ties the Knot saw Rebecca Bloomwood choosing to have a forest recreated at her own wedding, though I think Kate and Wills decided to leave out the animatronics fauna.

 

If you want to snap up one of the Princes you’re down by one.  William spent the entire ceremony looking like the cat who got the cream, and why not?  Kate looked beautiful and Twitter was awash with people speculating as to what it was he murmured to her at the alter.  Was it “You look beautiful?" OR "You look unbelievable?”

I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Prince Harry.  He was the first to catch a cheeky glance at Kate as she made her way down the aisle. I wonder if Chelsea will be the next to wed one of our royal boys?

Just waiting for the balcony kiss!

Hope you all enjoyed it as much as me 

- Hannah

All photographs from ABC News International.

West Weddings on the Royal Wedding: the day before

Mario Testino via the Telegraph

So the big day is nearly here. Up and down the land, people are preparing their bunting, Pimms and cucumber sandwiches. In London, the police are doing last minute security checks, the dignitaries are flying in from all over the world and the organist at Westminster Abbey is feverishly practising for the hymns. I'm sure Kate Middleton is doing all the last minutes preparations every bride does on the day before their wedding - having a manicure, making sure the dress and accessories are all ready, praying that a nail doesn't break or a spot doesn't emerge.

There's a lot of bah humbugging going on at the moment about the wedding, and I can totally understand where people are coming from. Yes, it's costing the taxpayer money at a time of economic bite. Yes, it involves the Royal Family, who many regard as out of date and out of touch. And yes, it's been difficult to avoid if you really, really don't like weddings and all the resulting media frenzy. All of these topics are worthy of debate, to consider whether the British public should be bankrolling the lifestyle of an elite group of people.

But, if you're reading this, I'm going to guess that you're either planning your own wedding or really like them. And that is the point I'd like to focus on: the wedding. And more importantly, the couple in question. Because, what it really comes down to, ignoring the 1900 guests and the security forces and the questions surrounding the dress and all the hoop-la of a spectacle played out on the world stage, is two people saying that they love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together. I was lucky enough to be able to do that last year, and have all my family and friends toast this new chapter in our lives. As a couple who seem to be very much in love, William and Kate deserve to have that too, and I really hope that their big day is everything they wanted and more. 

A wedding is such a happy, happy occasion. So tomorrow, at 11am, I will be raising my glass to William and Kate, and wishing them all the best for their lives together. Because that's what a wedding is about.

What will you be doing for the Royal Wedding? If you're in Bristol some of the WW team will be down in Millennium Square watching it on the big screen - come say hello if you're there too!

 - Helen

Rabbit Cake Topper

So we all know how I feel about cake toppers and these are no exception.  I was desperate to find them for you after spying them in the deepest, darkest realms of wedding blogs and finally here they are. Now I know I'm late for Easter so wind your clocks back a day and admire these little beauties with me!

 

The shop says "This little ceramic object is 7.5 inches tall. Slip cast with white clay in two molds, then with a bit of ceramic cut and paste the molds are morphed into one to create a new creature. Fired a second time with clear glaze to give some shine. signed. ready to travel."

Melabo's kooky collection of ceramic cake toppers feature a variety of animal combinations including: giraffes, unicorns, chimps and loads more.  If you're looking for something classic with a surprising twist then these are certainly for you.

Happy Easter!

- Hannah

Celebrate with Quality Street

I know for a fact that in our household there’s general bad feeling that the large tins of Quality Street are only really around for Christmas.  There are plenty of other days in the year that large quantities of chocolate are needed: birthdays, christenings, having your girls over for a film, celebrating the fact it’s a Tuesday afternoon and you’ve just finished work.  See?  I also know that lots of us are planning on getting together with friends, family or neighbours to celebrate the fast approaching Royal Wedding and it seems the clever people at Quality Street know this too. 

Cue drum roll please…

...and yes, that is Kate and Wills that you see on the front of the tin.

Portrait artist Cath Riley and Bristol based Epoch Design came together to create this celebratory tin design.  Stuart Tallis, Senior Creative at Epoch Design commented: “Our aim was to create a modern piece of commemorative memorabilia that would represent the new era of royalty. Taking inspiration from the traditional ‘white wedding,’ we transformed the tin into a beautifully presented regal wedding cake with a sprinkle of Quality Street magic. Our focus was on devising a fresh and contemporary look which remained in-keeping with the core Quality Street brand”.



The tins are available at Asda and with an rrp of £10.50 they are a much cheaper keepsake than most. Brett Stephenson, Senior Brand Manager at Nestle Confectionery added: “Quality Street has a history of marking special Royal occasions including Coronations and Royal Jubilee’s, most recently to celebrate her Majesty’s 50th year on the throne.   As holders of the Royal Warrant it is fitting that we should mark this special occasion with a special tin containing the nation’s favourite chocolate assortment.  Quality Street also celebrates its own special occasion in 2011, the brand’s 75th birthday”.

I’ll certainly be using this as an excuse to grab a tin, and if anyone should so much as raise an eyebrow (as I stuff my face full of the little green triangles) I shall simply inform them that I am being patriotic.

- Hannah

Calling all West Country brides!

Are you a bride in the Bristol area? Do you fancy helping to celebrate the Royal Wedding? If so, read on...

Brides are being urged to contact Brunel’s ss Great Britain if they want to help create a giant heart shape on board ship on April 23rd, to celebrate the royal wedding.

A photographer will capture the event, with the best image used to make a unique ‘ship-made’ wedding card for Prince William and Kate Middleton, who marry on April 29th.

Brunel’s ss Great Britain will welcome brides from Bristol and beyond for this once-in-a-lifetime photo shoot – including those who were married or held their reception on board the historic ship at the heart of Bristol’s stunning harbour.

It doesn't matter when and where you were married, as long as you're in your wedding dress! Event organisers will guide everyone into a romantic heart on the ship’s wooden Weather Deck (Top Deck) from 9.15am on April 23rd before the attraction opens to the public. The shot, taken from a distance, should be reminiscent of a timeless and romantic love heart carved into a tree.

Photographer Paul Blakemore has been given special permission by Linden Homes to use one of the apartments overlooking the ss Great Britain to capture the shot. Each bride will be given a copy of the photograph as a memento or to use on Facebook.

The ss Great Britain has long-standing links to royalty. Prince Albert launched the ship in 1843; Queen Victoria visited the ss Great Britain in 1845; Prince Philip was on board ship when she returned to her Dry Dock in 1970 and was the ss Great Britain Project’s Patron; Prince William and Harry both visited as children; Prince William’s uncle Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, is the ss Great Britain Trust’s current Patron.

Events Manager for Brunel’s ss Great Britain, Bronwen Rolls, commented: “We are asking brides from Bristol and beyond to contact us if they want to help the ss Great Britain Trust create a stunning image. This will be used to make a wedding card for the royal couple, wishing them all the very best for their future lives together.

“Brides don’t need to have been married or had their reception on board Brunel’s ss Great Britain to be involved, they just need to be in their wedding dresses.”

A second card will also be made, using the image, for the next royal couple to marry this year, Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall.

Organisers need at least 40 brides to promise their support by emailing marketing@ssgreatbritain.org by 12 noon on April 21st, for the event to go ahead. 

I think this sounds like a fab idea - the ss Great Britain is a beautiful venue (we had a great time there doing the photoshoot for the spring edition of West Weddings). It's also a chance to get your wedding dress out of the cupboard and on again for some more photographs!

 - Helen

Princess for the day

West Weddings is featuring an article today written by a guest author, Jemima Hodson. Jemima is getting married this July and, with the royal wedding nearly upon us, has taken the time to reflect on her journey to the altar and compare it with Kate Middleton's. Take it away Jemima...

Every girl dreams of being a princess one day. They dress up in bright pink dresses and fluffy crowns, wishing for their royal wedding day. And for Kate Middleton, her dream is finally coming true. Similar to Kate, I met my fiancé while studying, and after the ups and downs of all relationships, the proposal came, and my dreams are becoming a reality, although without the royal crown.

The whole world is talking about the 29th April 2011. The wedding that two families in a small town of Bromsgrove are talking about is the season after, 2nd July 2011. Even though Kate and I have similar backgrounds, the planning of each wedding is completely different, with one holding 2,000 guests and the other inviting 200.

First off, there is the budgeting that every bride and groom has to explore; this is obviously different, with mine costing £10,000 and the royals further into the bracket of £20 million. And that is a modest affair. 

Next, is the bride’s dress, the part of the planning that every bride actually does look forward to. With swarms of British designers hoping to make hers, Kate has had no worries about whether her dress will make her bum look big. I, on the other hand have been soul searching though the good, the bad and the ugly. Clifton Brides was my very first experience. The sale gown I tried on was perfect, apart from one tiny detail. It was a size 16 and I was a size 6. Travelling across cities, I tried all sorts; meringue-like dresses, vintage styles and £2,000 gowns that I just could never afford. The more bridal shops I went into, the fussier I got; I wanted an ivory A-line dress, a sweetheart neckline, diamante, a chapel length train, no lace and the list continued. It was exhausting and I know that Kate didn’t have to wade through those seas. But, when I found my ‘Phillippa’ dress, I was glad to have done the wading. 

 Jemima continuing her quest for the perfect wedding dress!

 

Along this road of bridal attire, there is the question of changing into evening wear, and it looks like Kate has decided to do this; her beloved hat-maker Philip Treacy designing her evening head wear. The amount I’m spending on ‘Phillippa’ though has ruled out any change of clothing for me – the only thing I’m changing into are my flat pumps!

Excitingly, I found my bridesmaids' dresses in Debenhams at discount price. Choosing my bridesmaids was easy; I simply chose the five girls that I knew would be there for me during the journey up to the big day. Unlike Kate, I am the only girl of four, so I had no sister to capture the title of Maid of Honour. However, my best friend that I have known since year four has been as close as a sister could be to me, and she enthusiastically accepted the title.

The main things a bride needs to plan have been completed; the fairy tale venues of a traditional church and a fancy hotel, the spectacular dress, the girls’ attire, and the dream string quartet. For the favours I’m not, like Kate, splashing out £5,000 but a friend is making purple ceramic hearts to keep in with the theme, costing me only a thank you card. The flowers are also being arranged by a friend; you get that personal touch as well as saving unnecessary spending. My fiancé has booked a £2,000 honeymoon in Corfu. It’s not a £400,000 honeymoon like Kate’s, but it’s a five star hotel in a hot country – luxury.

There is still plenty to do, but with my wedding scrapbook and a wonderful fiancé the few months prior should be enough to add the finishing touches – like sending out the invites! Even though both we girls have grown up and followed different paths, we will still both be saying ‘I do’ to the man of our dreams, and the rest after that will just be another story to tell.

Thanks Jemima! Good luck with the rest of the wedding preparations. Send us some photos afterwards so we can share them with our readers!

If you're a bride from the South West who's currently planning your wedding and would like to share some details with us, please email  h.mottram@bepp.co.uk

Bristol Vintage Wedding Fair: more photos!

Ali from Bristol Vintage has kindly passed on some more photos from the Wedding Fair two weeks ago. The cakes in particular are making me crave a cup of tea and some sweet treats...

 

 Chocolate Delores: photo Liza McCarron

 Chocolate Delores: photo Liza McCarron

 Mrs Bunt: photo Bristol Vintage

 Photo: Eddie Deponeo Photography

 Vivien of Holloway: photo Eddie Deponeo Photography

Beehive Brides: photo Liza McCarron

Ali says: "We've had so much positive feedback about the fair from visitors and exhibitors alike, and it was a such good fun that we've started planning next year's fair.  Many of our exhibitors are already signed up to return and we're using the feedback that we had to try to make it even better!" Keep an eye on Bristol Vintage's website for details about next year.