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Wedding jewellery with a touch of luxury

A symbol of purity and love, white pearls hold a special place when choosing bridal accessories and wedding gifts. Celebrating the simplicity and elegance of pearls, the new 18 carat pearl jewellery range from Lustrous brings a contemporary edge. 

The new dazzling collection from this London-based boutique jeweller is sleek, stylish and forever fashionable. Each piece is crafted with the finest cultured Japanese Akoya and fresh water pearls, set in polished carat gold for an ultra-luxurious aesthetic. The boutique also offers pearls in a kaleidoscope of colours, including South Sea golden lusters, champagnes, ivories, pinks and peaches.

Lin Johnson, founder of Lustrous, explains: “Unlike other gemstones and accessory trends, pearls offer wearers timeless allure. While they’re reminiscent of old world glamour and antiquated affluence they’re also utterly on-trend”.

Across the global fashion scene, pearl jewellery is growing in popularity. From the refined style of the Duchess of Cambridge, the elegant ‘English rose’ aesthetic of Emma Watson, the edgy chic of Katy Perry,  to the  catwalk swagger of Candice Swanepoel and the powerful dress sense of Hillary Clinton, pearls are a versatile accessory choice for ladies of all walks of life. 

For more wedding accessories and jewellery inspiration, check out our previous feature on Amanda Wyatt's collection and Heirloom London's tips on choosing real diamonds. 

Details
Lustrous
W: www.lustrousjewellery.com

Fashion Friday: Graceful new gowns by Amanda Wyatt

Amanda Wyatt's new collection of wedding dresses ‘She Walks with Beauty’ is a celebration of the golden age of fashion drawing inspiration from the old Hollywood glamour. Here's why we can't stop swooning over them!

Oozing charm and grace, these statement gowns feature daring cut-away back details with bejewelled accents worthy of a red carpet entrance. Alongside these designs, you'll find a selection of romantic gowns in Amanda’s signature chiffon.  

For her 2017 collection of over 35 gowns, Amanda has used a wide colour palette including dove grey, blush pinks, champagne and rich ivory. Brides can choose from an array of beautiful styles and intricate details - illusion backs, sleeves, jewelled accents and beautiful buttons.  

Amanda’s personal favourite from the 'She Walks with Beauty' collection is Violette. Graceful in design, this is the ultimate wedding dress gown in every way. Over 14 yards of fabric in the skirt create movement and flow both magical and graceful in equal measures.

Violette, Amanda's favourite gown from this collection.

To view photos of Amanda's Promises of Love collection, visit our feature here. 

Details

Amanda Wyatt

W: www.amandawyatt.com 

Choose style and sophistication for your wedding

Could there be any bride in the whole of the UK who hasn't heard of the name Maggie Sottero? We can't imagine so! And today's news will have you reach for your diary, as this Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th April is the Maggie Sottero designer weekend at All About Eve, in Chepstow. In addition to this, the boutique will be holding a second Maggie Sottero curve event for sizes 18-28 on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th April. 

Creating magic moments  

A well established name in international bridal design, Maggie Sottero offers brides-to-be the look and feel of luxury at affordable prices. With each collection, the designer house steals the catwalk shows with its gorgeous bridal gowns made from high quality fabrics and featuring delicate or statement embellishments. 

Re-defining tradition, the latest collection from Maggie Sottero has a rather whimsical and romantic feel. Sheer fabrics such as lightweight lace, organza and chiffon are adorned with opulent three dimensional details and Swarovski crystals for added depth and drama. 

If you'd like to attend this exciting designer event, simply call 01291 629338 to book an appointment. 

Details
All About Eve
W: http://allaboutevebridalwear.com
T: 01291 629338

Add some fairy dust to your hen party

A new workshop from Betty’s Birds, one of the UK’s growing hen parties and events companies, offers hens the chance to indulge into some self-love before the big day. The ‘My Fairy-Hen Mother’ workshop is great fun mixing creativity, craft skills and well-being - perfect for making the bride and her maids feel loved and pampered!

Boosting brides' confidence 

Betty's Birds was launched in 2015, by Bristol based artist, Beth Nicholas, who has a real passion and understanding of the modern bride. Her latest addition to the Betty’s Birds portfolio aims to boost brides' confidence: “As females we tend to air on the negative side when it comes to talking about ourselves, whether it be image, intellect, or achievements."

"The ‘My Fairy-Hen Mother’ workshop is designed to encourage some self-love and well-being, ensuring brides are filled with complete self-confidence before they start a new and exciting chapter of their lives. Like the other workshops we run, it maintains a  creative element, with wand making, glitter and candles included for starters", she adds.

DIY hen parties 

Indeed,  Betty's Birds really spoils brides with activities ranging from customising pieces such as French knickers, bras or corsets, making fascinators, headdresses or garters, as well as lessons in vintage hair and make-up, and even hula-hooping. 

There's no doubt that the demand for alternative and creative hen parties will soon match that of DIY weddings. “To date the Betty’s Birds brand has been extremely well received with bridal parties from across the UK looking for something alternative and creative to do in celebration of their hen do”, shares Beth.

In celebration of the launch of its new ‘My Fairy Hen Mother’ workshop, Betty’s Birds is offering an introductory discount of 15% per person, when booking for a minimum of seven people.

Details 

Betty’s Birds

W: www.bettysbirds.com

E: betty@bettysbirds.com 

Essense of Australia designer weekend at All About Eve

Brides, you're invited to the Essense of Australia designer weekend taking place this Satuday 19th and Sunday 20th March. Award winning bridal boutique All About Eve is holding an exclusive event at their Chepstow Store to showcase the new range of wedding dresses from the Australian label.

The signature Essence gowns
Combining a superb fit with couture finishing, the Essense of Australia designs bring an attention to detail that sets their wedding dresses apart from those of many other designer labels and makes your wedding truly memorable. Each gown is elegantly crafted using luxurious fabric and embellished with exquisite beading.

Jules and the team will welcome brides with goody bags and the first 10 brides who purchase their gown during the event will receive gifts All About Eve and other local businesses. You'll also get your hands on the spring issue of West weddings magazine to help you on your planning journey. 

Spaces fore the event are filling up fast, so make sure you call 01291 629338 to book an appointment. 

Details
All About Eve
W: http://allaboutevebridalwear.com
T: 01291 629338

Behind the scenes: Love is in the air at Ston Easton Park

For our spring photoshoot, we took our team of talented local suppliers to the magnificent Ston Easton Park, in Somerset. In the warm sunshine, our models Holly and Martin explored the luxurious Palladian Mansion and hidden spots within the ground. If you’re planning a spring wedding, we hope you feel inspired by these behind the scenes images captured by InterlacePhotography.

Winner of the Bristol and Somerset wedding photographer of the year award for 2015, Eleanor from Interlace Photography knew exactly how to work with the venue and zoom in on those pretty details like the bride’s dresses cake, flowers and stationery. 

Ston Easton's rich history and original features bring back to life bygone ears of wealth and opulence, when romance prevailed. Indeed, the venue has many hidden treasures, including a library with original mahogany bookcases, a beautiful stone staircase and six registered ceremony rooms. The river Norr runs through 36 acres of landscaped parkland where you can often spot the deer grazing. 

Holly's dresses came from the famous Spanish bridal label Pronovias, renowned for creating the classiest and most sophisticated wedding dresses. You can find all the three enchanting gowns at the local boutique LuxquisiteBridal Couture, in Bath, where Holly works. Amanda Davis-Harrison from Bridezillas was in charge of the accessories to finalise each look. 

                           

For Martin's outfits, we turned to Anne Harding, a leading name in menswear and suit hire for weddings. During the shoot, our groom switched between a charcoal grey, lightweight Mohair suit with matching trousers from the Claverley range and a silver grey lounge suit made from the same lightweight fabric. 

Getting our bride camera-ready was easy with the help of makeup artist Kathryn from Powder & Paint, and professional hair stylist Stacy from Stacy Jade Hair. The duo worked in unison to make Holly look and feel like a real bride.

The bride's spring garden bouquet, created by Becci Hobbs from Bijoux Floral Design, featured a selection of seasonal blooms, including Delphinium, Orange Ranunculus and Mimi Eden Spray Roses.

The pretty handmade wedding stationery from Topikki matched the colours of the top table flowers. Bright spring shades of orange and yellow stood against a soft pastel background, while blue ribbon and hand-die cut flowers added a nice twist to the design.

Making a focal point on the top table was a traditional tiered cake tower from Pretty Amazing Cakes, featuring petal ruffles and pink cherry blossoms. Anne Gliddon, winner of Wedding Cake Designer title at the Bristol & Somerset Wedding Awards 2015, took inspiration from blossoming cherry trees for the design of the three-tier creation and result was amazing!

A special day meant that the cars had to be extra special too, so we called on AJE Classics’ Jaguars in pale blue and green. 

 For even more wedding inspiration, check out our spring 2015 editorial shoot and summer 2015 photoshoot.