Miscellaneous Monday: Summer is here!

The official first day of summer is this Saturday, so to celebrate, we're doing Miscellaneous Monday summer-style!

Favourite summer wedding trend: Summery drinks!

Food, fashion and decor aren't the only ways to express your personality and sense of fun on your wedding day - drinks can be an easy and creative way to bring in some colour and maybe even a dash of whimsy! From classic Pimms to fruity margaritas, drinks can  be a great way to express yourself, keep your guests cool on a warm day, and perhaps even help keep that dance floor from getting awkwardly abandoned. We've created a Pinterest board featuring some of our favourite summer wedding drink ideas - repin or make your own board and let us know on Twitter!

Follow West Weddings's board Summer Wedding Drink Ideas on Pinterest.


Favourite reading material: West Wedding Summer 2014 issue

Sorry - we couldn't resist! If you haven't picked up a copy of WW's latest issue in person, never fear! In addition to still  being available in print through one of our various stockists, it is also browse-able online! Just as much gloss and glamour, and goes just as well with a cup of tea (or iced tea, depending on the fluctuating temperature!), but without the carbon footprint. Check it out by clicking here!

Favourite planning secret: Plan ahead for Wedding World!

West Weddings is proud to be taking part in Wedding World, the largest wedding exhibition in the South West, which will be taking place this autumn at three different dates and locations. Featuring more than 100 vendors and wedding specialists from across the South West, this is definitely a one-stop-shop for all your planning needs. If you're getting married this autumn or winter, make sure you put these dates in your diary now! (Also - keep an eye on our 2014 Wedding Fair Calendar for updates!)

Behind the Scenes of our latest photo shoot!

After much anticipation we're pleased to share the behind-the-scenes photos from our fairytale wedding photoshoot at Thornbury Castle, featured in our latest issue. Buckle your seatbelts because we're going multimedia with this blog post too (but you'll have to scroll all the way down to see what we mean)!

These lovely shots were all taken by Charlie Birchmore of Your Pictures Wedding Photography and he supplied us with so many beautiful images it was difficult not including all of them!

Our two gorgeous models for the day - Natasha Torres and Ryan Harper from Shoot DHS

The shoot was styled by WW's Creative Director and owner of The Little Wedding Helper, Kristen Butler

We love this one for showing off one of our favourite Krystle Brides gowns from the shoot!

Our little bridesmaid Eden (our makeup artist Jodie's daughter) having her moment in the spotlight!

We couldn't get over this beautiful green 1966 Jaguar S-Type provided to us by AJE Classics. Perfect colour for a summer wedding!

Stacey Jade working wonders to create several perfect bridal looks throughout the day. Though poor Natasha was probably happy to be done with hairspray by the end of the day!

We loved this classic, feminine headpiece from Amanda Davis-Harrison, our friend at the award-winning Bridezillas.

That's right - a West Weddings first - we had a real, live harpist on set for our photoshoot (no wonder Natasha and Ryan look so relaxed!). Sally Jenkins delighted us with her enormous repertoire throughout the shoot, and we wanted to give readers a taste! Though her beautiful music couldn't be captured in the magazine, we are happy to share it here on the blog!

Miscellaneous Monday: Magazines & Cakes

It's Monday, so we thought we'd kick the week off by sharing some of our favourite wedding-related 'miscellany' from across the internet! So without further ado...

Favourite 'breaking news': The latest issue of West Weddings has hit the shelves!
The Summer issue of West Weddings is packed full of gorgeous photos from our shoot at Thornbury Castle (and stay tuned to the blog for behind-the-scenes photos coming soon!), inspiring tips for brides and grooms, pages of luscious photos from some of our favourite West Country photographers, and the latest gowns from top suppliers and boutiques in the region. To find out where you can pick up your copy, visit our list of stockists!

Favourite cake trend: Stripped down, no-icing wedding cakes
'Less is more' is one of our editor's favourite mantras, and this goes for weddings as well. So it's unsurprising that one of her favourite trends of late has been the stripped-down wedding cake (meaning, no icing). Often these are decorated with icing between the layers, powdered sugar, and an abundance of fruit and/or flowers. They give a rustic look, but also look incredibly appetising. And they won't be likely to be as sickly sweet, since there isn't a gallon of icing covering the outside of the cake!

We've put together a Pinterest board of some of our favourite stripped down cakes. Take a look, and re-pin if you like!

Follow West's board Stripped Down Wedding Cakes on Pinterest.