Short Wedding Dresses

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Not all of us dream about walking down the aisle in a meringue.  The wedding might have a less formal setting like a register offfice or beach, but also a lot of brides to be don't feel that dressing up as Cinderella is their style.  And why should you conform when there are so many different options out there?  If you're looking for something short and sweet (which is frankly kind on the pocket as well), head down to Monsoon where you can try on these lovelies.

The intimate 1920's/30's house party wedding..

 

 Gosford Park (2001)

I completely fell in love when I first saw Robert Redford in the Great Gatsby dressed to the nines in white tie and tails, so stunningly handsome and suave.  Back in the early 20th century the men in their evening attire and the ladies in their satin gowns and perfect hair oozed sophistication and glamour - the perfect inspiration for a stylish wedding.  Host an evening dinner party reception in a grand venue for close family and friends and live like lords and ladies for a day.

Satin bias cut gowns are the order of the day and nobody does these better than Jenny Packham.  Her dress are sleek and sophisticated, perfect for the Hollywood Vamp look..

For a similar dress on a smaller budget look for destination dresses from Dessy, or Monsoon in the UK.  Also look at evening style bridesmaids dresses (I love the ones at Watters & Watters) and order in white or ivory! 

Complete the look with a sleek waved hairstyle and statement crystal hairslide like thew models in the photos above - traditional veils and boho hair is forbidden!  If you want a more bridal look go for a small birdcage veil, there are so many versions on Etsy.

The perfect venue for this type of wedding would be a grand country house available for private hire, where you and your guests can lord it up for the weekend.  If your budget won't quite stretch to this, look for a hotel with a private dining room, the grander the better.  For brides inviting a few guests, have an intimate candlelit dinner party.  If you are inviting more guests, cocktails and canapes are the way to go.

I love this theme - but it will only work if you ban any guests in 1920's gangster costumes, you want a sophisticated wedding, not a fancy dress party!

I Love 50's Dresses!

I reeally wanted a 50's style dress for my wedding.  It didn't quite work out that way though, anyway I was never sure I had the legs for it.  But I love them and for those brides who are having a more informal wedding or don't want the traditional big gown but still want to feel glamorous, they are perfect.  While I was searching for a wedding dress I found some great designers and I shall share them with you now..

First stop London, and Candy Anthony  dresses are the stuff of dreams. These dresses are not cheap, but they are made to order, one-off pieces of luxury in a range of styles, necklines, fabrics and colours from white to leopard print to black, and everything inbetween.

 

Staying in London, for brides on a budget and those looking for something a bit edgier for themselves or their bridesmaids,  take a trip to Vivien of Holloway.  Popular with vintage girls, Vivien makes gorgeous halterneck swing dresses in cotton and satin, pencil and sarong dresses, bolero jackets and colourful petticoats.  At under £100 for a dress, who could refuse?  

Across the pond to the States now, and I am in love with Stephanie James Couture.  She makes stunning tea length, long length and suit dresses made from beautiful fabrics with fabulous frothy petticoats, and you can also find a selection of beautiful birdcage veils to go with them on her website.  Check out her blog for a veritable treasure trove of wedding dresses she has made for previous brides.... sigh

 

I can't go without mentioning Dolly Couture, whose stunning vintage style dresses start at only $395, bargain!

Vintage Marquee Reception - Carellia Rose

Carellia Rose, based in Rutland, UK is a vintage hire, styling and planning company, and I think what they do is fabulous.  Here's a little idea of what they can do for your wedding.....

 

I love the contrast between the sparkly chandeliers and the shabby chic marquee and bunting:

Visit the Beautiful Little Wedding Store for beautiful vintage wedding accessories

The English Summer Fete

The fete has been a feature of English Summers for decades, traditionally held by churches or villages to raise money, by organising competitions, games, displays, sales and refreshments.  This is a great theme for an informal wedding reception, all you need is a traditional marquee swathed in flowers and bunting, cake and sweet stands, homemade lemonade and cider, strawberries and cream and lots of games for people to take part in: hoopla, a coconut shy, lawn games and traditional contests like tug of war and welly throwing.  Let the games begin!

Click on pictures to enlarge:

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More Picnic Ideas...

I love these pics from Easy Living magazine, great picnic ideas....

Picnic Time!

Following on from the garden reception idea: if you're on a tight budget or you're looking for something a little different, why not treat your guests to a wedding picnic?  I love this idea.  You'll need some picnic rugs or tablecloths and if you know your way around a sewing machine you could make them with some matching napkins with the fabric of your choice.  You could buy picnic hampers but it's cheaper to find some wicker baskets from flea markets or junk shops, a variety of shapes and sizes looks better.  Just load them up with goodies and off you go!

 Top: Laura Ashley

Bottom left: Mabel & Violet

Bottom right: Moet et Chandon

John Lewis

Cath Kidston

The lovely people of Etsy

I really love the idea of a small shabby chic wedding reception.  If your guest list and wedding budget are a little on the small side, you can't get better than a garden party reception.  If you want to bypass heart stopping venue and catering fees (and you have amazing family and friends!), find someone with a beautiful garden and get everyone to pitch in with decorating and food.  This feature on countryliving.com has some nice decorating ideas:

I did want an English country wedding but this country you can't always rely on the weather!  Think summer roses, mismatched crockery, flowers planted in old tin buckets and watering cans and afternoon tea with sandwiches and cakes.

 Idyllic Days, Country Living, Ages Past, Pretty Vintage

Loving this collage from Signature Weddings:

Yummy pink champagne displayed in metal buckets, low budget (the buckets, that is!) but very stylish:

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Utterly Gorgeous Cakes!

As well as vintage crockery hire, catering and event styling, Wiltshire based The Utterly Sexy Cafe make some spectacular wedding cakes.  Their vintage-style creations are works of art: pearlised shades of pink, blue and green, pretty little flowers, butterflies, birds and jewels, and pretty little cupcakes.

Make Your Own French Bottles

I came across this tutorial from the blog A Bit of Paris 2 U.  If you are looking to create a vintage feel for your reception and on a low budget, a great idea is to display flowers in small vintage bottles and jars.  This tutorial shows you how to apply vintage style french labels to your bottles (found at flea markets or junk shops) to make them look authentic.  You can download all the labels from the blog, follow the instructions and hey presto!  Trop jolie!

Good Housekeeping

My Yummy Wedding Cake

I thought I'd show you my wedding cake, or cakes..  this was a gift from my sister, Amy, who made it whilst in early pregnancy and struggled with the smell of the icing!  What a trooper.  Each little sponge cake had a delicate icing butterfly on it and it tasted fantastic..