WEDDING GOSSIP Girl In a White Dress 20

Our resident bride and wedding expert, Cheryl, is back from her big day and floating on a wedding-induced cloud of loveliness, and will be talking weddings with you every week...

The personal touch (2)
I ran out of space a bit last week on my ramblings about personalising your big day - so here are some more ideas for adding an individual touch to your wedding...

There is an array of tasty treats on offer to give guests as favours, but if you’re a bit of a Nigella in the kitchen, why not wow your guests with these homemade cookie favours shaped like mini wedding cakes.

Or how about having personalised cake toppers? Michelle Sugar Art fashions lifelike models based on photos of you and your H2B to sit atop your wedding cake. She’ll create anything you want themed on your jobs, pets or hobbies to give a humorous touch to your cake.

You don’t need to have loads of imagination or creative skills to personalise your day – it can be anything from using the same flowers your mum had in her bouquet to just getting married on a date that’s special to you both. There’s no end of fun you can have making your day your own – and best of all, it can be a great way of saving a bit of cash to put towards something important. Like your shoes.

Let us know what you're planning to do to make your day even more special...

Posted in category: Wedding Gossip

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BEAUTY Revealing Moment

We’re all busy pampering and preening ourselves in time for the big day, but there’s one area that many brides don't pay attention to – the décolletage…

No matter what style of dress you’re planning to wear, your décolletage will no doubt be on show so make sure it looks its best with new Bio Satine Shimmering Bust Oil from Florame, France’s leading independent producer of organic aromatherapy.

Designed to tone and firm the bust and décolleté, this 100% natural oil contains a unique blend of organic essential oils, including orange blossom, patchouli and rosewood, which help tighten and regenerate the skin, creating a more youthful look to the décolleté.

Iridescent mother-of-pearl powder is added, which gives the décolleté a shimmering, satin appearance, and a natural vitamin-E compound helps to fight the ageing process. And best of all, it’s not tested on animals and doesn’t contain any synthetic colours or fragrances – and the packaging is recyclable too.

Apply daily using fingertips in gentle massaging strokes. Priced from £22.99 for 50ml, the Shimmering Bust Oil is available from Florame and independent retailers.

click to read more beauty ideas >

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FASHION What a Gem!

Anyone looking for wedding day glitz and glamour will love brand new jewellery collection, Shefaly. Affordable and irresistibly sparkly, we take a look at some of the collection highlights.

If real diamonds and platinum are not in the wedding budget, Shefaly House of Jewels has a collection of bridal costume jewellery that is next best in the dazzledom ranks. Fine Swarovski crystal sits beside gorgeous Czech stones in a stunning collection of real statement costume jewellery. For the ultimate fairytale princess look, we love this Crystal Belle necklace set (£130). The set includes a necklace, made up of over 100 crystals, a bracelet and a pair of matching earrings.

You'll also find a fabulous collection of crystal hair accessories including tiaras, pins and chunky hair claws such as as this pretty Butterfly Hair Claw (£22).

And if your man want a slice of the glitz, check out the sparkly cufflinks, including these Moonbeam cufflinks (£35). Designed by Shefaly herself, crystal cufflinks are the ultimate in wedding day bling and will definitely make your man stand out from the crowd!

Shefaly is available online at shefaly.co.uk or by mail order on 0118 950 2398.

Click to read more ideas on accessories >

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RECEPTION D.I.Y. Bride 2

Get in touch with your creative side with more fabulous ideas from Konnie Huq who gets clever with Kodak software.

Click on the link below to watch Konnie getting busy with wedding ideas from guest books to mood boards. Or for more inspiration and ideas, as well as a downloadable guide, visit kodak.com/go/creativelab.

We also like Kodak's Creative Wedding Photo Ideas. Put 'wedding' into the search box on kodak.com and you'll get a whole list of cute ideas, from save the date magnets to table centres and keepsakes.

Posted in category: Reception

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REAL WEDDING Better Together

Louise & Alan
4 May 2008

They Met The couple first came in contact when Alan messaged Louise on the website faceparty. As they were both living in Northampton, they met up! After three years together, Alan proposed in their favourite local restaurant Buddies. Louise says, 'the staff were so chuffed they presented us with a special dessert decorated with a sparkler!'

Wedding Venue
Alan and Louise started looking for a venue in their local area straight away. They both agreed The Atrium at Whittlebury Park was best. It was close to the church, had plenty of room, looked stunning and was right for the budget. It also offered a room for Louise's Dad to take a nap halfway through the day - which he did!

The Theme Lilac and silver set the colour theme for the day. As a special touch, the couple had a wishing well (the guests were informed beforehand). And the tables were named after the couple's favourite computer games. Top table was named The Sim's with a picture of the couple at Buddies on the night they got engaged.

What They Wore
Louise wore an Ellis Bridal Dress in ivory crushed taffeta with hand made hair accessories and jewellery from Brides of Wellingborough. Her shoes were an eBay purchase, for just £20. Alan had a traditional grey morning suit with an ivory waistcoat and lilac cravat, hired from Warwicks in Wellingborough. The two bridesmaids, Helen (the bride's sister) and best friend Bethan wore lilac dresses. With Bethan being 22 weeks pregnant, it was lucky that Helen was a fashion graduate and was able to make their dresses. Although she was still finishing Bethan's at 1.20pm on the wedding day! To complete the entourage, young bridesmaid Harriet wore an ivory dress from Bhs and flowergirl Darcy wore an ivory dress from Next.

The Cake Louise’s Mum made the cake. it was a square white cake, with two tiers of sponge and on of fruit. 'We decorated the cake with lilac ribbon and lilac butterflies', says Louise.

The Flowers Louise carried a posy of purple tulips and white roses by Kiktas Kreations with the bridesmaids holding smaller versions. Alan's Mum and sisters decorated the church while at the reception, purple and cream tulips were placed in funky square vases bought from IKEA.

First Dance The newlyweds danced to Jack Johnson - Better Together. They were meant to be showered with an exploding balloon - but the 'popping device' (a stick with a pin on the end) was mislaid!

A Moment to Remember
'Saying our vows in the church and cherishing every moment!', says Louise.

Honeymoon The couple spent their first night in a luxurious suite with a Jacuzzi at the Whittlebury Hall Hotel. 'The room was bigger than our house', laughs Louise. And for the honeymoon, the couple headed to the Riviera Maya in Mexico - it was the perfect honeymoon choice.

Any Advice 'Do as much as possible at the start when are still excited and motivated. Don’t leave things til the last minute, get everything finished so you can enjoy the lead up to the wedding without panicking', says Louise. And Alan adds, 'Don’t worry about your speech, no matter what you say, everyone seems to love it!'


Louise & Alan’s Contact Book:
Venue: The Atrium, Whittlebury Park 01327 850 000 whittlebury.com
Photographer: Clare Louise Photography 01926 811270 clare-louise.co.uk
Dress: Brides of Wellingborough 01933 270 560 bridesofwellingborough.co.uk
Groomswear: Warwicks 01933 224981 warwicks.net

click to read more real weddings >

Posted in category: Real Weddings

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GROOMS Off the Cuff

Getting your wedding outfit to tie in with the rest of the wedding party is one of those little touches that make for extra stylish wedding photographs. For the ultimate in colour co-ordination, check out these fabulous ties and matching cufflinks by Marc Wallace.

Made from luxurious silk in a range of eleven totally covetable colours, Marc Wallace Boxsets (£65) are the perfect finishing touch for any groom-to-be. Whether the theme for the day is pink, green, gold, lilac or blue, you will find the perfect match. Each boxset contains a tie, or a tiewrap, along with cufflinks and a hanky for your top pocket. The Boxsets also make a great gift for the best man or other guys in the party.

Available online at marcwallace.com or from the Marc Wallace store on New King's Road in South London.

click to read more grooms' ideas >

Posted in category: Grooms

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Lucky Winners!

Thanks to everyone for entering our 27 Dresses Competition. We had a fantastic turn out and some really interesting comments on 'the impact of the credit crunch'. Most couples are getting some kind of help from their parents towards the expense of the big day. But a lot of you are footing the bills yourselves. Holidays and cars are being put on a back burner until after the wedding. And some of you are lucky enough to have parents who are just bending over backwards to make your day special by taking later retirement, getting part-time jobs and even cashing in some shares! Wow!

And now for the fun... The 10 lucky winners of 27 Dresses DVD are:
Gemma Hook, Shauna Hoey, Katie Wilson, Sarah Day, Ellen Cruise, Samantha Tolson, Nikki Robinson, Beverley Baird, Debbie Pool and Hollie Lander.
Congratulations! Due to a bit of a mix up over timings, you have probably already got your DVD in the post. If you have already seen it - post a comment - we'd love to know what you thought of the film.

And if anyone is feeling in need of a consolation prize, Lipcote lipstick sealer has recently launched a new website and is offering a free bottle of Glitzy until the end of August. Perfect for the wedding day, Lipcote (£3.35) seals in your lipstick colour while the little giveaway bottle of Glitzy will give you a glittery décolletage. Go to lipcote.com.

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FASHION Let's Shop 2

This week we head to St John's Hill in Battersea, London to check out recently-opened bridal boutique, Ellie & Charlotte. Offering a bespoke service as well as a handpicked selection of dresses by other designers, you will also find beautiful hats, shoes and other accessories. For the ultimate experience, take mums and maids for a bespoke outfit too - just remember to make an appointment though!

MODERN GIRL

Perfect for a contemporary venue, this Straight Rouched Dress (£2500) gives a modern twist to the classic silhouette. Made from luxurious silk Duchess satin, the dress features rouched detaiing at the front and a flattering straight cut skirt.

GROOVY GODDESS

Fabulous for an elegant wedding abroad, the Drape Front Dress (£2850) is made from gorgeous silk satin overlaid with chiffon. The halterneck gives it a stylish contemporary look while the skirt is ultimately romantic with its deluxe folds of finest chiffon.

CRYSTAL QUEEN

For a more formal wedding, this Long Pointed V-Bodice (£2650) dress is elegantly structured and shimmers with Swarovski crystals. Made from silk Duchess satin, it has a sophisticated overlay of beautifully embroidered Swarovski crystal fabric on the sleeves, bodice panel and train.

Visit Ellie & Charlotte at ellieandcharlotte.com or call 020 7450 1459 to make an appointment at the boutique.

Posted in category: Fashion

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Your Week 25/08

It is another exciting week at WeddingPath with lots of lovely WP brides tying the knot last weekend. We love hearing from you after your day and are thrilled that so many guests are logging on to use Photoshare, uploading their own piccies on your WP website. So with lots of wedding experience on board, we have plenty of ideas and inspiration for b2bs just starting out and top advice on making the right choices for your big day.

To start the week we visit a bridal boutique in South London to see what's in store both for the bride and her party. On Wednesday our fashion slot looks at a new bridal accessory collection with designs for every style wedding. If your groom is looking for that finishing touch for his outfit, we have found the perfect matching cufflinks and tie. Our Real Wedding this week is in Northants with a reception at a stunning historic venue. Cheryl has found just the product for decolletage protection on our beauty page for Wednesday and finds a cosy London venue in Soho on Thursday. For this week's honeymoon, Cheryl checks out the island of love combined with sightseeing in Egypt. And she has some lovely ideas for making your wedding personal in her Girl in a White Dress. On Friday, we get all arty and look into a gallery for gift lists, as well as getting the low-down on where to stay for hens and what to drink at the reception.

Enjoy your wedding planning and keep in touch with WeddingPath - you'll find more help, fun and ideas than ever before!

Amanda Hinton,
Editor-in-chief, WeddingPath
amanda@weddingpath.com

Monday 25/08
Let's Shop... what's in store?
Lucky Winners!... what credit crunch?
Tuesday 26/08
Off the Cuff... matching cufflinks and tie
Better Together... wedding in Northamptonshire
DIY Bride 2... more from Konnie Huq
Wednesday 27/08
What a Gem... new collection
Revealing Moment... perfect decollètage
Girl in a White Dress 20... making it personal
Thursday 28/08
Up Close and Personal... intimate London venue
Twice the Romance... Cyprus and Egypt
Celebrity Snippets... vote on Agyness Deyn & Albert Hammond Jr
Friday 29/08
Arty Party... gift list at a gallery
Shaken not Stirred... cocktail creations
Happy Hens 10... where to head
Saturday 30/08
6am Wedding Week Notes... best reads of the week

Posted in category: Wedding Gossip

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Wedding Week Notes 18/08

Look back on this week's best reads on WeddingPath by clicking on the links to some of our favourites. Can't find what you're looking for? Go to News Categories on the home page and scroll through the sections you are looking for.

18/08 FASHION Let's Shop... boutique insider

19/08 GROOMS Ring True... just engaged
19/08 REAL WEDDING Gold Dreams... WP bride

20/08 FASHION Play it by Ear... earrings
20/08 WEDDING GOSSIP Girl in a White Dress...

21/08 VENUE Irish Brides... Dublin venue
21/08 HONEYMOON Deep South... Charleston

22/08 GIFTS Scented Glow... fragrant candles
22/08 RECEPTIONS Fabulous Favours... organic

Have a great weekend!

Posted in category: Planning

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