Sara and Travis married in an idyllic yacht club wedding that has delightful garden party style details and definitely looks like the sort of wedding I would LOVE to be a guest at.

But you don’t need me blabbering on about the day, nothing can tell the story better than the stunning images from Two One Photography:

** The Bride and Bridesmaid **

** The Flowers **

** The Groom and Groomsmen **

** The Ceremony **

** The Details **

** The Cake **

** The Photography **

** The Reception **

** Style Steal **

~~~ Make sure you allow lots of time to get ready early and have some fun photos taking with your bridesmaids / groomsmen ~~~

~~~ Can’t choose between fruit cake and sponge – have them all, go for a dessert table instead ~~~

~~~ Tall floral arrangements on the table are very effective, and great for space saving! ~~~

~~~ If you plan to leave before the party ends then think about your transport – could be your wedding car (no doubt all kitted out by groomsmen /bridesmaids) or if you are lucky enough to get wed by the sea, what better way to depart than by boat! ~~~

** Little White Book of Wedding Suppliers **

~~~ Photographer:  Two One Photography ~~~ Event Venue:  Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club ~~~

I wasn’t fibbing when I said that I had two beautiful Italian weddings for you this week. And now that you have seen a fairytale Lake Garda destination wedding, it’s time for you to revel in the beauty that is Michelle and Spencer’s vintage wedding in Italy.

Here are a few more details Rosapaola Lucibelli Photography, who captured the day:

“A vintage and intimate winter wedding in the countryside of Tuscany. The catholic ceremony was in a small country church close to Pisa.”

** The Bride **

** The Flowers **

** The Groom **

** The Ceremony **

** The Details **

** The Photography **

“In Tuscany during the winter there is an incredible warm light.”

** Style Steal **

~~~ Red lipstick is a great way to create a striking bridal look, particularly if it is chic or vintage that you are looking to emulate ~~~

~~~ A Mantilla veil sits flat on your head and is great for a vintage bride ~~~

~~~ If you don’t feel particularly tied to tradition,why not have your Mum and your Dad walk you down the aisle ~~~

** Little White Book of Wedding Suppliers **

~~~ Photographer:  Rosapaola Lucibelli Photography ~~~ Caterer:  Villa Lestra ~~~ Event Planner:  Efffetti Wedding Planners & Events in Tuscany ~~~

I am lucky enough to be a bridesmaid three time this year (for two best friends and my soon-to-be sister in law) and the bridesmaid dress hunting has gone very smoothly indeed. But I do know that it can be a minefield. Choosing the same dress to suit your ‘maids of different shapes, sizes, colouring and styles can, quite frankly, be a nightmare. So I thought that you would like some top tips from Susanna, a lovely lady from House of Fraser.

Planning a wedding is an exciting, yet sometimes stressful time, as the bride needs to make lots of decisions regarding colours, wedding dress, food, venue and bridesmaids dresses. If you are one of those brides who are struggling to decide what your bridesmaid’s should wear, then this post might be of use to you.

Before choosing your bridesmaids dresses, you first need to have sorted out your colour scheme as you would want your bridesmaid’s to fit in nicely. Then, please keep these 5 tips into consideration when being on the hunt to buy the perfect bridesmaid’s dress.

Body shape

It is really important to take into account the body shape of your bridesmaids and if they have got any insecurities about certain areas of their body. There are many different body shapes, i.e. pear, apple, or hour glass and different dresses accentuate different parts of the body. For example, if your bridesmaid does not feel comfortable with her arms then you would not want to put her in a strappy dress. If you are really keen on your bridesmaid’s wearing strapless dresses, try to compensate by buying a matching bolero, so that the arms would be covered up.

Bridesmaid’s decision
It’s quite traditional that bridesmaids don’t get to pick their own dresses so why not let them pick their own dresses in terms of style? You should still have the final say when it comes to the colour scheme as this will give your bridal party some uniformity, but you could let your bridesmaid decide on the kind of dress. To give you some inspiration, here are examples of similar tone bridesmaids dresses that  could be suitable.

Pictures

If you do want to have the final say when it comes to the bridesmaids dresses but you know your girls are going to have to want some say in it, why not prepare them and show them some pictures of the dresses you had in mind for them? That way, you won’t have to argue in the shop when you actually want to make the purchase.

Pricing
Weddings can be quite expensive so you may want to purchase a couple of classic off the rack cocktail dresses that can be personalised or customised as you would like them to be. Accessories do a lot, so if the final touch that would really make your bridesmaids stand out is to add some accessories, why not pay a bit more for these? Accessories can be worn on multiple occasions, so you would also do your bridesmaids a favour.

Less is more

When buying these accessories, don’t go overboard as you do not want your bridesmaids to wear these outrageous outfits whilst you were aiming to go for a more romantic and classical bride’s look. Remember to choose the style of your own dress first before purchasing your bridesmaids dresses.

There is nothing I love more when I am hunting for a slice of pretty to share with you on Tuesday Shoeday, than finding a snazzy pair that comes in a variety of different palettes and themes. Same great shape, a variety of different looks.

So here is a touch of chic that I found for you from Dorothy Perkins…

I love the colour caped toes, but also that you can opt for a pastel pink

I have not one but two Italian weddings lined up for you this week, and they are both very different but equally beautiful and inspiring.

First up is Lisa and Mike’s beautiful destination wedding in Lake Garda, Italy, photographed by the wonderful Belle Momenti Photography:

“Weddings don’t really get much more romantic than this…situated at the edge of the stunningly-beautiful Lake Garda, in a pretty medieval town called Malcesine, the setting for this gorgeous wedding ceremony was on top of a fairytale castle (built around 568 AD) that overlooked both the town and lake.”

“On the castle terrace, in the glorious afternoon sunshine, Lisa and Mike exchanged their wedding vows, with the turquoise-coloured lake as the perfect backdrop.”

** The Bride **

** The Flowers **

** The Groom **

** The Ceremony **

** The Details **

** The Photography **

** The Reception **

“After having their photographs taken in and around the castle grounds, Lisa and Mike made their way through the cooling maze of narrow, winding streets down to a small piazza where their family and friends were waiting to greet them!”

“Their reception was held in an exclusive restaurant, nestled in between olive trees and with a dining room with a view…overlooking the beautiful lake.”

** Style Steal **

~~~ Think about the details, lining your walkway to the ceremony or reception with flowers is a beautiful entrance ~~~

~~~ Name cards don’t have to take up a lot of space on your tables – you can purchase cute butterfly name cards that slot on to your wine glasses ~~~

~~~ If you want to keep your wedding a little bit smaller, or have a particular affinity to a special place abroad – consider a destination wedding. There are lots of wedding planners that can help you with the finer details so it doesn’t have to be difficult planning a wedding in a different country ~~~

** Little White Book of Wedding Suppliers **

~~~ Photographer:  Belle Momenti Photography ~~~ Event Planner:  LM Weddings,EuropeWedding ~~~ Event Venue:  Malcesine Castle ~~~ Restaurant:  Vecchia Malcesine Ristorante ~~~

My long locks love a bit of pampering so I loved receiving some Paul Mitchell products in my GlossyBox.  One was actually for curly hair, which try as I might mine is just not…but for all you curly girlies out there my sister-in-law to be will be reviewing this product in a few weeks.  But in the meantime, I gave Paul Mitchell’s Awapuhi Wild Ginger Styling Treatment a whirl.

Here’s a bit more about the product in question.

Product Description

Pamper hair from the inside out with Awapuhi Wild Ginger, with proven ingredients to restore weak, damaged hair. Smooth and seal parched hair with natural oils and the hydrating Awapuhi extract in Awapuhi Wild Ginger Styling Treatment Oil. This paraben-free, dry-touch oil absorbs easily into the hair, imparting a soft, silky texture and rich shine.

• Natural Oils – Dry-touch treatment oil absorbs instantly into the hair, imparting a soft, silky texture and rich shine.

• Lightweight – Never greasy or heavy, use on damp hair for a perfect blow-dry, or smooth on dry hair to help control frizz and protect from damage.

• Conditioning – Awapuhi extract hydrates, smoothes and helps prevent moisture loss.

“Styling Treatment Oil conditions the hair before styling. The texture isn’t greasy and the light scent is very welcoming. As a finisher, it leaves hair polished and shoft to the touch.” Michael White, celebrity stylist to Rachel McAdams, Reese Witherspoon and Tom Cruise.

How to Apply

Apply a small amount to clean, damp hair and style as usual, or smooth on dry hair to tame and add shine.

And my conclusion?  I am a definite fan – the ginger scent definitely made my hair smell delicious and it didn’t make my hair at all greasy, as some hair products do, but controlled the frizz and made it appear it appear sleek and in control (a massive achievement for my thick mop).

It would definitely also encourage me to try some other products in this range….

Love, Aphrodite x

There is nothing quite like a classic English wedding to start your day off with a pretty band, and in the words of Belle Momenti Photography, the geniuses behind the lens for this wedding,  Brooke and James’ wedding is certainly ‘a stylish wedding with a country feel and lots of beautiful detailing throughout.’

“A quintessentially elegant English Summer Wedding, set in the beautiful house and grounds of Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa in Bedfordshire, UK. The bride, a veterinary nurse, even had her three dogs there as special guests on the day, each with their own floral collar!”

The dress even has a hint of Kate Middleton’s lace sleeves…..

** The Bride and Bridesmaid **

** The Flowers **

** The Groom and Groomsmen **

** The Ceremony **

** The Detail **

** The Cake **

** The Photography **

** Style Steal **

~~~ Incorporate beloved pets into your big day – it can be great to include them in your photo memories ~~~

~~~ Ask your photographer if they are familiar with the venue, and if they are not ask them to take a visit beforehand – it will help them scope out those sneaky photo shots (did you see the floating bride above)?! ~~~

~~~ If you want to cover up your shoulders for the ceremony part of your day, why not go Kate Middleton on it and get a lace bolero ~~~

** Little White Book of Wedding Suppliers **

~~~ Photographer:  Belle Momenti Photography ~~~ Reception Venue:  Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa ~~~

I absolutely love the vibrant colours of this wedding – the lemon and orange tones shine against the neautral palette.  And all of this was achieved on a budge.

Janine Sept Photography shared some details from Ashley and Tyler’s stunning day:

“This was a wedding on a budget and it was so important for her to make sure that they were fun & trendy, but kept costs down. So She took the task of creating as many of the details as she could. The wedding was small and very intimate, which lead to a comfortable and warm feeling through out the day.”

** The Bride and Bridesmaid **

** The Flowers **

** The Groom and Groomsmen **

** The Ceremony **

“The Winery was stunning and loaded with limitless options for photography! The weather was unusually warm for that time of year, which made it easy to spend the whole day outside enjoying the stunning location.”

** The Details **

“The DIY stuff Ashley did: – Centrepieces with flowers, mason jars with burlap, made by a friend, Table numbers – chalkboards, bought cheap frames and spray painted with chalkboard paint , PhotoBooth – Made most of the props herself with felt, Favour tags – Made on the computer, Shepherd hooks – down aisle with flower vases and lanterns, Lanterns on tables – from Dollar Store, Flip- Flop basket – “kick up your heels and have fun”

** The Cake **

** The Photography **

** The Reception **

** Style Steal **

~~~ Your bridesmaids dresses don’t have to be the same colour, complimenary colours can work too ~~~

~~~ I say it regulalry – but lanterns are a great way to brighten up the decor at a venue ~~~

~~~ Create your own details by using blackboard paint to creat table numbers, menus, instructions for guests…the list is endless ~~~

** The Little White Book of Wedding Suppliers **

~~~ Photographer:  Janine Sept Photography ~~~ Hair Stylist:  O’Haira’s Salon ~~~ Floral Designer:  Safeway Flowers ~~~ Reception Venue:  summerhill pyramid winery ~~~ Invitation Designer:  Wedding Paper Divas ~~~ Dress Store:  Victoria Lane Bridal,Sweetheart Gowns ~~~ Band:  Young’uns ~~~ Linens and Coverings:  Sweet Beginnings Wedding Consulting and Event Planning ~~~ Makeup Artist:  MAC Cosmetics ~~~ Shoes:  Anne Klein ~~~ Jewellery:  Abraham Jewellery , JK Schmidt ~~~ Bridesmaid Dresses:  Alfred Angelo Bridal ~~~ Pre Ceremony Location:  Hotel Eldorado,Playa del Sol ~~~

Sometimes you can get so caught up in the details of the decor on your big day – from favours to flowers and everything in between, that you forget to think about your own styling details.

So, every now and then I like to feature images to inspire your bridal style.  Today’s are courtesy of HG Photo Studio and with looks including boho and classic styles, they are all very achievable:

HG Photo Studio loves to get their hands in everything. As well as being the photographer on this shoot, Holly Rone, owner of Higher Ground Photo Studio, styled, crafted hair accessories and bouquets, and did the hair and make-up on these beautiful ladies. The lovely models you see here are friends who donated their time and wedding dresses. Everyone had a blast reliving their wedding memories and getting back into those beautiful dresses.

** Style Steal **

~~~ Feathers are great for creating a chic and glamorous look ~~~

~~~ Flowers in the hair is perfect boho look ~~

~~~ If you are going for something a little bit more rustic, why not play some funky fabric into your hair ~~~

I regularly grace these pages with fun and funky bridal shoe suggestions,  but every now and then it is time to strip back and go the classic route. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t mean you won’t be rocking that aisle with style – but a bit of traditional ivory or white doesn’t go amiss on your wedding day.

And here are some beautiful examples of classic bridal style from Zalando:

There’s some bobby dazzlers there aren’t there?  Which one is your favourite?

Love, Aphrodite x