If this image doesn't grab you...

... nothing will.

from Style me Pretty

Wedding Wednesday

As you read this, I will more than likely be struggling with my tent (hopefully it's sunny or at least dry!), blowing up my air bed, or if I'm really lucky relaxing in my camping chair with a can of something cold-ish and alcoholic!

Today is the first day of the Download Festival.  We'll be here until after the weekend, but fear not I have scheduled a few posts to go live in my absence, so on the off chance that someone actually reads this blog - you won't be left disappointed!

On with Wedding Wednesday!

Let me tell you about Caroline's Cake Company. Cakes that will literally take your breathe away.  Cakes that are more like works of art, I'd never be able to cut into one as I wouldn't want to spoil it!  Don't just take my word for it either, Caroline has been recognised in the press for her amazing cakes including Wedding Ideas Magazine.

Seriously I want the Gruffalo cake!!  You can see more of Caroline's cakes on her blog or on her Flickr

One of my habits is mooching through photographers blogs.  I adore looking at other people's wedding and the way they have been captured.  Matt Davis is based in Cheltenham Gloucestershire and not only are his photos amazing I love reading how he describes the day from his own point of view on his blog.  Matt was kind enough to comment on one of my posts ages ago about purple cocktails as he had shot a wedding where the guests were served them as welcome drinks.  

He really does have an eye for detail, and not only does Matt share the photos from the weddings he shoots he also gives you an insight to his personal life.  I think this is really important - I think it helps to know your photographer after all they're going to be sharing with you one of the most important days of your life.

To see more of Matt's work check out his blog or website.

Glorious Treats Indeed!

How adorable is this Sweet Strawberry Party from Glorious Treats?!

I love a good buffet table but this is too cute!!  Need to see more pictures?  Thought you might!

Hello Monday

Hello Monday Morning, you've come around far too fast and I could have done with a few more hours in bed but since you're here I may as well make the most of you!

Weekend was very good.  Sex and the City 2 not so good... I won't rant but all I'll say is that I was very disappointed.

Rage Against the Machine in Finsbury Park were very, very good!

I managed to print out 88 Chrysler Buildings ready to be cut out for our order of services, as well as most of our evening invitations and I've guillotined around half of them.

I'm going to be making the most of my cupcake kit I got from the workshop at Blue Door Bakery tonight and make decorations for some cupcakes I'm taking to the festival on Wednesday.

Also.... BIG news for me.  My friend and web developer extraordinaire Steven has been working on a brand new Purple and Pearls which should be going live this week.  Exciting times!

That's pretty much all I've been or will be up to, what about you?  How was your weekend? Any plans for the week ahead?

Some Things for the Weekend

Happy Friday!  I have a monster of a weekend this week.  We're going to the Download Festival next Wednesday so we're busy trying to shop and pack for that - as well as buying new poles for our tent, pretty important eh!  We're also going to the free Rage Against the Machine gig in Finsbury Park on Sunday and I'm seeing Sex and the City 2 with Suzie tomorrow. Can.Not.Wait!

source

• I'm hooked at looking at engagement shoots at the moment after booking our own and I'm in love with this one.
• Another delicious engagement shoot with uber cute details.
• My ideal destination for our shoot.
• A.Mazing circus inspired invitations
• The details, the dress, the shoes!  I adore the work of Brandon Kidd but this wedding is something extra special!
• I'm sure you've all seen this wedding, but seriously - they thought of everything, right down to the "Just Married" sash the bride let loose on her wedding dress!
• Alice in Wonderland inspired weddings and hen parties are huge right now, they're everywhere - but I couldn't help but fall in love with these invitations.  They reminded me of something  I fell in love with on Etsy a while back
• This looks like one fun and colourful wedding!
• Just to toot my own horn a little and to say thank you, two very lovely ladies have mentioned me on their blogs.  The Wedding Genie and Caroline's Cake Company.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Enjoy your weekends in the sunshine!

xxx

Wedding Weight Loss

Imagine my surprise when I stepped on the scales last night to hear "Well done! That's 3½ lbs off" ...Erm sorry can you repeat that!  She wasn't fibbing or playing a cruel joke the scales really did show a loss of 3½ lbs!

That means I've now lost a total of 8½ lbs in 5 weeks.

I set myself a mini target of losing half a stone before I went to the Download Festival next week and I've done it... plus some!

I'm going to find it hard to be good at the festival next week, there isn't a lot of tasty healthy options amongst the burger vans plus the cider will be calling me.  I'm fully expecting to gain a few pounds but at least I've lost more than I expected to this week so it won't be too bad!

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!

On a day like today a seaside wedding with ice creams would be perfect!

Source

Pre-Wedding Shoot

We've booked it!! On July 4th we'll be striking poses all over Nailcote Hall!

I contacted Deborah Stott this week to see how she was and to find out when we were due to speak with her next and she offered us a few dates to choose from for our engagement/pre-wedding shoot.

Excited much?!

Obviously now I have less time to think about what I'm going to wear, how I'm going to have my hair and what, if any props am I going to take?!

We started talking about it last night and I said I really want this shoot to be about us.  If Has wants to wear a Metallica T-shirt then he should, because that's him!  We laughed about how we should take our patch jackets or our American Football shirts for a few fun photos.

I still really want to have a bouquet of tulips and to take a blanket for us to have a few pictures on.

Source

I also thought it would be really cute for us to bake and decorate a few cupcakes, not only can they feature in our pictures but we can eat them afterwards! Yum!  With the blanket it could almost look like a picnic.

Source

Although the shoot is happening in what is supposed to be the height of summer you really can't trust the British weather, knowing our luck it'll be rainy and drizzly.  I thought it might be a good idea to get a large colourful umbrella just in case!  Plus it can make for some gorgeous pictures.

Source

Expect many "What do you think of this dress?" and "How should I have my hair" posts from me over the next few weeks!

My very own patch jacket

Look at what Has has been working on for the last few months...

My very own patch jacket!  Full of my favourite bands and some very rare badges and patches.  Has always wears his patch jacket when we go to festivals and he decided to make me my very own - so next week we'll be Mr and Mrs Patch Jacket :D

Thank you baby!! \m/
xxx

Wedding Wednesday

Wedding Wednesday again - got to love these 4 day weeks!

If the idea of planning a wedding scares the life out of  you or if things are starting to pile up and you need an extra hand, then give Julie The Wedding Genie a shout.  She offers packages to suit most couples' budgets and requirements ranging from an hour of advice to on the day coordination and more.  I'm an avid reader of her blog where she posts advice and inspiration for your wedding day including guests posts from other top rated people within the industry.  I'm yet to meet Julie in person but we have spent a lot of time tweeting and emailing each other.  She really is a very lovely lady and I honestly believe she will do her utmost to help out any bride in any way she can.

Another lady I am yet to meet, but will hopefully in the near future.  The very talented Kerry runs Cupcakes and Peonies in the The Heart of the Country Shopping Village in Lichfield where she sells her wonderful cupcakes in a variety of flavours and colours.   You can also read about Cupcakes and Peonies on her blog

The grand reopening is happening next Saturday 12th (unfortunately I'm away else I would have been there like a shot!) So if you're in the area make sure you stop by for a cupcake or two.. or three!

Happy Birthday Sue

Today is my mother-in-law to be's birthday.  Happy Birthday Sue!  We are celebrating later with the family by going out for a meal, which I'm really looking forward to.

Sue is so clever and creative, helping us out with several little projects including hand-making over 160 stuffed fabric hearts!

A few Christmas' ago as a gift, Has treated me and Sue to a day out in London.  We started at Gordon Ramsey's restaurant, Box Wood Cafe - where we both had a little too much to drink and left a little giggly and tipsy and then went to see the stage production of Dirty Dancing - it was such a fun day!

We've also spent many a day together dressed in Victorian/Medieval costumes at various craft fairs where we sell Sue's famous Worry Bears along with a collection of Sue's other clay work. (I told you she was clever!)

I hope you have a wonderful birthday Sue!
Lots of love xxx

My new toy

Love it, how have I spent so long without it?!  

So as far as apps go I have the basics, Twitter, Facebook, Wordpress, Hipstamatic (which I love!) Angry Birds (hmm addicted much!) and a pollen count forecast (for my sneezy nose - high tomorrow if you're wondering.)

But what other apps do I HAVE to have?  What's on your iPhone? Are there are cool wedding apps?  Tell me!

5 months

How was your bank holiday weekend?  I had fun spending it with family and friends.  We went to our friends wedding party on Saturday night, it was nice to be able to congratulate them properly and see them in their wedding outfits. We didn't get round to looking for our rings, so they'll be on next months list!

I had a bit of a "oh crap it's June, which means we have 5 months left" moment this weekend.  I don't have a weekend off now until the middle of August with various events so I'm going to have to call on the help of others to get things finished off.

Over the next few months we have 7 festivals/gigs, 2 weddings, 9 birthdays, a Race for Life and a craft market.  Busy!

I haven't crossed off everything from May's to do list.  I ordered the bridesmaid's dresses, painted the chalkboard hearts with a second coat, re-joined weight watchers (and lose 5lbs in total so far!).

I also ordered something for the bridesmaids from Yarwood-White for them to wear on the day and I tried out my camouflage make up.  The invitations have had a little more work done to them and are very close to being finished!

I do have quite a bit on in June, including the Download Festival next weekend, which I am super excited about, but I do have to get a wriggle on now, I was hoping to have all the DIY projects finished by September so I didn't have any last minutes battles with glue dots and ribbon.

Therefore in June I am hoping to...

• Finish day invites (Suzie and Hayley are coming to mine on the 16th armed with tweezers for attaching teeny pearls to the invites
• Print out and back evening invitations.
• Print out the Chrysler Building shapes on to card for the covers of the Order of Services.
• Think about the menus and table plans
• Go over guest lists for day and evening.
• Look for bridesmaids shoes.
• Speak with Deborah Stott about our pre-wedding shoot
• Purchase rings

This month I really want to focus on the invitations.  I don't want to be worrying about them next month when the deadline is getting tighter.

One minute I think it's still quite a way off, but then judging by how the months are flying by at the moment the day will be here in a heart beat!  Exciting and petrifying all at the same time!