Peacock

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Danyelle & Daniel were married on New Year’s Eve in Islington Town Hall, North London. They picked this day for their wedding because the bride’s great grandparents were married on Christmas Eve before her great grandfather has to go off to fight in World War II and they felt it would be nice to have their special day around the same time of year, in memory of them.

“There is something a bit magical about that time of year, and since they had the best innings I can imagine for a married couple I was also hoping some of their luck might be rubbed off onto us,” Dannyelle told me. “Also, Christmas time is a lot easier for those travelling from Australia (where Dannyelle is from) in terms of holiday so it worked well for my parents and grandmother.”

The bride wanted a vintage dress but thought it was a lost cause as she is a curvy girl and vintage dresses are usually teeny tiny. That was of course until she discovered Fur Coat No Knickers. “I was really starting to fret about the whole vintage wedding dress issue, especially as I am quite curvy, until I stumbled across Laura and Emma at Fur Coat No Knickers. As soon as I walked in to the shop I knew that if I couldn’t find my dress there, it wasn’t too be found. Thankfully we found a beautiful, floor length, almost grecian looking number from America, which the girls shortened, added a petticoat to with navy blue detailing, added a velvet sash and some floaty shoulder wraps and we were on out way,”

“My friend Gaby made my headpiece, my shoes were from Office which I had dyed to match the exact navy of Dan’s blazer and my sash, and my bouquet was made from foam roses, small pearls and crystals and peacock feathers. I found my 1950′s jewellery online through Chic and Unique (thank god for the internet!). I also found a vintage fur stole in a boutique in Angel and added a peacock feather brooch to it to tie it into my outfit.”

The reception was held on the top floor of a beautiful old pub called the Queens Head in Angel. The bride’s friends & Mum decorated it on the day of the wedding, “I couldn’t believe how beautiful it looked when we walked in,” she said. “As we had somehow randomly ended up a with a navy blue and white colour scheme, Daniel and I had gone trekking round the markets in east London for crockery, glass ware and containers to fulfil our ‘kitschy afternoon tea’ feel.”

“We also bought in loads of old fashioned sweets that we had found in Selfridges including sugared mice and bought giant blue and white whirlypops as wedding favours for the guests. I found some sweet love bunting, and photo prop moustaches online which went down a storm. As we like to bake cupcakes for our friends and family we decided that was the way to go  - we used Crumbs and Doilies and speared these with custom flags we had made up by a seller on etsy. Although we didn’t go all out on some of the details like loads of couples do, we knew we were going to have the issue of lugging all the stuff across London on NYE so planned smart!”

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Cole & Mike were married at The Mercury Cafe in Denver which is is actually they first met. When I asked the couple how they’d describe their wedding they replied, “A gypsy rocking vintage dancing celebration of love!”

“I don’t know if we could ever NOT do things differently, but with our wedding, this was especially important,” Cole continued. “The venue itself created a unique atmosphere. It’s this gorgeous ballroom above a local-healthy-organic-delicious cafe, and they have dancing there almost every night of the week. The place is strung with lights all over, and the walls are painted with gorgeous murals. The whole place is a bit bohemian and romantic, and in a lot of ways it dictated the style we went with-a very eclectic and romantic theme. The only thing that was really consistent throughout was. . . peacocks.”

“We had peacock feathers and peacock colors counteracting all the red tones in the room. I started collecting glass bottles a year before the wedding, and I had quite a mix on the tables, which I loved. Our family friends made these amazing peacock-fan candelabras  for the altar too! It’s funny, because we didn’t think of ourselves as ‘Rock n Roll’ until we started thinking about our outfits.”

Cole wore a stunning black and ivory Ian Stuart gown but it was actually the third one she purchased (third time lucky hey!?) “I didn’t feel comfortable wearing a white or even off-white dress. I knew I wanted something black and ivory, but I didn’t find anything I wanted. I actually purchased two VERY cheap dresses that weren’t quite right before I found this one. Only problem? I tried it on without checking the price. Yowza! Luckily, the sample was much smaller than most and was very close to my size. I inquired at the bridal shop, and they told me they would sell me the sample at 60% off. My Dad, who had cried when I tried it on, offered to buy it for me. I was so touched, and I cherished every moment I wore the dress!”

“The funny thing is, Rock n Roll Bride convinced me to get my dress!” she continued. “While I was still debating whether I should get it, I was searching for pictures of other brides who were wearing it. Lo and behold, Rock n Roll Bride came up! The bride was soooo gorgeous and so glam in that dress, I fell in love all over again! So thank you!”

The couple chose a friend who officiate their ceremony which they felt made this part of the day even more special. “We’ve known him since before we knew each other, and he’s been through a lot with us. He was incredible. He stayed with us leading up to the wedding, and that gave us time to talk about relationships, marriage, and what we expect in our shared future together. We wrote our vows with him, and he really captured the essence of who we are as a couple, as well as the expectations we were both bringing to the altar. My advice would be to choose someone who really knows you as a couple to do this job. I think it makes all the difference.”

“We had the most. incredible. ceremony. ever. My made of honor, who happens to be an AMAZING vocalist, sang several songs throughout, accompanied by my longtime family friend, Dan. My bridesmaid Lara did a reading by Kahlil Gibran, and my brother did a reading by Madeleine L’Engle, who was one of our favorite authors growing up.  We have a very emotionally-open family and circle of friends, and the love and warmth in the room was so raw and present. Maybe it’s because we’re all ‘creatives”, but I feel like this was one of the most emotionally honest gatherings I’ve ever been to. It was breathtaking to feel that kind of love and support so open and free.”

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“The whole wedding was sort of ‘peacock vintage’ themed,” newlywed Stephanie told me. “We really managed to keep the wedding cost pretty low and spent less than $12,000! We was able to do this by making our own centerpieces, boutineers, corsages, invitations, and headpieces. We also used an older, less popular florist because I knew exactly what kind of flowers I wanted, and I provided the ribbon and feathers to her, leaving no room for error.”

It’s clear that Stephanie & Aaron did things their own way for their Atlanta wedding. They didn’t spend a fortune, but with a bit of hard work, created a wedding that looked really spectacular. They spent money on the things they really wanted but saved on (or left out completely!) the things they weren’t too bothered about.  ”We did not send save the date cards, we simply sent our invitations out a month earlier than the traditional time frame,” continued the bride.

“My wedding dress is from a wholesale website. My 100% silk, fully lined and boned wedding dress was only $230 with shipping! I had the purple ribbon sewn on after I got it. My reception dress was found by my mother a year before the wedding at a consignment shop. I had a few minor alterations done and bingo… I was dancing the night away. My shoes are from zappos RSVP brand and only cost $59! The peacock feathers are from several peoples collections and I did buy a few extra at a craft store. They just gave everything a universal theme and looked beautiful in the candlelight.”

The bride also made her own headpiece from from russian veiling and peacock feathers, and her jewellery was a vintage Swarovski piece from France. They also were able to get their dream car to transport them for a lot cheaper than a traditional wedding car rental place might charge. Stephanie found the pink Cadillac parked outside a party she was at one night. When she was leaving the restaurant she literally left a note saying, ‘Please call me, I have to have this car for my wedding day’.

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Tina & Scott’s travel and craft themed wedding took place at The Greenbranch, Texas. It was predominately a DIY wedding influenced by the couple’s travels. “It was  mostly a do-it-your self peacock inspired wedding with a splash of anything vintage was a blast,” the couple told me. “Our invitations were an image of a vintage suitcase with travel stickers of places we have visited. This connected with our first date; a “geocaching date”. We not only wanted to share our journey as a couple with our guests but also encourage them to have an adventure of their own. The wedding favors for the evening were uniquely trackable geocaching coins designed by us.”

“Our bouquets and centerpieces were entirely do-it-yourself too,” continued Tina. “We wanted to create the bouquets and centerpieces ahead of time meant no fresh flowers, instead the my bridesmaid’s and I gathered for a craft day to create fabric flower bouquets. We used multiple mediums ranging from an old pair of the Scott’s jeans, small wooden flowers and to French silk ribbon. The bouquets took all day to make five, with one backup, and it was a lot of fun!”

“The reception centerpieces focused on peacock-based arrangements with an eclectic assortment of vintage pieces. One that the we especially liked were several copies of “When you Marry”, a home economics book from the 1950′s and 1960′s with many “antiquated” attitudes about marriage.”

Tina’s wedding dress was from Whirling Turban (who I’ve featured on Rock n Roll Bride before). Tina was pretty much able to design her dream dress from scratch and so chose a custom peacock pattern on the front of the dress and a dramatic green colour.

You can see further info on all their DIY projects on Tina & Scott’s wedsite.

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“The Great Gatsby was my inspiration (minus the abundance of alcohol and affairs!)” bride Katelyn told me. ”Our style for our wedding was very glamorous, but not without that 1920′s quirk.  I like to think my style is quirky too, so this was perfect for our wedding day.  Plus, I love fashion and culture from the past!  Now, I could never justify spending as much money on a party as Jay Gatsby, but I still wanted my reception to be as unique and fun.  So, I replaced stuffy details like flowers with more lively ideas like bright peacock feathers, and I picked a beautiful venue (that happened to be brimming with vintage touches!) where everyone would feel at home – The Guild House, Bakersfield, CA.”

“The wonderful thing about our venue too is, unlike Gatsby’s money, ours is not wasted when spent at The Guild House.  Every person working at house is a volunteer, and the proceeds benefit the Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic.  The multi-course meal was delicious, and I know Gatsby would have approved!  The overflowing wine was purchased at a local grocer, Green Frog Market, and was absolutely wonderful as well!”

Katelyn wore a Maggie Sottero gown (these will always hold a special place in my heart as I was a “Maggie bride” too!) and carried a vintage brooch bouquet (some were antiques that had been in the family for over 100 years!) instead of a floral one which she made herself. The bride’s Mother made all of the centerpieces, boutonnières and other bouquets from feathers instead of flowers.

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