Obsession (& The Most Embarrassing Blog Post I’ve Ever Written)

Kat

September 18, 2012

I was twelve when it started. We were in Dublin visiting family when my Mum spotted that Boyzone were playing at The Point Theatre. I'd never been particularly interested in music, and although I'd heard of the band and seen them perform on SMTV Live (with Ant & Dec - remember that!?), I wouldn't say I was a fan. But for some reason my Mum asked if we wanted to go and so she went to see if she could get tickets for the show that night.

Two Ceremonies, Afternoon Tea & A Music Festival: Tam & Rob

Kat

September 18, 2012

"We really wanted a fun wedding which guests would enjoy", began Tam when I asked her about her vintage-inspired festival wedding. "Rob & I decided we would split the day into three, so we had the ceremony, the afternoon tea with games then an evening party. I think having three different venues with lots of entertainment was fun for the guests and us!" In fact after the afternoon tea part of the wedding, the couple had a second ceremony - a traditional Indian wedding ceremony. "My dad is Indian so after the wedding ceremony everyone had a glass of Pimms and then gathered round for a traditional Parsee ceremony called a 'Mado Soro'. The ceremony is a blessing for the couple to wish them good fertility and a fruitful marriage. My dad explained what was going on to all the guests and what the ceremony meant. We were presented with the most amazing fresh flower garlands that my cousins had bought over from Thailand. A fruit tree was planted by my brother while prayers were said by other relatives. An egg was passed round Rob's head three times then thrown to the ground and broken. A coconut was then smashed on the floor. Everyone then threw rice and confetti."

A DIY Science Museum Wedding: Kira and John

Kat

September 17, 2012

On 26th May this year Kira & John were married in Berkeley, California. The Lawrence Hall of Science at The University of California seemed to be the perfect space to host their reception as the bride had attended school there. It was a unique space and has plenty of things for people to look at and play with throughout the party! "Our wedding was held at the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley", wrote the bride. "The ceremony was held in a large courtyard called Science Park over a fountain (and exhibit), and the reception was held inside the museum, where all of the hands-on exhibits were open to guests. All of our portraits were taken in the nearby Botanical Gardens. Our officiant was John's law professor. We included a final blessing repeated by all of our guests... 'Live long, and prosper!'"

A Wedding on a Budget with Portraits in IKEA: Janet & Dave

Kat

September 17, 2012

I'm rather partial to IKEA... I know it's not the fanciest of home stores, but whenever I persuade Gareth that we need a trip there (I'm sure we're due another one soon) I feel like a proper grown up. I can actually afford the stuff (like who decided £2000 was standard for a table and chairs? pah John Lewis, PAH!) and it makes me feel all educated buying things with Swedish names. Plus their items are always pretty... even if not always functional - "why yes Gareth I do need that cardboard deer head to put on my office wall..." And don't even get me started on the kids department. I just wish the pink chest of drawers came in adult size... So when wedding photographer and all round cool dude Chris Barber sent me Janet & Dave's wedding I was excited. Not just because of Dave's Rock n Roll stylings but because they chose the Coventry Ikea as the location for their wedding day portrait sesh. GENIUS! Oh and they spent just £4000 on their day. I'm IN AWE.

Tattoo Themed Cupcake Decorating with Restoration Cake

Kat

September 16, 2012

Warning. You might not want to read this post if you're hungry... or on a diet. This is a unapologetic diet-sabotaging article!

Something Borrowed, Something Roo: A Day With Katie

Kat

September 15, 2012

Allow me to start this post with a short disclaimer: this post is shameless. This post includes mentions of boobs, bottoms, and other jiggly bits. In this post, you’re going to see me in my undercrackers. This is a sight that few have dared to peek at – similarly; it’s a sight that I don’t dish out very easily. Like most women, there are bits of my body that I dislike for a myriad of silly reasons ("they’re too small!" – "it’s too big!" – "but that scar is so unsightly" – "overdue for a wax, much?"). For all of these reasons, and many more, I was beyond terrified at the idea of baring all at my first 'public' underwear fitting. The only other time I've ever let a professional handle my bits and bobs* was way back in my mid-teens, when I found myself crying in the middle of Marks & Spencer's lingerie section because I couldn't find a bra to fit my silly diddy boobs. My mum promptly marched me into a cubicle with a lovely member of staff who measured me properly, and I walked away with two beautiful new sets of underwear, and a whole load of new-found self-confidence. Such an ego boost! On the tube to Ladbroke Grove, I had a cheeky spritz of deodorant and tried to harness the emotions of that previous positive experience – hopeful that this one would be just as good, if not better.

A Vintage Atlantic City Wedding: Carla & Dave

Kat

September 14, 2012

The Atlantic City wedding of Carla & Dave had a distinct vintage vibe. From the bride's authentic 1020s wedding dress to her Grandmother's pearls, from the vintage postcards that decorated the centrepieces to the historic restaurant that hosted their reception, the day was one that truly reflected the likes and loves of them both.

An Industrial Warehouse Wedding in Sweden: Kari & Torkel

Kat

September 14, 2012

A warehouse might just be one of my all time favourite wedding venue ideas. Maybe it's a throwback from my teenage rave phase or maybe it's the fact that it's so raw and grimy - a fabulous antithesis to the over-saturation of pretty-pretty wedding fluff that I'm subjected to by working in this crazy little industry. But either way I flippin' LOVE Kari & Torkel's wedding. They had their legal ceremony 9 month's earlier but wanted a big party in August to celebrate with their friends & family. "We both have demanding work and work long hours as well as travelling extensively," began the bride. "We met through internet dating, both sharing a strong interest for physical outdoor training like running, cycling and canoeing. Since we had cheated everyone by having a small 5-minute ceremony the November before, my parent's decided to reenact this part of the day with my father taking the role of the officiator. We used flower wreaths as a symbol instead of exchanging rings."

Thursday Treats: 13th September 2012 – Cakes, Exhibitions & Farms

Kat

September 13, 2012

Oh yes, that's me... in a rainbow. Isn't that Lisa Devlin so ridiculously clever?! So this week was a fun one! On Monday Gareth & I were invited to attend a cupcake decorating class hosted by Restoration Cake. It was seriously awesome, not least of all because it was a tattoo themed class! Gareth put the whole class to shame with his amazing skillz (no joke!) I'm gonna share some more about this over the weekend so pop back on Sunday if you have a penchant for fondant!

A Backyard Beach Wedding Planned in Three Weeks: Nellie & Matt

Kat

September 13, 2012

Nellie & Matt planned their Whistable wedding in just three short weeks. They wanted something small, something personal and something relaxed. They found the amazing Beacon House, right on the beach, for their ceremony and were able to use the back garden of the bride's brother's holiday cottage for the reception. "Serendipity and our amazingly supportive family and friends brought our wedding together in just 3 weeks," the bride began. "Matt and I had been engaged for 3 years, neither of us are planners but we had a clear idea of the kind of wedding we wanted, a relaxed, seaside celebration centred around our close friends, family, good food and drink. But every option we explored in Cambridge and Brighton, our two home cities, in one way or another tied us into expensive packages, so we put off the wedding and skipped to the baby."

A Quirky Irish & Brazilian Wedding: Andrea & Paulo

Kat

September 12, 2012

The Irish wedding of Andrea & Paulo was held at Belfast City Hall. After the intimate ceremony the couple hosted a low key reception at Made in Belfast, a quirky restaurant in the Cathedral Quarter. The couple had just £6,000 to spend but managed to make the most of their budget by making unconventional choices.

Adventure & Thinking Small

Kat

September 12, 2012

In 2001, and with no real experience, Alastair Humphreys decided he would cycle around the world. He set off from his Yorkshire home on an epic journey that took him four years to complete. He cycled 46,000 miles, through 60 countries and 5 continents. Now, whilst reading that you might think "jeez that's no small adventure!", and you'd be right, the idea behind this article and the video below is an explanation of the importance of adventure, any adventure, no matter how big or how small. In this TEDx talk he speaks about his experiences, and why he feels starting small is much more important when trying to make changes.

An Angry Birds Inspired Wedding Shoot

Kat

September 12, 2012

Angry Birds. It might not strike you as an obvious wedding theme but this shoot goes to prove that inspiration can be found everywhere! "We've been working on this idea since last Fall", wrote photographer Brent of Live View Studios. " Our idea was for a wedding shoot inspired by the popular Angry Birds game, but to be done in a very classy, non-cartoony way. We wanted to bring our brand of very rustic, organic and indie vibes into it." "To our surprise, and considering how popular the game is, we hadn't seen anyone else doing this idea" he continued. "So basically we wanted to be first! When the idea came to us initially, we looked around and found a few groom's cakes & details based on the game but nothing that incorporated it in as an overall wedding theme or shoot. We decided to use elements creatively instead of basing it only on the characters. Keeping the elements of stone & brick, glass, wood & feathers, and the primary color palette in mind, we set out to design a rustic couture wedding with slingshot pens, tumbled concrete structures, a gold crown & golden eggs and a treasure chest for notes written by guests."

Pink Hair, A Pink Dress & A Zombie Wedding Cake: Denna & Travis

Kat

September 11, 2012

Pink. We all know I'm a bit partial to it. So it's hardly surprising that I couldn't resist sharing Denna & Travis' wedding. Pink hair AND a pink wedding dress? OH YES PLEASE. Oh and they had a zombie wedding cake. I die.

A Sophisticated & Sexy Wedding in The Philippines: Francis & Mayone

Kat

September 11, 2012

It's unusual for me to blog engagement sessions, but when I saw Francis & Mayone's (potentially NSFW!) I really could not resist. After sharing that, I hoped that their wedding might be as awesome (and that they'd send it to me too) and oh boy did they deliver! Glamorous and elegant, personal but spectacular, sexy but sophisticated, these guys sure know how the pull off a wedding in style!

A DIY Maryland Wedding: Natalie & Brynn

Kat

September 10, 2012

"Our family and friends MADE this wedding happen," explained Natalie when I asked her about her wedding. "Brynn & I didn't want to have a wedding designer, but I think my mother now holds that title. She spent the eight months of our engagement collecting wine glasses and silverware from thrift stores. Her and my aunt accumulated all the décor and oversaw virtually every design detail. My grandmother sewed all of the napkins and a family friend arranged the flowers for the centerpieces. My father created and made the cocktails and roasted coffee beans for the wedding favors (Brynn’s mother sewed the favor bags). My super-talented friend, the visual manager of an Anthropologie in DC, built the ceremony backdrop & platform and made all the signs. We asked a family friend to bartend. My best friend’s father and my cousins hung all the lights for the reception. One of my friends recently started an event-planning business and she handled all of the insane day-of coordination. Our friend is in a band and graciously offered to DJ the entire wedding." The couple were married in Maryland in July. With a laid back approach, and as much help as their friends & family could muster, they planned the wedding of their dreams with little to no stress. "Our inspiration for the ceremony was a combination of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Lord of The Rings", she continued. "Obviously having the ceremony in a forest was a must. I envisioned my bridesmaids looking like little wood nymphs or fairies. They all picked out a white dress of their choosing and everyone looked smashing. We wanted our reception to be like a party Jay Gatsby would throw. There were lights strung everywhere, non-stop music, endless drinks, and next-level dance moves. Brynn's brother and best man even secretly got a limo to take us away."

A Backyard Rainbow Wedding: Jason & Gwen

Kat

I Love that Glove

September 9, 2012

Honestly? I struggled with what to write about today. Usually on a Sunday I'll post something non-wedding related that's caught my eye or I'll share something exciting that I've done in the week. But I shared my Photography Farm retreat escapades in this week's Thursday Treats and since then I've basically been chained to my computer replying to the squillions of emails that came in whilst I was away and writing as many blog posts as physically possible. I also spent rather a lot of time on the phone to Cosmopolitan Magazine. NO BIG DEAL (more on this soon!) And then this wedding pinged into my inbox and it all became clear.

A Private Hiking Wedding: Jordan & Michael

Kat

September 8, 2012

Jordan & Michael wanted a wedding that truely reflected them and the things they love, so they grabbed their children and were married in private on top of a mountain in Canada. "Our inspiration was definitely nature and our love of hiking", explained the bride. "We chose Gros Morne National Park in the beautiful province of Newfoundland and Labrador known for its mountainous terrain and unbelievable views. This in our minds made the perfect backdrop for our quiet intimate ceremony. We knew that hiking boots were a must so why not include them on our special day? We kept our attire simple and clean and focused on more important details like the photography and the food!"

A Homemade Glaswegian Wedding: Eileen & Peter

Kat

September 7, 2012

Eileen & Peter were married at Glasgow University Union. They had a tiny budget, but with the help of wedding blogs sharing affordable and DIY options, they were able to plan the wedding of their dreams. "We really just wanted to have a fun wedding that meant something to us personally rather than just doing things because you are supposed to", explained Eileen. "I was really inspired by blogs like Rock n Roll Bride that showed how you can have a wedding anyway you want. We had to explain our decisions a bit more than most to some people who didn't get it but I knew it would all come together in the end. Things like not having a religious ceremony. This upset our families to begin with but they later realised that they had pestered us for so long to get married that any way we wanted was fine just as long as we did it! So we had a small intimate ceremony filled with songs and poetry we love and lovely romantic things we had said about each other. Then we just wanted to have a big fun party to celebrate with all our extended friends and family. We didn't set out to be 'Rock n Roll' but we definitely ended up that way. Ha ha!"

A Simple French Wedding with Homemade Touches: Virginie & Julien

Kat

September 7, 2012

This beautiful wedding was sent over the channel to me by French newlyweds Virginie & Julien. They were married at Church of Saint Joseph des Fins in Annecy. After cocktails at the adjoining church hall, their simple reception was held in a restaurant, La Ferme des Ollieres, in Les Ollieres. The bride handmade her outfit including her dress and headpiece and she wore shoes from H&M. "I own a ready-to-wear clothing line but I plan on making a bridal collection because I had so much fun making my own dress!" she explained. "I bought my shoes for 7€ (about £5) from the high street two days before the wedding! I was planning to wear off-white shoes but I found this pair much cuter."