Rock n Roll Bride - The ultimate guide for alternative brides

Brighton

Olga & Jo’s Two Day Russian/British Fusion Wedding

Kat

February 2, 2011

Olga & Jo's Rye wedding makes me super happy! I chatted to the bride all about it - their style ideas and how they integrated both their cultures, Russian and English, into their super cute wedding. She explained, "As soon as Jo and I had moved to Brighton, we knew we wanted to mark our wedding day by celebrating it by the beach. It is a Russian tradition to celebrate a wedding over two days so that with family and friends, and their children, there can be one formal and one informal day. With my family being from Russia we wanted to keep to this tradition and felt an English seaside was perfect for catering for both days and the number of people who would be travelling far for the occasion." "Having searched unsuccessfully in Brighton for our perfect location, we stumbled across The Place At The Beach Hotel in Camber Sands which looked just right. Having visited the venue and seen the beach across the road, the accommodation for our families and friends and a spacious garden with a BBQ, we knew it had everything we wanted for our two days."
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Olga & Jo’s Epic Brighton Engagement Shoot

Kat

February 2, 2011

I've got an epic double bubble of a feature today - Olga & Jo's engagement session in Brighton, followed by their gorgeous Rye wedding later today. The Russian couple wanted their pre-wedding shoot to take place in Brighton as it held special significance to their relationship. The pair moved to the beach resort town in April last year and a week later Jo proposed right on the beach! "My engagement ring was hand made by the family friend jeweller and it is made of platinum with rhodium plating to make it look dark and diamonds," Olga told me. "We had my grandparents came to stay with us so we had a photo session together after having a breakfast at our favorite Bill's cafe and store in Brighton. I was wearing the Eley Kishimoto skirt and top and Jo was wearing Folk cardigan."
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Jessica & Forbes’ Retro Rockabilly Brighton Wedding

Kat

November 3, 2010

Brighton was the location for Jessica & Forbes' rockabilly wedding this summer. They chose May 1st as their date as it was Jessica's late Grandmother's birthday and having it on this day was their way of inviting her to the wedding. All the guests were invited to dress up in their finest retro get-up," Absolutely everyone joined in," the bride told me, "We were so convincing a hotel guest asked if we were a convention!"
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Alice in Weddingland ~ The Hunt for the Perfect Photographer

Kat

November 1, 2010

It's time for post number two (well three if you count our impromptu trip to the Designer Wedding Show last month) in the series that is proving to be quite a hit with you lot! This month Alice went on the hunt for the perfect photographer to document her wedding... When I sat down and wrote my wedding wish-list, getting a top-notch wedding photographer was right up there. Think what you will, a good photographer was even higher up on my list of priorities then a wedding dress! I figure a dress lasts a day, but the photographs are the memories that will be shared with friends and family alike, and will last forever. In my eyes a securing the photographer of your dreams is the best wedding investment a bride can make…but where to begin? If you google ‘wedding photographer Brighton’ you are given hundreds of results, but I found this list to be pretty useless as I really didn’t know what I was looking for. What are the merits of negotiating a copy-write-free deal on your images? Reportage or traditional style? Ten minutes in and I was freaking out; finding the photographer for me seemed like an impossible task. Then I came across rocknrollbride.com!
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Alice in Weddingland ~ The Venue Search

Kat

October 4, 2010

Well you've heard me mutter a little bit about my new intern, the lovely Alice, over the past week or so but now it's time to properly introduce the lady herself. I've never had an intern before and to be honest the control freak inside of me wasn't sure exactly what I'd do with one. However when Alice emailed me a few weeks ago to tell me all about her love of media, writing and Rock n Roll Bride and to ask if she could help out in any way, well I just thought "Hey, why the hell not?!" The tattoo magazine photo shoot was coming up so I thought if anything it'd be good to have an extra pair of hands to help the photographer carry his heavy equipment!
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Messing About on the River with Joanne Fleming Designs

Kat

September 13, 2010

I wanted to start this sunny and bright Monday morning with a bit of dress 'porn' for you all. Who doesn't adore looking at pastel colours, short hems and gorgeous attention to detail - all perfectly modelled by a stunning rockabilly-esque model? Exactly. The dresses are all designed and made by Brighton based, Rock n Roll Bride favourite Joanne Fleming. They are (in order of appearance) Clothilde, Audrey and Pieretta. Joanne also made the pretty damn stunning headpiece to go with the Pieretta dress. I am a particular fan of this dress in fact - made from metallic silk organza, it has the wonderful quality of tarnishing slightly over time, so the dress starts to look properly vintage very quickly.
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A Cotton Candy Sweet, Truly Scrumptious Brighton Wedding

Kat

August 5, 2010

Oh. My. Gaaaawd! You are going to go utterly c-c-craaaazy for Ant & Clare's way-beyond-anything-I-have-ever-seen-awesome wedding. The pair went down to Brighton to have a personal ceremony with just the two of them. They didn't have a reception, instead opting for a fabulous photo shoot around the town with their photographer Jacqui McSweeney. This is yet another wedding to back my theory that 'blog-worthy' details are not 'all that'. Just grab yourself an wicked dress, customise yourself some shoes and get hitched in perfect Rock n Roll style! Prepare to be inspired...
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Retro Art Deco Kitsch

Kat

July 13, 2010

I LOVE a bit of retro kitsch and Caroline & Jim couldn't be more perfect at pulling this off if they tried. The shoot took place in their own Art Deco apartment in Brighton (just check out the exterior shots!) which has been decorated with an eclectic mix of bits and bobs collected from all over and ranging in era from the 1920's right through to the 1970's. I adore everything from the authentic mirror, clocks and Princess Anne collectible mugs to the incredible wallpaper and all the retro furniture. Jim is 'Mr B the Gentleman Rhymer' , a brilliant musician playing all over the country at gigs, weddings, parties and festivals. Caroline has a complete passion for fashion as she works in the fashion industry in London. The pair both embrace everything retro and nostalgic in fashion and styling, so their style was spot on for this style of shoot. The couple both wore all their own clothes to give a completely genuine portrayal of themselves and who they are as a couple.
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A Laid Back Brighton Beach Wedding

Kat

June 15, 2010

Becky & Jon wanted to have a laid back wedding with all their closest friends and family at one of their favourite posh restaurants in Brighton, The Ginger Pig. Originally Becky didn't even want to wear a wedding dress but after falling in love with this gorgeous David Fielden number, she soon changed her mind. It even disguised her baby bump pretty well! She paired this with some vintage shoes that had belonged to her Mother. The ceremony was held at Brighton Town Hall which was followed by some quick portraits on the beach - complete with the iconic Brighton beach huts and champagne in plastic glasses!
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Laundrette Lovers

Kat

June 10, 2010

I've always loved laundrette photo sessions so when Brighton photographer Joanna Brown sent me this set I couldn't wait to share it... "I have been living in quirky Kemptown in Brighton for some time and have always had my eye on the Laundrette round the corner thinking it would be perfect location for a shoot" Joanna told me. "I have always thought that there is something quite lovely and romantic about laundrettes; the sound of the machines quietly whirling that combined with complete strangers just hanging out sharing a really mundane chore. So I have been patiently waiting for my opportunity to arrive and hey presto a lovely couple got in touch and I could not quite believe it. Laura and Rikki met whilst studying at Bath University and had seen each other around the campus; at the bar, in the library and also spied each other at the local laundrette; after sometime Rikki finally asked Laura out and the rest is history. They are simply an adorable couple who have a great sense of humour, Rikki even took Laura on one of their first dates to a Laundrette (how romantic). We had a hoot at the Laundrette (I think some of the regulars thought we were balmy) especially when Laura lay on the floor for one of the shots; hey it is Brighton though anything goes!"
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A Sunday Kind of Love – Lisa Devlin

Kat

May 30, 2010

I wanted to start this week's post with a huge thank you to every single one of you for your kind words and comments on my 'How to...not be a blogging pushover' post. To everyone that stuck up for me and shared your love and passion for my little website - well wow, I've literally been blown away. I decided to share this story with you today because I think it can only add further proof of my love of all my sponsors, of how they make my world go round and of my genuine feelings towards them (and theirs to me it would seem!) UK photographer Lisa Devlin has been a sponsor of Rock n Roll Bride for the past few months. Not only has this got her many a Rock n Roll wedding booking, but it has provided me with more eye candy to blog than I could ask for! With Lisa's approval I wanted to share this card I received in the post this week. She also send me a little bag of treats including a Tatty Devine necklace! She knows me so well!
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Oh I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside

Kat

April 17, 2010

Whenever the sun shines in London about 80% of the population speculate going to the beach and Brighton is usually the first port of call. It's quirky, it's quaint, it's nostalgic, it's hilariously British and it has a killer night life! So when it came for Charlie & Ross to have their 'Cherish the Dress' wedding shoot, where better to descend then this wonderful beach location!? The couple actually got married in December so they thought the juxtapositionof having some lovely, warming, outdoor shots would be absolutely perfecto.
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Brighton Rock n Roll

Kat

April 11, 2010

There are a select few UK photographers that I truly love and I think Pippa Mckenzie may be joining that group. I fell in love with her relaxed, documentary inspired style and couldn't wait to share this rockin' Brighton engagement session with you. "Natalie & James live in Surrey, and often hang out in Brighton" Pippa told me. "They are young, quirky and very successful property developers. They are such a cool, hip and fun loving couple and we wanted to really capture their characters in their e-Shoot. They had a few costume changes for the shoot to contrast the beach shots with classy rock n roll amongst the Brighton Lanes. We thought the edgy surroundings of Brighton really complimented their characters."
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What a Small World…

Kat

April 8, 2010

I love a shoot with a great story behind it...especially when it revolves around people I know! When bride-to-be Laura checked in on Rock n Roll Bride a few months ago she fell in love with the work of UK photographer, David McNeil. She promptly contacted him to arrange an engagement shoot in Brighton. Her fiance Nick and her turned up on the morning of the shoot, only to discover that unbeknownst to both of the boys, they already knew each other! David and Nick actually used to work together long before David tried his hand at wedding photography and Nick got engaged...but wait the tale gets stranger because when David sent me these images it turns out I used to work with Nick too! What a small world...
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Brighton Belle

Kat

February 5, 2010

I just wanted to share a few images from Jed & Sarah's funky yet classic Brighton wedding. Brighton is a really eclectic town on the South coast of England. Brighton is full of eccentric characters and this wedding was so fun and quirky, even the registrar had kooky shoes and piercings. The bride and groom were very cool - her mother in law made the dress and I think she looks fab, they got wed in the pavillion, then onto a double decker to the Grand Hotel for some food and drinks....It was all about their colourful personalities and the offbeat alternative nature of Brighton which I made sure to feature in as many of the shots as possible. Thanks to Joanna for sharing these
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Brighton Belles

Kat

January 8, 2010

Ooh two fabulous UK weddings in one day - I love it when that happens. Photographer Julia Boggio told me all about the super stylish and super fun wedding of Andrew & Lisa Andrew and Lisa got married in Brighton in October on a very sunny day at the Hotel Du Vin. The hotel held special significance for the bride because, when it was a pub many years ago, her grandparents used to leave her father as a boy sitting outside with a Coke and some chips to keep him busy while they had a pint with their mates. Thus the picture of her dad with the chips and the Coke! Good photography was extremely important to Andrew and Lisa, who is a graphic designer. Having seen some of my previous work, they had some ideas about stuff they'd like to do; for example, with one of my previous couples, I got them to stand in a shop window. Lisa and Andrew liked this so much that they asked a nearby shop if they could do the same thing. The image of them sitting in the bathtub in the Fired Earth window was the result. Also, for the group shot, they brought loads of props along so we could head down to the beach for some fun. His father cagily told us he would meet us down on the beach and disappeared for a bit. He found us fifteen minutes later, having changed into typical British beach-going wear, complete with hanky tied over his head. Everything about this wedding was great fun!
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Anarchy in the UK

Kat

December 12, 2009

Our little country continues to astound me this week with Kate & Seb's Sussex wedding rocking it's way into by inbox today. Photographer Sarah described this wedding as "by far the funkiest I have ever shot" and therefore it's perfecto for Rock n Roll Bride! Sarah went on to tell me all the details of wonderfulness: Kate and Seb were beyond cool and this shone through in their wedding. Seb is a tattoo artist in Brighton and Kate is a tattoo adorned beauty. They didn't want the conventional posed photo's more arty fashion style photo's. This gave me a great opportunity to be a little more creative than normal. Kate's attention to detail shone through in everything, from her Vivienne Westwood jewellery (YUM!) to her Candy Anthony dress....not to mention the Morris Minor. Thanks to Sarah for sharing this awesome wedding with us today. As always I am honoured to showcase it with the woooorld and am still loving the UK right now!
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