Under The Spotlight – Special Events Painter, Arlissa Vaughn

Kat

June 21, 2011

Artist Arlissa Vaughn specialises in wedding day paintings, something you might not have considered (or even heard of) until now, but something that can certainly add a new dimention to how you document your wedding day. This unique idea usually sees Arlissa attending the wedding and painting live - which can also add an extra element of entertainment to the day. She explains, "Wedding paintings are seen as a bit of a novelty, and some have suggested it is a new trend in wedding services. However, if you look into art history, it's easy to find that actually marriage paintings aren't anything new and have long been a tradition of documenting the joining of a couple. Some were painted on-site then finished in the studio, while others were painted before or after the wedding. Some examples from history include Jan van Eyck's painting commonly referred to as The Arnolfini Wedding, 1434 A.D, Marc Chagall's Wedding Candles, 1945, and Vladimir Makovsky's Goodbye Papa, 1894, among others."

Under The Spotlight – The Vintage Wedding Fair at The Old Finsbury Town Hall

Kat

June 20, 2011

Under the Spotlight – Golden Apple Designs

Kat

June 14, 2011

When I was at University I had an obsession with apples. I'd eat at least 3 a day and so when I first heard about Golden Apple Designs, I felt an instant affinity...and then when I saw the cute-as-hell designs, hand drawn by designer Leah...well I was in a whole load of apple/stationery/design heaven. "I create cute, quirky, unique and interesting wedding invitations and stationery created using a mixture of illustration, graphic design and fonty fabulousness," Leah explains. "The designs are inspired by all sorts of different things - nostalgia, vintage, fun, quirkiness and love, and most of all, people. For example the Mixtape design is inspired by the nostalgia of creating a mixtape for your loved one - recording your favourite songs from the radio and presenting it to them with their name scrawled on the front and listening to it together. I don’t think anybody even does this any more - mix CD doesn’t have quite the same ring to it!"

Under the Spotlight – The Couture Company

Kat

May 23, 2011

On the look out for something different in your wedding dress? Well if you're lucky enough to live near Birmingham, UK I may just have the answer for you! The Couture Company, situated in Birmingham's uber trendy Custard Factory, was relaunched last September as a shop that specialises in both unique wedding dresses, corsets (Rawhide Corsets) and lingerie.

Under the Spotlight – Plan the Destination Wedding of Your Dreams with Sandals & Martha Stewart Weddings

Kat

May 18, 2011

I've got a slightly different kind of post for you today, sponsored by Sandals and Martha Stewart Weddings. I have to say, I got pretty darn excited when I received the call from these industry giants wanting to work with little old me! Sandals have put together a series of three videos, following the story of a couple getting married in Jamaica using their service. The incredible Martha Stewart Weddings are working alongside them to style the weddings of their lucky clients too. The companies were keen for me to be the lucky blog to share these fabulously made videos and I have to say my mind has certainly been changed as to what a 'package destination wedding' can really be. Doesn't the whole wedding looks just totally divine? The couple were able to escape from it all and plan the intimate wedding they wanted - just for them - and that dear reader, is what being Rock n Roll is all about!

Under the Spotlight – Yestercake

Kat

May 17, 2011

Launched by cake designer Sarah Spangle in January 2011, Leeds based Yestercake pride themselves on their high quality bespoke service. "The idea of Yestercake was born when I got married in November 2009 and found, like many other aspects of the wedding industry, there wasn’t much scope to get a cake that wasn't off- the-peg" Sarah told me. "Like with all other aspects of our wedding we didn’t just want to pick something out that didn’t really reflect us. In the end I decided to go down the DIY route. It had mixed results (!) but it reconfirmed to me how baking was one of my greatest passions and inspired me to take the plunge to retrain in cake decoration and design and to build upon the idea of starting my own business."

Under the Spotlight – Sorella Jewelry Studio

Kat

May 13, 2011

If you're looking for wedding rings that are truly unique and will reflect your own personal style, you'll want to check out Sorella Jewelry Studio. Michigan-based Sorella Jewelry Studio pride themselves on their high quality, custom made-to-order, personalised jewellery.

Free Wedding Photography For all with Hannah Millard Photography!

Kat

May 6, 2011

Hannah Millard is a budding wedding photographer from Derbyshire, UK, and in order to shoot the kinds of weddings she wants to (ie yours!) she would like to offer the readers of Rock n Roll Bride the chance for free wedding photography! Just to make this clear, this is not a competition. Hannah is super keen to shoot more alternative and Rock n Roll weddings, and so if you think you're wedding fits the bill and she's free on your wedding date (and it's before 1st July 2012) she will come shoot your wedding for free! Too good to be true? I think so! Quick...before she changes her mind!

Under the Spotlight – Gemvara

Kat

May 3, 2011

Gemvara offer a huge range of beautiful and unique engagement rings, wedding rings and men's wedding bands at great prices. Their easy search function makes shopping for your perfect ring simple, and their free shipping, 30-days returns policy and one-year warranty really give you peace of mind when you make a purchase.

Under the Spotlight – Adamo Bridal

Kat

April 29, 2011

Opened in November 2010 in the small seaside town Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, Adamo Bridal is owned and run by Lauren Williamson. Although Lauren is only in her 20's, she was able to fulfil her dream and open her own bridal boutique when she moved to Essex after gaining a lot of experience in the industry working in Cheshire and Lancashire.

Under The Spotlight – Doodlelove

Kat

March 29, 2011

What is it with girls and stationery? I love it. I think its the fact of owning something simple, but beautiful and personal - something you can actually hold in your hand in all it's prettiness (as weird as that sounds!) So needless to say I love love love getting emails from wedding stationery designers. The guys that contact me are always such a creative bunch and it's really awesome to see first hand, and then share with you, what they can do.

Under the Spotlight – Night Owl Paper Goods

Kat

March 25, 2011

Established in 2004 by graphic designers Jennifer Tatham and Alan Henderson, Night Owl Paper Goods is a company dedicated to creating handmade letterpress cards and eco-chic wooden goodies in a style they like to call 'modern yet folksy.' "We are very fortunate to have created a company and product line that combines everything we love," they told me. "Design + printing + writing + paper + wood + nature + the environment + friends + family. What a hoot!"

Under the Spotlight – Nadine Photography + 10% off Wedding Photography For All Rock n Roll Brides!

Kat

February 18, 2011

When Austin photographer Nadine emailed me a selection of her work, I was seriously excited. Not only does this girl have great flair and photographic style but she gets to photograph the coolest Rock n Roll couples!

Under the Spotlight – Wonderland Avenue

Kat

February 4, 2011

When I got engaged back in 2007, the first thing I started searching for (well, apart from the dress!) was a wedding photographer. Now back then there were no wedding blogs in the UK to guide me and the task was a very daunting one! I had no idea where to start and in the end I found our photographer's in a wedding magazine. But you know what? Not all great photographers can (or know how to) get into wedding magazines...especially maybe newer, more budget-friendly shooters. However fret not - nowadays you lucky brides have a plethora of blogs and online services devoted to showcasing new as well as established wedding photographic talent - helping you find the perfect photographer to capture your day. In my opinion, one of the best services I've come across devoted to wedding photographer searches is the UK based, Wonderland Avenue. I'm totally convinced that your'e going to love their site and utterly adore what they have to offer. If you don't find the perfect photographer for you here, I'll eat my (pink) hat!

Under the Spotlight – Vicky Trainor Stationery & The Vintage Drawer

Kat

February 1, 2011

Today I've got one of the prettiest new stationery ranges to introduce to you - and I just know you're going to love it! Created by Cleveland (UK) based Vicky Trainor, The Vintage Drawer collection is one of vintage inspiration - with vintage lace, fabrics and little added extras, all are made by hand and with love.

Under the Spotlight – For Your Eyes Only

Kat

January 25, 2011

The trend for brides to organise a pre-wedding boudoir shoot to commemorate their pre-wedding self, as well as provide their husband's to be with a sexy memento of just how lucky they are (!) is one that has gained momentum over the past few years. Not many of you will know this, but Iactually did a similar shoot before I got married! Needless to say it wasn't as scary as I thought it was going to be (it was the first professional photo shoot I'd ever done!) and Gareth erm...LOVED the results! One of the poineers in boudoir photography are For Your Eyes Only. The studio based company is run by women for women! They company was set up in 2002 by Alexandra Burns - her idea being to create stunning images of gorgeous women of all shapes and sizes.

Under the Spotlight – Sawday’s Canopy & Stars

Kat

January 11, 2011

Under the Spotlight – Zankyou

Kat

December 8, 2010

The traditional gift list may be a thing of the past for a lot of Rock n Roll couples. With more people than ever living together before they marry and with many of us being shopaholics (OK I'm talking about myself here!) it's pretty easy to fill your love nest with everyday pretties reasonably sharpish. Also, what if your taste is less John Lewis and more Marc Jacobs? Maybe you'd rather spend hours browsing etsy for cute, handmade things than the aisles of a soulless department store staring at dinner services and throws that your Granny would like. Or maybe travel is more your thing? How would you like your guests to be able to donate towards your honeymoon instead? Or even pay for a fancy meal out somewhere?

Under the Spotlight – AriaDress

Kat

October 20, 2010

When it comes to looking for your perfect wedding dress, a lot of Rock n Roll Brides are now heading online to see if they can get their dream gown at a fraction of the price. My worry with this has always been that you might end up with a substandard 'knock off' dress that isn't of the quality that you deserve for your big day. You know what they say, "pay cheap, pay twice..." However I'm excited to say that I've found an exception to this rule! I was contacted by AriaDress a few weeks ago and I have not only been blown away but the quality of work and design that goes into every one of their bespoke gowns, but at prices significantly less than you'd expect! Can you believe you can get a dress as gorgeous as these for under $500!? I got chatting to designer Tak Hau last week about his passion, his inspiration and his love of creating simply stunning gowns for brides and bridesmaids. I hope you enjoy reading all about it. He really is a wonderfully talented man and I'm so thrilled to be showcasing his brand new Spring 2011 collection on Rock n Roll Bride

Under the Spotlight – Turtle Love Co.

Kat

October 6, 2010

Recycled, reclaimed and ethically sourced wedding jewellery is always popular with Rock n Roll Brides but often very difficult to come across. I don't know how long I've scoured the inter-webs looking for that perfectly rustic and charmingly unique ring. However I may have just discovered the answer to all your woes!