Beautiful Wedding Updo

I love Eva Longoria's hair here and think it would be perfect for a bride.

Photo credit:
Women Hairstyles

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Rethinking Gypsophila

Yesterday one of my favourite wedding blogs (and one of the best out there for wedding eye candy), The Brides Café featured a stunning wedding that exclusively used Gypsophila for all of the floral arrangements. And oh my, the results are breathtaking!


Stunning!


For a long time I have regarded Gypsophila as out dated but this wedding is so beautiful and the floral arrangements are so effective that I have been forced to have a rethink!


The bloom works so well here because the bride and groom have carefully contrasted the delicate almost ‘fussy’ gypsophila with beautiful clean lines elsewhere in the wedding. The bride’s simple a-line dress with beautiful crystal detailing works perfectly against the complex detail of the Gypsophila and creates an almost ethereal feel.


And the absolute BEST thing about it all…Gypsophila is super cheap. Super doper cheap. So you could have dozens and dozens of floral arrangements and keep well within a small budget. That’s a real winner in my book!

Photo Credit:
Sedona Bride

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Rebrand

If you're on the button (or if you don't read this blog via an email or reader) you might have noticed that over the weekend we launched our rebranded website and blog. The new look is clean, contemporary and much less 'pretty' than before. The blog is now very simple and perhaps even a little stark and but I really wanted a blank canvass to display the design boards as opposed to the previous layout which I felt was sometimes a little bit distracting. It's a big change and we're quite nervous seeing as so many people commented on how much they liked our previous branding and website but change is good and we're excited about the next phase in our business. So we hope you like it but if you don't and you can't stand the look of it maybe think about subscribing to the blog in a reader!!

Happy Wednesday (Wednesday already?? Eek)!!!

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Design Concept: Rhubarb Pink & Chocolate Brown

I imagine today’s Design Concept taking place in an urban setting, perhaps even a modern restaurant rather than a dedicated ‘wedding venue’. I’m imagining a couple who appreciate clean design & who want a ‘frill’ free wedding. A bride who wants to look feminine but not over-done or too ‘bridal’ and a groom who wants to wear Converse trainers and a chocolate brown suit.
I really like simplicity of this type of wedding and think it would be easy to achieve on big and small budgets alike. For the bridesmaids, I love the idea of simple (& cheap!) high street sundresses in different shades of pink teamed with simple golden sandals.
I really love the colour palette for this concept but if you’re thinking it’s perhaps too pink and girly, aquamarines and teals would also work perfectly.


Photo Credits:
Dress, sandals and light pink dress: J Crew
Dessert bar: Taste via SMP
Cake: Lovinsullivan via SMP (that cake is to DIE for)
Calligraphy: Laura Hooper (amazingly talented supplier)
Hair pins: Etsy
Invitations: Hello!Lucky
Dress: Oasis
Pendant: Sonya Renee via SMP
Hairstyle: Brides

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What's New Pussy Cat?

We're undergoing a bit of a re-brand over here & today our sparkly new business cards arrived. New website (& redesigned blog) coming any day now. How very exciting!

We're also super excited to be featured in the News section of Wedding Magazine.co.uk which is doubly nice because we're also in the current edition of the magazine. So hello if you've made your way here via the magazine or website. Lovely to have you!

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Planning Tricks: Escaping the Boredom

I always think that without a little bit of care and attention weddings can perhaps become......a little bit, well...boring! As a wedding planner I know I probably shouldn't say that but it's those pesky line up photos that can do it you see. Plus the fact that some guests might only know the person they came with in addition to the bride and groom. And that would all be fine (it is the bride and groom's day after all) except for the fact that in my experience, bored guests make for a somber party atmosphere. And lets face it if you're spending all that cash you want to throw a great party!

With a little thought and attention, it's so easy to create a great atmosphere & get your guests to share the love and mingle a bit. One of my favourites is the classic treasure hunt (customised to your wedding's theme of course)! Chocolate egg hunts for Spring, flower fairy hunts for enchanted woodland weddings and butterfly hunts for the summer (no real butterflies please!).

In addition, all sorts of variations of the classic guest book are currently taking the wedding world by storm. From the polaroid guest book to makeshift 'studios' made from a piece of draped fabric and even real photo booths, some of the results are hilarious and make fantastic keepsakes. I particularly loved the blackboard set up that these super-talented school-sweethearts had at their primary school themed wedding which was featured in Martha a few years ago. Guests wrote well-wishes onto a blackboard and then had their photos taken alongside their scribblings. Such a great idea!

Finally an idea of my own that I'd love to see would be kite flying. There's a little boy who flies his kite out on the field near my house and I always think that it would be great fun to do in a big group at a wedding. As always, at the right wedding in the right location but I think this would be a great source of entertainment for kids and oldies alike!

Happy Monday!

Photo Credit: Flickr

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Things I'm excited about

Number 1: Sale on at the wonderful Cox and Cox!!! Eeeek. How exciting. I am most excited about the 15% discount they have on this gorgeous Sophie Conran china. I am lucky enough to have a sizeable collection of this beautiful stuff already but I'm always interested in expansion! I am currently missing this gorgeous pouring bowl:


(if you're thinking about choosing Sophie Conran china for your wedding list, do it! It's perfect for everyday & fancy (love that word), super durable and goes in the dishwasher. What more could a person want!)

Also on sale is this charming Luxembourg Ribbon:


Number 2: New Vera Wang fragrance!

Word is that Vera is launching a new fragrance called Bouquet. Featuring notes of narcissus, honeysuckle and lavender, the new scent is due to hit the shops from the 18th of August. I'm a big fan of Truly Pink so looking forward to what Vera has in store for us with Bouquet.

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Entrance Music

Love this band. Love this track. Perfect for a bride's entrance if you ask me.

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Design Concept: Enchanted Woodland (for Susie)

This concept is inspired by the very lovely Susie who is marrying Tom in Suffolk this coming October. Susie and Tom have chosen a theme of Flower Fairies & a palette of plum, sage green and champagne gold.

As I started putting this board together all I could think about was fruit. Apples, pears, plums, blackberries etc are at such abundance in autumn that it seems only fair to include them in the celebrations! Pears, apples and even pomegranates make the perfect place name holders whilst I love the idea of incorporating blackberries, rose hips and other hedgerow berries into the floral arrangements. To keep guests warm Susie and Tom are serving mulled cider and on track with the fruit theme I think it would be lovely to serve toffee apples, perhaps as a late night snack or again as a favours at each place setting.

Susie and Tom are having a humanist ceremony & I’d like to see the aisle decorated with autumn leaves, hurricane vases and large candles.

As for incorporating the flower fairies, naming each table after one is a lovely idea whilst a fairy hunt would be the perfect entertainment for younger (& maybe even older!) guests.

For the evening, I’m a huge lover of a bonfire (it’s something about the smell) and with October/November being prime bonfire season I think this would be the perfect entertainment. I’d love to see hay bales for outdoor seating, sparklers, perhaps some fireworks and definitely some bonfire toffee.

Finally, I’m thinking all about the humble jam jar! I love jam jars, I like that they are simple and rustic, that if you collect them they are free and I love the way they look when you put lots of different ones together. Jam jars as makeshift vases, candle holders and perhaps even giving homemade jam or apple butter away as favours would create a lovely home-spun, rustic atmosphere. (Update: Bizarrely Cara is also talking about jam jars today & has a great tutorial about how to make your own jam jar candles)

Have a lovely weekend everybody!

Photo Credits:
Gown: Brides
Bonfire: Flickr
Blackberries: Flickr
Sparkler: Flickr
Jam jar candles: Flickr
Hanging jars: Flickr
Flower Fairies: Tom and Susie's invitation
Cider: My Recipies

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It's Quirky & I like it!

My husband works for an arts festival & this morning he forwarded an email to me about this very quirky mobile restaurant:

Here's what the email said:

"MALINKEYS consists of a fully equipped kitchen, a small cocktail bar and covered seating capacity for 80, downstairs and upstairs (which has the most fabulous views). We have had 3 events since opening only 3 weeks ago, which have received rave reviews and repeat bookings. Our events so far have been designed around the 1920's theme to add a bit of theatre and fun. The staff dress in costumes, we play 1920's music and serve a variety of fun food however one of our unique selling points, is that our fully fitted kitchen and trained staff can provide a varied menu to suit your event. We have all the food hygiene training required plus a certificate in personal licensing. We are insured with NCASS, have full structural engineering and fire certificates and are registered with Sedgemoor District Council. If you would like to know more we would be pleased to hear from you. Please call Toby on 01934 713200/07810736481 or Tina on 07899893005"

If you're looking for an unusual venue to get guests talking this could just be it!

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Real Wedding: More Sarah & Rob

Sky lanterns make a magical ending to a wedding & if your venue will allow, I thoroughly recommend them. Top tip: rather than using a lighter/match/taper to light them use a mini blowtorch (the type you use for doing creme brulee) as it can be tricky to light them otherwise.

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Hopelessly in love

I am hopelessly in love with Oscar de la Renta...


...and unfortunately I think it may be terminal.

Unmistakably feminine, each collection offers something for every style and shape of bride. A-line, empire, fish tail, architectural and structured, delicate and girly, strapless and strapped, halterneck, sleeved and sleeveless, long and adorably short........I just don't know how a girl would choose between them. A nice dilemma to have though!

All pictures: Brides

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Blog Roundup

Another week of truly beautiful weddings over at the The Bride's Cafe:

I think this bouquet is just perfect for the ice cream sundae board I did last week.

I love how the acidity of the yellow balances the pink and stops it all feeling too saccharine.

And then for this little beauty:

Beautiful! What a gorgeous colour scheme - the orange just works so well with the sand. Be sure to stop by Janie's fantastic blog for some serious wedding eye candy.

The super talented Liz over at Linda & Harriet has also been showcasing some fantastic work this week. Liz makes these super-cute corsages from misprint offcuts:

So lovely! Perfect for buttonholes or perhaps favours/place names. A reception room would look fantastic with one of these little beauties crowning each napkin. I like the recycled element to the flowers too.

Also, an ingenious invention blogged about over at Design*Sponge:


So useful if you're putting together a colour scheme.

And finally, a little something from me:

This week I have mostly been dreaming about this colour palette. I can't think what to call it though! Hopefully one day soon it will get a design board to keep it company.

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