On Saturday I headed off with my friend Faye (a bride-to-be herself) to explore the delights at this years Designer Vintage Bridal Show. Held at a beautiful old house called Hagley Hall, the show was stuffed full of exhibitors, a vintage tearoom, catwalk shows and the ever-beautiful presence of Wedding Yurts’ giant yurt set up in the grounds.

Having spent the whole journey down from Manchester nattering about weddings, both Faye and I were psyched up for a lovely day – and if you’re after a wedding fair/show that offers something a bit more personal and unique, then the Designer Vintage Bridal Show is the place to go.

So here are my favourite finds from the day…

Lucy Hayes Bespoke Bridal Veils

The first exhibitor and stall that we both fell in love with, was a riot of exquisite lace veils and headpieces.  This was my idea of wedding heaven, lots of beautiful antique lace that had been lovingly crafted into some of the most breathtaking veils I’ve seen.  The veils are handmade by Lucy Hayes (no website, but can be contacted at lucy@lucyhayedbridalveils.co.uk or on 01935 389 400) at her home in Dorset using French and English lace.

Lucy seems to have a magic touch when it comes to creating veils, although all new creations they truly look like heirloom pieces that might have been handed down through the generations – and this is was Lucy wants to create, “a unique bridal veil to become an heirloom for tomorrow.” Faye and I both fell in love with a short delicate veil made from handmade Victorian lace, but Lucy caters to all tastes, from 1920s Juliet cap veils to large bow veils reminiscent of the 1970s.

As you can see, my phone photos don’t do Lucy’s pretty veils justice, so do take a look at these professional pictures I’ve come across online, which showcase them a lot better.  You can also find out more about Lucy Hayes in this interview on the Designer Vintage Bridal Show website (along with some more pictures).

Wolf Whistle

I am so excited by the number of illustrators who are turning their hand to wedding stationery, and Brooke Woolley of Wolf Whistle is one of those.  As we wandered around the marquee, the Wolf Whistle stall was whispering to me from the moment I spied it, with its charming designs – watercolour portraits, whimsical caricatures, illustrated monograms and hand-drawn elements.

The different wedding stationery designs were displayed on simple but brilliant improvised blackboards, with fun chalk style frames.  Talking to Brooke, she told me that she uses FSC certified paper and card, and as well as offering a custom design service, she also has an ‘off the rack’ design called Let Them Eat Cake!

Do check out the Wolf Whistle website to see all Brooke’s designs.

Campbell’s Flowers

A recent and welcome addition to The Natural Wedding Company directory is Campbell’s Flowers, run by the sweet and bubbly Tracey Campbell.  I was delighted when I spied Campbell’s Flowers on the exhibitor list for the wedding show, and as we entered the marquee her stall was straight ahead and decorated with a range of beautiful floral arrangements.

What caught my attention first was a stunning 1920s inspired trailing bouquet with ferns and white roses and scabious.  If you’re a regular blog reader you will know I adore ferns (I even did a two part feature here and here on their use in bouquets).  This style of bouquet seems to be making appearances in recent weddings, so I’m looking forward to seeing more like it in the future.

Faye picked up a pretty bouquet of pink roses, lavender, flowering mint and golden wheat that was tied with a hessian bow and finished nicely with a cameo brooch (what a great idea!).  The scent from this pretty country bouquet was heavenly, as I’m sure you can imagine with the combination of the roses, lavender and mint.

The final bouquet that I wanted to share, was this peach and white bouquet which was almost set in a fan shape.  What I was most drawn to were the autumnal oak leaves, some very slightly starting to blush red around the edges – perfect for an autumn wedding.

Campbell’s Flowers source flowers both seasonally, locally and ethically wherever possible and cover Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire.

The Little Wedding Helper

Out on the lawn in front of Hagley Hall, Wedding Yurts had set up their newest and biggest yurt. Inside, whilst munching on a raw chocolate heart (so scrummy) from the Raw Chocolate Parlour (sister company to Wedding Yurts) Faye and I admired the venue styling from The Little Wedding Helper.

It was so nice to finally meet Kirsten, the lovely lady who is The Little Wedding Helper.  Kirsten offers a wedding styling service to brides and grooms, creating personalised designs and sourcing the items to make it a reality for your wedding day.

Kirsten had styled the tables with a vibrant yellow and amber design – with floral table runners (repurposed from a duvet), amber glasses (charity shop finds) filled with flowers, and tiny bunting that hung across the backs of the chairs.

Spotted: Handmade Save The Dates

I was also delighted to spot (on the Ruby+Diva stand) the beautiful handiwork of another TNWC business – the brilliant magnets from Jessica at Handmade Save The Dates.  I featured these fun save the dates made by Jessica back in October 2012 and she’s since become one of our recommended suppliers, but I had only ever seen pictures until now.  It’s always great to meet the people behind TNWC businesses and see their products.

Thanks to the lovely Faye for accompanying me, and I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing some of my favourite finds from the wedding show.  Did you go to the Designer Vintage Bridal Show this weekend?  I’d love to hear what you’re favourite bits were and did you find anything for your wedding?

Top Image: Emma Case for Designer Vintage Bridal Show via Love My Dress