Today is a very exciting day – I get to introduce you to a fantastic new feature to my blog called TNWC Real Brides.  It has been so long since my own wedding that I decided I needed some new brides-to-be to share their wedding details, so before Christmas I invited applications.

Starting today, I have the first of my TNWC Real Brides who are going to be sharing their wedding planning experiences here on my blog – I am so thrilled to be opening up the blog to brides-to-be and I can’t wait to follow their wedding journeys with you.  

I’m also super excited because for each couple I have had a fab illustrated picture of them created by my sister Izzy Burton – these illustrations of each couple will be used at the top of each real brides blog post so hopefully you’ll get to know them all by these cute images!

Our first TNWC Real Bride that you get to meet is Emma – I’ll hand you over to her so she can tell you all about her and her fiancée and the wedding they are planning…

Emma + Chris: 13th July 2013, Cornwall

Hello, I’m Emma (currently aged 29 and ¾) and I am going to be marrying the best Chris ever (also on the brink of ‘thirtydom’) on the 13th July 2013.  Thirteen is my lucky number.  We are planning an eco-friendly, DIY, windswept and romantic wedding at Mount Pleasant Eco Park in Porthtowan, Cornwall.

Chris and I met nearly 5 years ago through mutual friends on many occasions, most of which involved beer and back garden barbecues.  Over time I had developed a bit of an embarrassing crush on him and therefore avoided talking to him for around six months, as whenever I got near him I would blush profusely.  He happened to be just as shy and it took us well over five ‘dates’ before I made the move with a now or never awkward kiss.  The kissing got a little less awkward after that first one.

Chris proposed on New Year’s Day, at the top of a snowy mountain in Bulgaria.  He had chosen the most beautiful emerald and diamond ring, I couldn’t stop giggling and slightly hyperventilating as he knelt in the snow with clear blues skies all around us.  It was massively unexpected as Chris is THE worst at keeping a secret – and he had been planning it for three months!

This is us on our three year anniversary at a John Butler Trio gig, on Lusty Glaze beach…

Our wedding venue is just perfect for us, it is on the cliff tops overlooking Porthtowan beach.  This is where we want to have our outdoor ceremony whatever the weather…

And this is the party barn…

We are going for a laid back, festival vibe with elements of retro and vintage.  Our first booked items, following choosing the venue, were some amazing flags from Big Wave Flags who are based just minutes from our venue.  As you can see my priorities were on creating a relaxed, festival theme!

I work at Plymouth College of Art, Chris used to study there and we are both creative people.   Chris makes some strange things from up-cycled bicycle parts and I also work part time as a photographer.  We plan to make many of the details ourselves due to our fairly tight budget.  Our florist, Susanne from The Blue Carrot is going to give us a bucket of wild flowers so we can DIY our own table flowers, we have been collecting glass vessels to fill since January 2012!

I have cut out 300 triangles of coral, yellow and mint fabric for bunting, which is under construction along with some table runners and other matching fabric décor.  I am keen to make some things, which I can only describe as ‘Cornish weatherproof foam hearts on sticks’ to line the aisle amongst many other projects.  Here is my first attempt at our wedding invites…(subject to change and become more floral)…

We are also using local suppliers, and friends and family are helping very much too, including one of my best friends who is making us a surprise wedding cake.  She knows our colour scheme and that we like lemon cake but the rest will not be known until the day!

Emma will be back soon to share more details of their wedding as part of my TNWC Real Brides series.  Coming up on Thursday I have the next lovely bride for you to meet who is planning a relaxed coastal farm wedding.

Images: (1) Illustration by Izzy Burton; (2) Brides own picture; (3+4) Mount Pleasant Ecological Park; (5) Big Wave Flags; (6) Brides own artwork