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Charlie

Rhiannon and Richard’s wild and natural Welsh wedding with a midnight canoe send-off

Charlie

Wild and natural Welsh wedding

I’m in-love with today’s wedding for its laid-back and relaxed attitude – for me, Rhiannon and Richard seem to have really captured what your wedding day should really be about: love, family, friends, good company and delicious food.

They got married in September 2011 with a beautiful weekend-long wedding held at Fforest, just outside Cardigan in Wales. Rhiannon and Richard really did their wedding their way – with no photographer, no over-the-top details, just lots of fun and a super relaxed weekend surrounded by their family and friends.

Rhiannon is a freelance journalist who writes about all things green, community, and outdoor travel related, and Richard runs Greentraveller, so it’s not hard to see why their wedding embraced all things natural.

They got married at Mwnt Church, a tiny white building perched on the Welsh coast. Rhiannon wore a oyster coloured dress from Donna Karan and carried a gorgeous bouquet of cornflowers and herbs.

“My flowers were by Chloe at BareBlooms, who I found through The Natural Wedding Company, and were exactly what I wanted. They were a mix of wild-looking flowers and herbs.” The flowers for the buttonholes they picked themselves from the garden at Fforest.

Charlie

New Wives Club #2: using vintage jelly moulds as tealight holders

Charlie

Welcome to my second New Wives Club post! Today’s idea for reusing wedding finds in your home is my own idea, rather than one I’ve found online and recreated at home. I have a soft spot for collecting vintage jelly moulds, the metal kind – I think it is something about the soft shapes and the worn brushed silver colour. Anyway, just before Christmas I realised I’d got rather a lot and they were looking forlorn piled up in a corner of my office. Somehow I decided I would use them over Christmas, upturned and filled with tealights – the glow they cast is so pretty and I was delighted with the result.

Obviously, this won’t work with the rabbit shaped moulds I have as they aren’t stable upturned, but any that sit flat when turned upside down are perfect. One day I dream that I’ll have a large space on a dresser to display them all (and dread the day I have to dust them all), but until then I will be using mine to bring a pretty glow in the evenings to our home.

Charlie

Our wedding stationery inspired this reader to create her own handmade invitations

Charlie

One of my lovely readers, Eulyn, got in touch to share her wedding invitations with me after being inspired by the wedding stationery we made for our wedding. I can’t tell you how lovely it is to get emails and pictures like this, knowing that something you did inspired someone else – and a photo of another couples hard work.

If you’ve been inspired by the ‘save the dates’ or stationery that we created for our wedding, do send me an email – I’d love to hear from you and attach a couple of pictures so I can see (and maybe even share on the blog) what you’ve created – it would make my day. It can get very lonely blogging away, sharing ideas and inspiration, so hearing that you were inspired by something you found here really makes me happy.

Charlie

An autumn inspired wedding shoot on a Welsh farm with a beautiful gyspy caravan

Charlie

A wedding on a stunning organic farm complete with a beautifully restored red and yellow gypsy wagon…if only such a place existed. It does, and to showcase this beautiful wedding venue deep in the heart of Wales, a group of local suppliers got together to produce a beautiful autumn inspired wedding shoot.

Charlie

Vintage bottle shaped candles for your wedding table centrepieces

Charlie

There are some truly wonderful and, in my opinion, sheer genius, ideas out there – these candles that have been shaped to look like a variety of old bottles and jars are one of those genius ideas. Made from beeswax to give that golden yellow honey colour (and an equally beautiful smell when lit), I think they would be a beautiful alternative to floral table centrepieces, especially on long tables where you could arrange them with their varying heights.

The downside? They don’t seem to be available to buy anymore! They are created by Anthropologie (creators of many a beautiful, and expensive, item) but I they don’t appear on the website any longer. It is a travesty. I hope someone else starts making and selling something similar, preferably in the UK please!

Charlie

Great wedding offers, discounts and a competition – a round-up for January 2012

Charlie

I thought I would give you all a quick all-in-on-place round-up of the great wedding offers and discounts currently available (or about to expire!) from businesses listed on The Natural Wedding Company.

Loveducks Photography

WIN a wedding photography package worth £2,500! To enter the competition click here and tell Loveducks Photography your engagement story – the sweetest engagement story will be announced as the winner on Valentine’s Day 2012. Get your entry in by 12th February 2012. Check out her photography above!

Wedding in a Teacup

15% off all orders up until 31st January 2012, simply enter the code SPARKLE15 at checkout. Visit www.weddinginateacup.co.uk to view their range of lovely wedding favours and DIY resources.

Natural Design

Don’t miss an exclusive 10% discount for all orders placed by The Natural Wedding Company readers, simply enter the code NWC discount in the further information box when checking out. Visit www.naturaldesign.co.uk to view the pretty range of favours, decorations, gifts and stationery.

Charlie

Wild and natural looking wedding flowers with grasses and country garden blooms

Charlie

Following up from my post about using grasses in wedding arrangements and bouquets, I wanted to share some pictures of from Susanne at The Blue Carrot in Cornwall, one of the businesses listed in the flower section of the directory. She got in touch with me after the original blog post to say that she loves using grasses in her arrangements and to share a couple of pictures.

Thought you’d all like to see some on a dreary January afternoon! Any favourites?

I love these deep wine colours with the silvery green grasses and foliage, and the spray of blackberries too.

Charlie

Mariette and Benjamin’s natural French countryside wedding ~ part two

Charlie

Natural French countryside wedding (part two)

If you missed part one of Mariette and Benjamin’s natural French countryside wedding yesterday, get over there now and immerse yourself in an utterly gorgeous wedding. Today it’s the second part with some gorgeous photos in woodland and around the stone villa, and their fun reception and rustic decorations.

>> View Mariette and Benjamin’s natural French countryside wedding (part one) here <<

What a happy looking couple – and those gorgeous lace sleeves and floral headband. Everything is just so fitting about this wedding, nothing seems out of place or contrived – just simple, natural and beautiful.

It always helps to have a beautiful rustic backdrop to create romantic wedding photographs, like an old French villa with mint green shutters and a rambling rose (oh France how I miss you!)…

Charlie

Mariette and Benjamin’s natural French countryside wedding ~ part one

Charlie

Natural French countryside wedding (part one)

It goes without saying this might possibly be one of my favourite weddings ever. Shot by American photographer David Blair, this oh-so-pretty wedding of Mariette and Benjamin took place at a family-owned, rustic stone villa in the French countryside.

>> View Mariette and Benjamin’s natural French countryside wedding (part two) here <<

If you’re regular readers of the blog, it won’t come as any surprise that the brides dress is one of my absolute favourites – I’m not sure I’ve seen many more that I think are more exquisite. I even told Nick that I might have swapped my own wedding dress for it – he was shocked!

I love the delicate lace sleeves and the way the front is loosely draped and edged with more lace. I love the ribbon sash around the waist that is fastened in a bow at the back and the way the skirt falls simply to the floor – the lace hem full of dainty detailing. It seems quite Edwardian inspired – one of my favourite eras for wedding dress inspiration.

Charlie

Directory Showcase: Natural Design, A Alicia Wedding Accessories and Cariad Canvas

Charlie

It is really lovely to be able to share, in more detail, some of the great businesses you can find on The Natural Wedding Company directory. Wedding planning is tough enough, but if you care about doing things more naturally, eco-friendly, or ethically it makes it all the more challenging.

When I first started out to create The Natural Wedding Company, back in 2005, there were hardly any businesses that could help you create this kind of wedding – now it is very different and I’m proud to have some of the best all in one place for you. You can read more about the businesses you can find in the directory (take a look around the different categories found in the luggage tag at the top of the website) in the Directory Showcase.

Ann-Marie from Natural Design handcrafts a range of beautiful wedding favours, decorations and stationery that are eco-friendly and ethically produced. Like her beautiful flowers and petals that are made from Saa paper that comes from a natural and sustainable tree bark. Their paper rose petals have featured in films such as Alexander and Harry Potter. Visit the directory for a full list of atural wedding decorations.

A Alicia Handmade Wedding Accessories are made from ethically produced and vintage fabrics and finds. Anna Alicia makes a beautiful range of unique, eco-friendly accessories for your wedding, specialising in vintage ribbon and lace garters. Also within the range are ring pillows, fabric buttonholes, clutch bags and headbands. Visit the directory for a full list of vintage and eco-friendly wedding accessories.

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