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Charlie

Spotted today in Reverie Magazine two of our wonderful businesses

Charlie

This morning I got totally wrapped up reading the new Reverie Magazine, and was particularly excited because the River Cottage wedding (that featured on the TV series) with the edible bouquet was featured. Not only was it lovely to see photos from this wedding because it was exceptionally beautiful and captures everything I love about natural weddings, but it also featured two of the businesses featured in the directory.

The wedding jewellery was all ethical and Fair Trade, with some of it coming from April Doubleday, who features in our directory. In addition to the wedding, there was a page called ‘Get the Look’ and this featured April Doubleday again and also The Vintage Wedding Dress Company (with my favourite Edwardian inspired wedding dress). Do take a look at these two fabulous businesses and also have a read of Reverie Magazine to see the River Cottage wedding (page 112 if you’re wondering!).

Charlie

Are ‘vintage’ weddings dead and on their way out?

Charlie

Are ‘vintage’ weddings a dying breed of wedding? There seems to have been a lot of mumblings in the wedding world recently that ‘vintage’ weddings are has-been, over-done, contrived and a ‘trend’ that is on its way out. As someone who’s never really been that fussed by trends, it got me wondering if this is really the case.

The lovely Helen at Doily Days was the person who planted a seed in my mind about whether I had an opinion on this subject when an email popped into my inbox last week. So I decided to get in touch with some of the businesses listed on the directory who hire out vintage crockery and accessories for weddings. I wanted to know what they thought.

Jenna from Wren’s Tea Party told me that couples should do what they want: I don’t think that brides-to-be should feel that a vintage vibe is ‘so last year’ if that’s what they want. Weddings are very personal occasions and should reflect a couple’s personal style. People’s homes are also a reflection of their style – our home is a mixture of old and new things, we have lots of vintage furniture and accessories as well as newer pieces. My wedding was therefore a reflection of our love of good design and vintage pieces, it wasn’t about following a trend.

I think Jenna’s completely right that weddings should reflect you as a couple, and not just themed to a trend or what you might be told is in fashion. Like Jenna, our home is a mixture of old and new, which is naturally what our wedding turned out like – if the great-and-the-good of the wedding industry had told me that glamorous and oppulent weddings were in last year I wouldn’t have styled my wedding that way. It wouldn’t have been ‘us’ as we don’t live that way or love those sorts of things.

Charlie

Directory Showcase: Love a Locavore, Tribes Travel and World Inspired Tents

Charlie

Welcome to this week’s Directory Showcase – sharing a selection of the fabulous businesses that you can find on The Natural Wedding Company directory. If you like what you see and want to search for more, click on the links below or take a look around the directory which can be found at the top right of the webpage in the lovely luggage tag.

The lovely Alice of Love a Locavore can cook you a delicious, seasonal and locally sourced wedding feast, even sourcing some ingredients from her kitchen garden in Gloucestershire. Alice caters for weddings of up to 80 people and can also cook you a wonderful celebratory meal for hen and stag parties. Visit the directory for a full list of eco-friendly, ethical and seasonal wedding caterers.

Tribes Travel is the original Fair Trade travel company, offering a wide selection of luxury honeymoons in Africa, South America, India and Jordan. They can even help to organise wedding ceremonies and vow renewals in a number of the countries they work with. Tribes Travel also offer a honeymoon gift voucher scheme. Visit the directory for a full list of ethical and green honeymoon spots.

Charlie

Real wood wedding invitations engraved with a bird on a branch

Charlie

How incredible are these invitations – made of very thin real wood they are then engraved with a personalised message. This one in particular I liked with the tiny bird on a branch, and thought they would make lovely wedding invitations if you had the budget and wanted something really unusual and special.

They are made (I believe) in the Netherlands but can be shipped anywhere in the world, and new trees are planted when one is cut. Take a look at their Etsy shop for more designs and details.

Charlie

Miss Vintage Wedding Affair: 19th February 2012

Charlie

The Miss Vintage Wedding Affair is a unique wedding fair organised by vintage enthusiast Amelia Barnes. Taking place on Sunday 19th February 2012, The Miss Vintage Wedding Affair will be packed with high quality, inspired and original wedding suppliers, and perfect for brides looking for something a little bit different.

It is being held at the beautiful 19th Century Glenmore House in Surrey and will give you the opportunity to chat to lots of bespoke suppliers from Surrey and South London.

There will be a wide range of stalls exhibiting, from florists to cake designers, photographers and stationers, and vintage bridal wear companies. Amelia says “With things to buy, eat, drink and do, it’s going to be more of a party than a traditional wedding fair.”

You’ll be able to relax in the 1930’s inspired bar sipping a well-deserved drink, munch on cake in the pop-up tearoom provided by Restoration Cake, or have your hair and make-up done by The Vintage Pop-up Parlour.

Charlie

Days-gone-by wedding dress inspiration – living out a bit of those little girl dreams

Charlie

Were you one of those little girls who dreamt of living in a different era? I was. For a long time I desperately wanted my parents to buy a cottage in the middle of nowhere, and I would wear Little House on the Prairie style dresses and a pinny, and wander round with a chicken under my arm. At least that’s what I dreamt of.

I’ve always loved period dramas, from Pride and Prejudice to Little Women I loved them all and dreamt of wearing those beautiful dresses. I think your wedding day is one of the only days that as an average woman you get to live out a little bit of those dreams and wear a stunning dress – a dress that makes you feel inside how you used to feel imagining you were one of those girls from days-gone-by.

Charlie

Foxy and burlesque masquerade mask making hen parties

Charlie

This was love at first – the moment I spotted these masks from A Alicia Handmade I was smitten and head-over-heels in love. Aren’t they just gorgeous?

As one of the wonderful businesses listed on the directory, Anna not only makes beautiful wedding accessories, but she also runs hen party craft workshops – the foxy masquerade and burlesque masquerade mask making parties are her latest additions. What’s even better is she is offering The Natural Wedding Company readers an exclusive offer – so keep reading for details.

Charlie

The new wedding dress collection from Sabina Motasem Bride

Charlie

If you’ve got engaged over the Christmas break then one of the first things you might be thinking about is your wedding dress – I know I certainly was concerned about what it would look like and where I would find it. One of the lovely businesses from the directory, Sabina Motasem Bride, has just launched a beautiful new collection for 2012 so I wanted to share some of these beautiful dresses with you.

Sabina Motasem Bride is a London based label creating understated and vintage inspired wedding dresses, and for the eco-conscious or ethical bride you can be sound in the knowledge that they are ethically produced in the UK and can be made from peace silks. What’s even better is they offer a fantastic service to transform your wedding dress after your big day into a cocktail dress that you can wear again.

Charlie

Holly and Dean’s village fete wedding with a coconut shy and Morris Men

Charlie

Village fete wedding with Morris Men

This beautiful wedding photographed by Dawn Potter was inspired by the nostalgia of village fetes, and is full of fun and games for the many children who came – something I think too often gets over-looked. Holly crafted such a colorful and fun wedding that really went that extra mile for her guests.

Holly and Dean got married in the picturesque village of Loders in Dorset, with the ceremony in the village church and the reception just down the road.

The church was decorated with pretty country style flowers and the order of service is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen – isn’t it stunning, like a page out of a fairytale…

Charlie

Handmade ‘tying the knot’ save the dates made from brown card and twine

Charlie

The joys of having a photographer husband-to-be! If you’re the lovely Lisa, one of my blog readers, it means you can make pretty wedding details and get great pictures of them – which in turn means lovely photos to share with you all.

Lisa was inspired by my own rustic ‘save the dates’ and got in touch to share hers – I think they are so beautiful and they incorporate a really neat extra that Lisa found on this blog whilst searching for inspiration – a twine knot.

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