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Charlie

Seasonal wedding wreaths with apples, ivy and berries

Charlie

November seems to have well and truly arrived today, with everywhere damp and chilly, and trees bare with their leaves around their roots. Something jolly is in order I think, to bring a little cheer to this weekend – and what better than a gorgeous autumn inspired wreath with apples, berries and pine cones, and ivy woven throughout.

This pretty seasonal wreath above is made by JW Blooms, one of the lovely florists listed on the directory. If you are planning an autumnal wedding and want to reflect the season in the way you decorate, why not incorporate some natural wreaths – they would look stunning hanging on the heavy old doors to a church, or perhaps the entrance to a rustic barn. Smaller versions could be tied to the back of the bride and grooms chairs with a loop of ribbon, or even placed on tables with flickering candles in the middle.

And if you’re not getting married you can still get one of these beautiful wreaths (the apple wreath is the ‘Somerset’ for your front door – they come in three other designs including ‘Festive’, ‘Nordic’, and ‘Traditional’.

Charlie

An eco-chic engagement shoot inspired by 1950s jazz icons

Charlie

The last couple of weeks have seen some wonderful and exciting emails pop into my inbox, and this eco-chic engagement shoot organised by ethical wedding consultant Clarisse Elysée, was one of those beautiful ones.

Recently engaged, Kimberley and Troy were inspired by 1950s jazz icon’s such as Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, and although a little daunted to start with soon embraced the theme and relaxed into the photoshoot.

Charlie

Emma and Gianni’s rustic country wedding ~ part two

Charlie

Rustic country wedding (part two)

If you missed Emma and Gianni’s rustic country wedding part one from yesterday, do take a read first. After their beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony, Emma and Gianni continued their wedding festivities at the beautiful Cripps Barn in Gloucestershire.

The countryside around Cripps Barn is beautiful and provides the most gorgeous natural setting for photographs.

>> Read part one of Emma and Gianni’s rustic country wedding here <<

Don’t you think that Emma’s colour palette of pale dusty pinks and peaches are beautifully reflected in the soft golden colour of this wheat field…

I love this series of photos – photographer Andy Rapkins has captured such a sweet and intimate moment between Emma and Gianni.

Charlie

Emma and Gianni’s rustic country wedding ~ part one

Charlie

Rustic country wedding (part one)

Today is pretty exciting on two counts – the new website has been launched and I get to share with you my first exclusive wedding. This wedding has not been featured on any other blogs so I am utterly honoured that Emma chose The Natural Wedding Company to be the first place to share her beautiful wedding.

Emma told me that The Natural Wedding Company “was my bible during the planning of the wedding and I used many tips and links that you posted.” So without further ado, here is part one of Emma and Gianni’s rustic country wedding photographed by the talented Andy Rapkins.

>> Read part two of Emma and Gianni’s rustic country wedding here <<

Emma and Gianni were married in July 2011 at Cripps Barn in Gloucestershire. They planned a simple, relaxed and rustic wedding full of handmade pieces, charity shop finds, and meaningful details crafted by family and friends.

The theme was eclectic vintage meets ‘Darling Buds of May’ – we did a lot of the details ourselves and what we didn’t do we worked with friends and local suppliers.

We chose Cripps Barn because we wanted somewhere relaxed, informal and peaceful. The owners of Cripps Barn have a really relaxed yet organised approach, also all the food was locally sourced and we’d heard how amazing it was. Gianni has a large family with lots of children so we wanted somewhere they could be free to play.

Charlie

When imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery

Charlie

This might possibly be one of the hardest blog posts I’ve had to write. I’ve spent the past 24 hours going over how to write without just screaming and shouting. Those of you who follow me on Twitter and Facebook might recall a bit of a meltdown on Tuesday evening – so without waffling around too much, I discovered that another business had taken original designs I’d hand-drawn for our wedding stationery and was selling them as their own ‘unique’ designs.

I unwittingly clicked on a Twitter link and came across this businesses website – as I began to look around at the different designs they were selling I got this sick feeling in my stomach. Not only did one particularly wedding stationery design look unbelievably similar to what I’d designed and made for our wedding, but I began to realise that some details they were using were actually my hand-drawn images (below).

Designs by The Natural Wedding Company

I was absolutely devastated to think that someone would do that, and have the balls to claim that their work was ‘unique’. And pretty pissed off. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not claiming these are outstanding pieces of artwork, but they are mine, drawn by me, for something quite personal – my own wedding.

Charlie

Holidaying in Devon

Charlie

I must start by apologising for the lack of blog posts these past two days – I am currently in Devon with my family (parents, aunts, uncles, cousins) to celebrate my granny’s 80th birthday. The last two days have been pretty full on and along with working hard on the new website (coming soon!) I’ve not had time to post anything here.

We are staying at Burnville Farm, near to Brentor where this gorgeous wedding (above) I recently featured took place, and the farm on which my granny grew up in as a child. It would also be a wonderful place for a UK honeymoon, as the bedrooms are sumptuous, the breakfast divine (I’ve ordered homemade pancakes with syrup tomorrow) and full of local Devon produce, and the views out onto the moors incredible.

Charlie

An evening of cupcake decorating – perfect for an alternative hen party

Charlie

If you follow regularly you may remember me mentioning that I was booked onto a cupcake decorating class in nearby Didsbury with And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon. The photos from the evening have been just been published on Facebook so thought I’d share a few (that’s me and my friend Jen showing off our cakes).

This was a totally fun evening and I would highly recommend doing this as a hen party alternative to wearing mini skirts, “L” plates and getting pissed. Although I’m sure you could still wear the mini skirt and “L” plates if you like. Here’s those all important details on some of the fab businesses who can organise cupcake decorating hen parties.

That’s me concentrating very hard as I pipe my first cupcake – I put my piping skills to good use on the weekend siliconing the gap around our front windows! And below are some of the pretty sugar butterflies we all made, drying out ready to go on our cupcakes.

Charlie

Dainty engagement rings with an ethical heart

Charlie

There are lots of wonderful businesses listed on the directory, those who have a strong committment to the environment, to ethical sourcing, to re-using, and to handcrafted items. It’s always nice to have a browse at what they’re all up to and discover what they’re up to.

Oria Jewellery is one of those wonderful businesses – they are an ethical jewellers and I spotted these beautiful rings on their website today. I think either would make a stunning engagement ring – the one on the left is quite similar to my own, and I love the detailing of the other with the tiny flower encasing a diamond.

Oria Jewellery supports small-scale, fair trade companies and are passionate about respecting our environment. All of their metals and diamonds can be traced back to the mine they came from.

Buying an engagement or wedding ring is a big expenditure for most people, and its one purchase that you can make a big difference with by choosing one from a reputable, ethical company.

Charlie

The benefits of a pre-wedding photoshoot

Charlie

If you missed yesterday’s sweet engagement shoot then take a look first, then read on to get photographer Kelly Weech’s suggestions for why a pre-wedding photoshoot might benefit you.

Try before You Buy: On your big day it is essential you feel at ease around your photographer and they fit in amongst your guest. An engagement portrait session is the perfect opportunity to test the waters, see the way in which they work and the results the photographer can produce. You can then make an informed decision about the quality of their work and if you want to make the bigger investment of that particular photographer shooting your wedding.

Put your mind at ease: A one to one session is a great opportunity to voice any insecurities you have and for the photographer to work with you to over come these before the big day. You could even practise some poses so you feel confident on the day just to do them and allow the photographer to capture natural moments.

It’s all about you: The point of this session is that it is all about you and your partners love. There is no right or wrong way to dress or particular way to act, just be yourself. If you have a hobby together then incorporate this into the shoot or if you have a special place, then go to that location. It is good to be different and to feel your photographs are a true reflection of your lifestyle.

Charlie

Woodland and seaside engagement shoot with antique engagement ring and muddy wellies

Charlie

Today it’s a blog special, with an exclusive photoshoot from photography Kelly Weech. It’s a sweet engagement photoshoot of Lydia and Ben who planning a Devon wedding that reflects their love of the outdoors. The photoshoot took place in woodland near to their home and on the beach where Lydia proposed to Ben – I love it all ready!

What I think is down-right wonderful about these photos is that the couple seem so genuine. These are photos of a couple very much in love, captured in the places they are at home and comfortable in. The pretty details in this shoot are an out-of-this-world beautiful antique engagement ring and a cute dog.

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