Welcome to our guest blogger, Rebecca!

As the proud owner of one of the very first Illustries, I was thrilled to be asked to do a guest blog. This is probably as close to infamy (in a good way) that I’ll get!

But what to talk about? Seeing as I enjoyed it so much, I thought I’d share with you a little about the Illustries process. Once we had decided to go for it and get our Illustry done we basically got to enjoy the whole thing. Both the hubby and I secretly loved the telephone interviews – we felt like stars – move over Jordan! Unashamedly talking about ourselves and our special day felt so indulgent. We were mildly aware of friends and family that were also contacted including the best man and our daughter Imogen. But the Illusties team just seemed to work out who were important to us and made sure they featured prominently.

When we got to see our draft before it went to print we were overwhelmed – so much stunning detail, both in the artwork and the words that just seemed to capture our day perfectly. Then, a few days later, the Illustry itself arrived…we were blown away. All those tiny details beautifully captured from the colours to the flowers, to cheeky comments and even the proposal

After all the love we put into the day, we kind of felt embarrassed to ram our photos down everyone’s throats, but our Illustry gives us the perfect excuse to say look what they’ve done with our day! Spookily – we’ve just celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary. If I could have my wedding over again, would I do anything differently? Not a thing, but one thing I would do is get my Illustry much sooner!  

U is for Umbrellas

Oh it is so hard not to do the ‘ella-ella-ella’ bit! Everyone hopes for sunshine on their special day, or at least for the rain to hold off. We wondered whether rain really could spoil a wedding? Our clients who did get a damp day didn’t let it cramp their style, grabbing any dry spell for some outside photos. It’s a funny thing, but a lot of our clients tell us that the heavens opened on the day, only for the rain to clear up and make way for a really sunny spell for the actual event. Illustries’ Emma got married in November and the sun shone the whole day through, it was even warm enough to go strapless without a shrug.

If it had rained though, we’d have had some of these lovely brollies on hand so that a little bit of blue sky brightened everyone’s day. <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aqueo-Blue-Drop-Automatic-Umbrella/dp/B003IW9AR6%22%3Ehttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Aqueo-Blue-Drop-Automatic-Umbrella/dp/B003IW9AR6%3C/a>

T is for Tartan

We could have done tuxedo – what we’re really talking about is what the chaps are wearing. We think that anything goes – morning suits are not really going to be comfortable if you’re getting married on the beach. Personally, we’re loving the relaxed vibe of an open-necked shirt with a crisp suit, probably because it has a hint of the George Clooney about it.

We seem to have had a real upsurge in chaps in kilts recently: lucky for us, because that’s probably our joint top outfit (we're a little biased, admittedly, Mr Illustries#1 wears his as often as possible). So we thought we’d share a tip we heard when Emma was panicking about how to bring the look together for her own wedding. Loads of the guys, including the wedding party, were in different tartans and the groom’s family plaid was a little ‘loud’ for the more subtle palette she had in mind. A very clever birdie told us that all you need to do is match the top half – as long as the jackets, shirts and ties match, the tartans will blend. And somehow, it really works!

S is for Speeches

The denouement of dinner (we’ve always wanted to use that word!), the loveliness of lunch and the overall wonder of the wedding breakfast: the speeches are one of the moments you’ll want to remember forever. The usual order and tradition we’re sure you know: dad, praising daughter; groom giving thanks and best man making fun of said groom in every way imaginable. But tradition is being shaken up pretty regularly these days. It’s now normal for us to ask whether the bride gave her own speech, and often there’s a bridesmaid speech for good measure, or maybe a mum-of-the-bride instead of dad, or a duo of dad and step dad. Whatever the mix, we always make sure they get plenty of attention in any Illustry: one of our aims is to create one place to store all our clients’ memories, so that whenever they open their Illustry, they’re right back in the moment, every time.

We thought we’d share a couple of speech memories that we’ve gathered along the way. We love Kathryn’s tale of anticipating her dad’s lovely words about her only for him to spend twenty minutes telling jokes at her expense – there was a movie theme to her wedding, and dad introduced each story with a movie title for the guests to guess the embarrassing story about the bride coming up next. Or Rebecca, whose dad had to be brought to a halt by serving the hog roast. Natalie and Andrew’s best men did a great double act, but the groom stole the show by becoming rather emotional about them after little to eat and a hastily quaffed glass of champagne. Mel’s dad was unable to give his speech as he was suffering from shingles – no matter, he still managed to walk her down the aisle. And Naomi and Adam’s speeches were introduced by a midget ringmaster. It doesn’t come much more memorable than that!

Ten years of memories...

We are really excited about something we're going to be working on soon - a Classic Illustry as a tenth wedding celebration. We've been thinking about the concept for a while - we've been asked if we can 'go back in time' by a few couples, who have felt they've missed out on the opportunity to really celebrate their wedding memories. We were a bit worried about whether we can make them look contemporary, but looking at the pics of Claire and Dave Brown, we think smiles are pretty timeless! We're looking forward to testing the couple's long-term memory - we'll be chanelling our inner Paxman to make sure we get all the lovely details we like to include!

All images by Aggie McGuiness Photography

R is for Ring

We’ve done engagement (Emma is not reliving the curry story again), but the ring itself? Different story. First off, how many grooms actually have the sparkler when they drop to one knee (or clear away the takeaway containers if you’re Mr Illustries#1)? Most of our chaps had been carrying the ring nervously around for weeks before they popped the question. And ingeniously, they’d all played the ‘so-if-you-had-to-choose-a-ring-what-would-it-look-like-while-passing-jewellery-shops’ game: ladies, we can’t believe you were still surprised! In the first of two polls we’ve been running on the blog and on Twitter (follow us @Illustries!), we asked if the ring had indeed been pre-purchased, and the results surprisingly (but heart warmingly) went with the traditional! With 100% of your proposals being romantically delivered with the engagement ring in hand.

And the second burning question? Should he wear a wedding ring? Since the newly married Duke of Cambridge (we were so hoping the Queen would plump for Earl) elected to skip the ring, we wondered if that was a decision likely to affect the guy in the street: indeed, is it still the done thing for the guy to wear a ring? Well, we polled that one too, and it seems that the majority (80%) of you felt that of course the groom should don the customary wedding band. 20% of you though, said that it was the groom’s personal choice – you generous and fair lot!

So, to finish up on rings (we’ve come full circle! Groan…), we thought we’d share another of our favourite things when we meet newlyweds to talk about their wedding. When we get to the proposal and ask about the ring, they always do the ‘ring flash’ – hand pointed slightly away from body at 30-degree angle and tilted downwards. We do it too – it must be instinctive!

Q is for Quaff

Ooh, Q is hard! Luckily, as is so often the case, booze came to our rescue. Where do you sit in the “wine with dinner/free bar/get them to put their hand in the pocket” debate? We think there's no winning answer. Guests just want to enjoy your day with you and if they know you're on a budget they won't mind paying for their own - as long as you don't then choose a venue with a mega-expensive drinks list! That said, if you can stretch to a welcome drink or some bubbly for the toast, we think that's a lovely touch (we know a groom who turned a wedding breakfast booze cruise to France into his stag - we pity the designated driver on that one!). And at one of our fave weddings, Bec and Andrew served prosecco (lovely, and reasonably priced, bubbles that came in distinctive blue bottles to really make an impact).

Oh, and if you happen to be mega-loaded, you probably should lay on the drinkies!

P is for Personal

At Illustries, we think weddings are fabulous – we kind of think that’s kind of important as we’re making memory books that celebrate them! But we’ve been really surprised at some of what we’ve seen as we’ve been finding out all about the wedding industry. We know that everyone has a personal style, and when that is what their shop, or blog, or site, or tweets are all about then it makes sense to just stick to featuring things that fit. What we don’t really get is the slightly nasty side some people adopt when talking about anything that doesn’t fit their own personal template of cool.

At Illustries, weddings = love + happiness x celebration = a whole heap of joy! Taste is a subjective thing, surely? We might love the theme, or the colours, or the details of a wedding because it’s more ‘us’, but it doesn’t make it any less fabulous than something a little less edgy. We heart weddings, full stop – you won’t see any sneering around here!

Starting tomorrow - a fabulous guest blogger!

We're so chuffed that one of our clients, Rebecca Taylor, has agreed to guest blog for us while Illustries Emma is away on holiday! Rebecca will be talking about her own Illustries experience - she's the proud (we hope) owner of an Avant Garde Illustry - and quite possibly a lot else besides. We've given her free reign, so anything could happen. Look out for her posts over the next two weeks...

O for Organist

We just wanted to share a funny story with you today! We know that everyone carefully considers every decision when it comes to planning their wedding, and the music is such an important choice to make. And there is such a choice that it's difficult to pick your faves, we're sure. Our Emma chose Elvis Costello's version of She because of the lovely lyrics toward the end, but the first section sounded a bit egotistical so she blamed Mr Illustries#1 for the choice.

At the moment, we'd choose Golden Love by Midnight Youth - we found it through our lovely photographer friends, boymeetsgirlphoto.biz, you can hear it on their site (and it was their first dance at their wedding a few weeks ago - aww!). But we'd stick with our Stevie Wonder's Signed, Sealed, Delivered for the trip back down the aisle!

Maybe a church wedding would be easier? Back to that funny story - Mr & Mrs Taylor certainly thought so. Here's an extract from their Illustry to explain today's choice of 'O'...

"…The couple stuck to tradition for their service, including the hymns Give me Joy in my Heart, Love Divine and Morning has Broken. The singing gave them both – and the congregation – one of their most memorable moments, as the vicar and organist seemed to be keeping completely different time. 'The vicar was lovely but she had a very high pitched singing voice,' explains Andrew, 'She was singing a completely different tempo from everyone else and the organist couldn’t decide whether to keep up – very Les Dawson. Bec and I were glancing at each other, and I thought we would crack up. There were plenty of shaking shoulders in the pews!'"'

N is for Name

What's in a name? Quite a lot, apparently! Is it still the modern thing for a girl to keep her own surname or are we all to ready to trade in our moniker for the chance to become Mrs Other Half? Maybe it all depends on his name and yours? We know of a lady who was called Miss Heaven - who'd ever give that up? And another of our brides became Mrs Devine, we'd jump at that! But what if his was really bad, or your name was Tuesday and his name was Knight. Not a good mix! Personally, we think that's exactly what it is, personal! In this richly coloured tapestry that is the Illustries own memory-library, it's been done both ways. First time round for Emma: double-barrelled. Second time, wholeheartedly Mrs P, and that's the way it’s staying! And a good friend of ours persuaded her husband to take her name - good on you Mrs Wege!

We carried out a totally non-scientific survey via the blog and twitter this week, and the vote came down firmly in favour (90%) of the bride changing her name - you old traditionalists! Oh, and there was one vote for him changing his - we think a certain Mrs Wege may have visited!

What has Natalie spotted?

A last sneaky peek at the Hewitson's pics -we've got to get on with recording all these amazing memories in their Avant Garde Illustry! But we couldn't resist this one - just look at the bride's smiley face! Andrew and Natalie once spent a month touring New Zealand in a camper van, and when Andrew asked Best Man#1, Dave, to organise Nat's transport to their boathouse wedding, there was only one choice. And Natalie had no idea! We just love the way photographer John Alexander (http://www.jeaphotography.co.uk/) has captured her surprise - we can't wait to write all about her squeezing her gorgeously full skirt into the back and her journey through town, waving to wellwishers all the way!

M is for Mums

There's the mother of the bride, the mother of the groom and stepmums. There are the mums you <em>want</em> to bring their kids along to your wedding and the mums that you <em>really want</em> to make sure are leaving their little lovelies at home. There are mum-to-be brides, who choose their dress carefully to disguise or display (we say go loud and proud - a wedding and a baby, what could be more fabulous?). And then there are our favourites, brides who are already mums, and who work really hard to make sure their kids are at the heart of things on the big day.

We've created a couple of Illustries for couples who either have children already or who are bringing their children together in a new family. It doesn't matter how grown up they are, a parent's wedding must hold mixed emotions. Giving them their own role is one way of helping, in our experience.

Two of our brides, Melanie and Rebecca, made their daughters bridesmaids, and the images of them getting ready together are absolutely beautiful, not least because of the whole heap of affection in the room. Illustries' Emma's step kids were in their twenties when she married their dad, but they did a brilliant job as ushers (and were even more useful as they could drive and help with ferrying stuff to the venue!). All the weddings we've seen where new families are being cemented have really shone, the day seems to just get bigger to accommodate everyone - real family affairs!

A little sweet treat from the Hewitsons...

We received the images for Andrew and Natalie Hewitson's wedding today - and we are even more excited to see them up close and personal. We probably shouldn't share, but we can't help it, these 'sweet' little personal touches are so gorgeous! The photos are by John Alexander (http://www.jeaphotography.co.uk/). Just a few though, you shouldn't eat your sweeties all at once!

L is for Lingerie

Like most brides, Illustries' Emma spent ages searching for the perfect wedding night undies. They had to be white, luxurious, sexy but not too naughty (seeing as her mum was likely to get a view way before her new husband as she laced her into the corset!). Eventually, the perfect panties (great word) were sourced (made from hemp - surprisingly soft and satiny, with no trace of eau-de-student), tie-sided with beautiful big bows. Dreams of the perfect wedding night lay ahead...

Now you might think that we're being a little risqué posting about our own underwear. Perhaps this is a topic to be cherished by Mr Illustries#1 alone? Well, as Mr Illustries#1 never really saw said undies, we think there's no harm in sharing. Like every couple we have spoken to, our newlyweds tumbled into bed after the party and were quickly slumbering rahter than fumbling.

To be honest, every Illustries couple but one* sheepishly mentions that as their day drew to a close, they chose sleep over sex, so we just thought our A-Z should contain a hint of realism and maybe bring a little comfort to fellow snoozers, safe in the knowledge that most wedding nights involve more snoring than pawing!

*We're not saying which one, Illustries Couples - we're leaving you room to manoeuvre if your friends see this!

Creating a Classic

We're really excited to be getting started on a new 'Classic' Illustry is week. Our Classic memory books really are just what the name suggests - clean, elegant and contemporary, the perfect choice for a sophisticated wedding (although we think they suit any style - it just depends on your taste). Our latest is for Neil and Kathryn Holm, who had a gorgeous ceremony with a subtle Scottish flavour, plenty of handsome chaps in kilts (our fave) and beautiful blue accents. Can't wait to get cracking!

K is for Kisses

Obviously! Surely one if the most anticipated moments of the whole wedding day: that first kiss as Mr & Mrs. It's definitely one of our favourite moments in photographic terms - it's the shot we're looking for when we first receive images from our couples.

Because not only is that picture an image that we - and our couples, of course - want to feature prominently in any Illustry we create, but also it gives such an insight into the couple and their wedding. There's just something about the way they look in 'that photo' that gives us both - Emma for words and Sam for design - a whole load of inspiration.

Somehow, it always seems to be the pic where the couple forgot there was a photographer in the room, sometimes even oblivious to the fact that quite a crowd is watching. Soft and romantic, relieved, overwhelmed, and even pretty much down and dirty: we've seen quite a range of emotions. But we suppose emotions are the key, aren't they? And the first kiss as a couple starts a new, married, life together is a pretty special memory, one that we're proud to place at the heart of all our Illustries, too.

J is for Jitters

Who wouldn't be nervous? All the weeks/months/years spent planning and the day suddenly seems to be approaching with the speed and subtlety of a juggernaut. What's the best way to calm those jangling nerves?

The easy fix would be to start with a relaxing hen party, rather than a razzy one. But as they all tend to involve champagne and carousing (you can still sip bubbly in the jacuzzi, we reckon) maybe that isn't going to chill you out as much as it should. And after all, the hen is all about creating memories (even if you'd rather forget them later) so we have to encourage you to go for it, if only to make sure we've got something to write about!

Maybe the real answer lies in the planning. Nothing seems as scary when it is part of 'the list' - admittedly, the wedding list may be long, and can appear scary at first glance, but don't run away screaming, embrace the list-making (Illustries Mum#1 is a brilliant lister, colour coding, mini lists and cross referencing a speciality) and relish the ticking off of every task (we add things we've already done to ours, just to enjoy the strike-through).

Planning includes finding great suppliers, people you trust and a venue you love. If you possibly can, use a wedding planner - there is simply nothing like it for keeping you looking like the beautiful swan of you dreams while they do all the frantic paddling for you! And the best ones are not only great organisers, they have great ideas, a brilliant contact book and the patience of a saint., all while turning your dream into a reality. Fairy godmothers, we think!

And don't forget, there's always the option of a steady supply of your chosen tipple to steady the nerves. We're partial to tequila ourselves, but perhaps a drop of champers may be marginally more appropriate on the day itself. We've got great memories created by both drinks. Too much of the second on the night before Emma's wedding led to a hangover from hell on her wedding day but crystal clear recollection of every detail, which was a bonus. Too much of the first is a recurring theme of all Illustries planning days and nights out: memories, yes. Hazy round the edges? To say the least...

A couple of wedding planners we like the look of (and that we enjoy tweeting with!)

http://cerendipity-events.co.uk/ - a lovely blog, and some great tips via twitter and facebook too

http://www.ladyamyweddingdesign.co.uk/- Cotswolds based, great local contacts and again, a lovely blog!

http://www.pocketfulofdreams.co.uk/ - in our neck of the woods, loads of lovely ideas and great suppliers. Check out the DIY tips and ideas, very generous

Illustries North West calling...

Not sure if we've told you that Illustries is a two-office operation? We think that makes us sound cool, maybe we should put it at the bottom of our letterhead - although maybe not, when rather than 'Illustries: New York, Paris, London, Tokyo', it's "Illustries: Ombersley, Lytham St Annes' (not Blackpool, as Samantha likes to keep telling people).

Working together but at a distance is a bit of a balancing act, but it's one we love. Samantha is one of those incredibly artistic designery types, so she needs her creative space (darling). And Emma does lots of noisy interviews, so it's good that we get to work on our own sometimes. That said, Skype, Dropbox and Yousendit are some of our closest friends, and our email traffic is pretty frequent.

But sometimes, there's no substitute for a meeting. A proper chat, one with tea and biscuits. Ooh, and we love a white board (flip chart not a bad second). The Illustries get together days are brilliant - we somehow seem to get loads done, even when we have consumed way too much tequila (see left). We're just starting to plan our wedding show season - our first! - and the opportunity for outings is so exciting. We can't wait to show our Illustries to more and more people, so we'll let you know where and when we'll be on parade. And if you think there's somewhere we should be, please do let us know!

I is for In-Laws...

Some of us are blessed with spouses-to-be who in turn are blessed with fabulous families. And let's face it, some of us aren't. One bride we know was asked to step aside so that the photographer could snap her brand new mum-in-law with what the she described as "MY family" - imagine, the bride standing folornly waiting for the family photo call to finish up!

When you're planning your wedding, we guess you've got two ways of dealing with any tension: give the rellies something to do (and embrace their efforts) or make it clear that contributions are not needed (or welcome!). We went route one, and both mums did us proud, happily baking our favour treats. Dads-in-law can get a bit pushed aside, so it might be nice to give him a job - transport, buttonhole collection or maybe toastmaster, if he's a confident speaker. And if you don't want to include your other half's siblingsin the bridal party, then ushers work really well, with female ushers a nice twist, while asking any family member for a reading is a great way of involving both sides in your big day.

The most important thing to bear in mind is that in-laws aren't just for weddings - you've got them for life! We all LOVE Dr Phil, he of Oprah fame with his soft tones and hardline advice, so it is over to the Doc for Dr Phil for his guidance on the in-law issue...

• No divided loyalties - you and your husband are family first

• Good fences make good neighbours - all about boundaries

• Conserve your energy - only so much 'you' to go around

• No-one will break - don't be afraid to talk about your limits

• The other woman in every man's life is his mother

• They won't shoot the messenger - if the message comes from their child!

• Get on the same page - with your other half, don't assume

• Don't diss - your other half's relationship with their parents is their own business

• Solve your relationship problems before you share - don't endlessly discuss them with family

• Your parents only know what you tell them - if all you tell them is problems, that's all they'll think you have

A chatty bridegroom - for once!

We had a lovely time interviewing our latest Avant Garde couple yesterday. We always enjoy hearing all about our couples' big days, and getting the first images through is just so inspiring. But normally, and we're prepared for this now, getting the groom talking is one of the most difficult bits of the Illustry-making process. Step up Mr Andrew Hewitson, and all change! For the first time ever, we chatted longer than we did with the beautiful bride, Natalie, and we just can't wait to write up all the gorgeous things he said about his bride. We won't spoil any surprises for Nat, but he did share one lovely thought. The couple really did make or customise every element of their boathouse blessing. Andrew says that as they finished decorating just hours before the ceremony, Natalie was so excited that everything was coming together that she just beamed. Andrew told us, "And that smile was the best wedding present I could ever have asked for..."

We'll be posting images soon!

H is for Hen...

Has the Hen Party become almost as important as the wedding? Probably not, but it is still one of the most anticipated elements in the run up to the big day, and yet another area where the Hen might be expected to put her own individual stamp on the day - or expect her Hens to do it for her. So, whether it is a big brash bash in Blackpool (we confess) or a more sophisticated soiree you're after - how do you make it all about you?

We think that really focusing on what you actually want out of the day/weekend/week is key (rather obviously) - R&R, some rocking memories, a big adventure or a chance to get your honeymoon shopping done? And then the world's your oyster. One thing we think is really important is to consider budgets, so if you're off to Vegas for a five day blow out, maybe think about a cocktail and poker party at home beforehand, so your less well walleted friends can help you celebrate too...

Some great resources already exist to make the Hen planning that little bit easier. Just two we're liking:

http://www.tattybojangles.me.uk - all about vintage Hen Parties, give the Hen House a try

http://www.bottegablooms.co.uk - we met at a Vintage Wedding Fair, learn to DIY your flowers together!

PS Our CELEB mag allways features your Stag and Hen Parties!

All systems go...

We're so excited at Illustries today! We got the first pics of the new Mr & Mrs Hewitson's big day, and it is so relaxed and beautiful! We'll be posting shortly, can't wait to share and to interview them tomorrow. We're just getting going on a really special 10-year anniversary Illustry - revisiting the day for the very lovely Mr & Mrs Brown, Mr & Mrs Holm are scheduled for interview this week and we're just finishing the CELEB Magazine for Mr & Mrs Devine. So busy, but we're loving it! Phew...

G is for Germany

Hmm, a strange choice, maybe. But at Illustries Wedding #1 a large gathering of friends from Germany, along with guests from France and of course, the Welsh contingent, got us to thinking about traditions from other countries that might make a quirky twist.


'On the Continent' (doesn't that sound a bit seventies?), a whole host of different wedding traditions exist. In Germany, it is traditional to wear the wedding ring on the right hand, for dill and salt to be placed in the bride's shoe by her mother and for fir boughs to be laid across the newlywed couple's path to symbolise luck, hope and fertility.

In France, a square of silk is held over the couple's head as they receive their final blessing, and the silk is kept to wrap their children for their baptism. Roads to the church are often 'closed' with ribbon that the bride must cut (for a fee!), or even blocked with briars that the groom must clear to demonstrate his determination.

Back here in Wales, the traditional love spoon is carved by the suitor and given to his intended as they begin courting, and in times past the bride was disguised as a granny for the evening party, with much hilarity in her discovery.

Our own traditions can sound really strange if you consider them heard by a stranger (sixpence in the shoe, the giving away of the bride, keeping the top tier of the cake) but often there is a degree of similarity: the bride paying her way is something that happened to one of our couples in South Wales (and the local children who were blocking her path balked at the £2 offered, preferring notes!).

We love the French and German tradition of the wedding guests following the car of the bride and groom honking their horns all the way - easy to get your mates to replicate, and bound to gather some smiles and good luck waves as you head for your reception. Including some fir in the floral arrangements, carrying some silk or keeping the veil to add later to christening outfits all add to the story you're telling on your day or the plans you're making for the future.

And as we all love a little jewellery, adding an eternity ring to your right hand rather than left could signify to the whole world that you're married - whichever way you look at it!

Brand new memories...

Illustries is so lucky this week - six-week old twins are visiting, and we've loads of new memories to make! Little Billy and Stanley are providing inspiration (along with fab smiles and lovely cuddles) for a new range of baby products that we hope to develop over the next year. We're concentrating on weddings right now, but hey, we're guessing our brides and grooms may well be mums and dads in the not too distant future, and as we watch the twins grow, we're thinking that, like us, families will want to capture every moment! Watch this space for more later in the year...

F is for Favours

Do you or don't you? Well the uber stylish and successful Mark Niemierko (follow his tweets @markniemierko) tweeted this week that in his opinion, if you're on a budget, guests would prefer you spent your cash on another drink. Having somewhat 'lush' tendencies ourselves, we would tend to agree, but maybe there's a middle ground that let's you pretty up your tables without breaking the bank?

Maybe a cupcake at each setting, in place of having one great big cake (but as we've already said, we love cake so we'd still probably do both)? Mrs Illustries#1 got her mum in law to make Scottish 'tablet' that was bagged up and distributed, and friends also baked shortbread and welsh cakes to fill any decorative gaps. One of our clients happened to find some choccies wrapped in her perfect pistachio colour, which looked great dotted among crisp white tablecloths and napkins and cost about a tenner in total. Another left each guest a paper bag containing a '10p mix up' (that makes us feel old!), which suited her fun and relaxed feeling, and our most recent customers gave out punting tokens - only really a possibility if you're celebrating in a boathouse, as they did.

We know we're not breaking new ground here but we just thought that Mr Niemierko was on to something (hardly surprising, he is one of the UK's top event planners!). Our favourite idea? A delicious and prettily served cocktail that reflects your theme or colour, killing two birds with one stone!

Friday Feeling

Illustries is having SUCH a good day today! A quick trip to Newcastle last night for a family catch up, and on to Glasgow via a little shopping stop in Edinburgh. Blogging away in a coffee shop with a view and thinking that this job is simply a dream (the managing to work at weird times so we can fit in other stuff bit, we do work hard we promise!).

But earlier this week, we were wondering all kinds of stuff - did we really have the time, what about the three projects we are juggling this week, how are we going to write an article for a non-wedding client and fit in everything else too? This trip very nearly didn't happen for all those reasons and more. But having spent time with some very important people (to us!) last night, working in the car (which makes us feel sick!) and in the middle of the night was SO worth it. We always say we're all about the memories - we need a pep talk sometimes, and we're really glad we gave ourselves one yesterday, because we made some great memories last night (admittedly losing some of them amongst the discarded wine bottles...). lucky old us!

E is for Engagement

Surely one of those moments that us girls are supposed to dream of, to long for? Of course, the big question is a big moment, but we think of it as a step along the way rather than the destination...

We've all seen those fabulous proposal videos, heard the stories of the writing on the shore, Eiffel Tower knee dips and whole restaurants swept along with the romance of a sparkler dropped in a glass of champagne. Now, don't get us wrong, all or any of those sound wonderful, but what if your man doesn't push the boat out quite that far? Can you hold your head up among friends who followed a trail of love notes or received the ring in a hot air balloon?

Well, speaking from personal experience, we think you can. Emma's proposal? After a curry at her sister's house. No knee, but at least he sent the nieces off to do the washing up while he asked. But the real romance came in the fact that Mr Illustries#1 had asked Dad for his daughter's hand, had chosen the very ring she'd fallen in love with, and had carried it round for weeks, until he was sure it would come as a real surprise. He was right, she'd been waiting for him to pop the question at a ball in Lucerne, overlooking the lake, starlit sky: no chance. After a korma? Certainly unexpected...

So, we think that the key is to revel in your moment, romantic, practical or somewhere in between. Because we're pretty sure that he's asking because he loves you. And what more could be more special than that?

Neither Rhyme Nor Reason

One of our specialities here at Illustries is quirky little poems. We love them. Emma writes them and then Samantha comes along and makes them look pretty. Today, we're trying to create a ditty all about Illustries, ready for our spanking new website, which we're hoping to get up and running in the next few months (the mini version http://www.illustries.com/ is lovely, and full of info, but we have such big plans!). Ah, tis a fine line to walk between sweet and fresh and Hallmark card, but we're working on it!

D is for Dad

Oh we know, the obvious one was 'Dress', but how could we presume to blog about such a personal choice? Our advice? Go with your instincts and choose the one that makes someone cry - in a good way, obviously. See, not particularly groundbreaking , which is why we went for Dad!

Now Dads are great, but their greatness is often a double-edged sword. They're great in those hero-rescuer-protector-entertainer-first love kind of ways. But they are also great in their very own 'Dad' ways - great sense of fashion, humour, fairplay, propriety and duty, all of which are inevitably unique to the individual Dad, thus proving slightly troublesome to the bride-to-be. Does your Dad think his caramel-brown 'best' suit that has been lingering at the back of the walk-in for fifteen years will 'do for one last outing'? Is he spending hours honing jokes for his speech that come from the book that must be handed out at the birth of your first child, because only daddies tell them and only daddies laugh at them? Is he refusing to acknowledge that you're a big girl and still making your groom sleep in the spare room? Ah, the perils of trying to get Dad to fall in line on the big day.

But do you know what? And we're risking a sniffle here... we hope you cherish every awkward, indulgent, stubborn, erratic, wonderful moment of trying to shoehorn your Dad into your plans. Because no matter if he has to wear a corset to do up the suit he claims still fits, or his jokes fall flat while he sips a few too many bubbles, or he insists on having a 'serious talk' with your husband-to-be the night before the wedding, he's your Dad, and that moment when he catches his first glimpse of you in your dress and sees his five year-old, gap-toothed, grinning girl all grown up...well, that moment will be worth it.

Illustries' Emma wasn't lucky enough to have that moment as her Dad took the somewhat dramatic step of passing away a few months before the wedding just to avoid fitting in. He was sorely missed, but she knew he would have wanted the show to go on so she bucked herself up and drafted in plenty of support - Mum, to give her away, sisters, to give a speech. And they were perfect, of course. Just not him.

So, cherish your Dad and all his foibles, embrace his eccentricities, celebrate his sentmentality, and just jettison his jokes. Because when you look back, we think what you'll remember is how reassuring that arm felt as you begin your walk to your new husband - not the fact that it was covered in scratchy caramel nylon...

Pretty in Pink

We're putting the finishing touches to Mel & Andy's CELEB magazine this week, and we think it is looking fab-u-lous! Although the magazine doesn't use colour as a design element, as we do in all our other formats, the juicy raspberry pink Melanie selected is looking great in the spreads. Can't wait to get this one to print!

C is for
Cake

Of course! We love cake, surely it's everyone's favourite part of the day? But is it a fleeting moment, spending the proverbial moment on the lips? Or is it an essential element of the ever more personalised perfect day?

We think it can be a little of both. We're pretty sure that if you handed round some mighty fine plain old victoria sandwich everyone would be delighted (the best we ever tasted was Mrs Bou's, which we were lucky enough to sample at the Vintage Wedding Fair in Leamington Spa), and even if you skipped the tradition, we're certain no-one would be discussing it come Monday morning.

But if you've a particular theme in mind, a passion for a certain shade or you're just dead keen on death-by-chocolate, then the cake can be a real centrepiece, bringing everything together in one fabulous confection. Our Emma had a beautiful custom-dyed collection of chocolate pots for her bash (see the ladies inspecting the creation below, we think shock and awe best describes their reaction). The cake sat in the middle of the dance floor; a towering embodiment of teal and gold, echoed in the table decorations all around (it was yummy too, thanks Slattery's of Manchester!). It wasn't happy to be moved for the dancing, but hey, we couldn't let it have everything its own way.

Another of our brides, the lovely Bec, had a family friend craft fruit-choc-sponge extravaganzas that summed up her summery day in fondant. Daisies and sunflowers everywhere, with big cakes and cupcakes to keep everyone happy, Beautiful, and set at the centre of their relaxed buffet, it kept the whole summer fete feeling going.

So, whether it's a budget blowing Maisie Fantaisie (so beautiful), a fashion-forward Peggy Porschen (divine) or something a little more funky like the cake pops from Rhubarb&Rose (we want to get married all over again for these alone), we think the cake will be as important as you let it be (they're demanding, these cakes, they want to be centre of attention all the time, you've got to make sure you put them fimly in their place).
We are sure there are hundreds of fab cake makers out there, but these are a few that we think are gorgeous:

http://www.slatterys.co.uk/%22%3Ehttp://www.slatterys.co.uk/%3C/a- everything from choc to completely custom

http://www.rhubarbandrose.co.uk/ - beautiful cake pops and cup cakes for something different (DIY tips via the blog, too! rhubarbandrose.blogspot.com)

http://www.restorationcake.co.uk/ - gorgeous cakes, and everything can be made dairy or wheat free (a bonus for those intolerant folks)

http://www.boutiquebaking.co.uk/ - Mrs Bou, we bow down to your victoria sponge, a hefty slice of which got us through our first ever wedding fair. A joy of a cake...

http://www.peggyporschen.com/ - we need say no more...

http://www.maisiefantaisie.co.uk/ - as above. Enough said!