Z is for PiZZaZZ!

Oh OK, we cheated!

Let’s face it, every bride is after a little wow factor. Those unusual touches, jaw-dropping moments or just a whole load of personality to add to the proceedings: maybe there’s a particular theme, a colour scheme or a general feeling they want to get across. Some of our brides love the whole process of making and customizing some or all of their wedding decorations and the like. There are some great resources out there for ideas and DIY tips. We like…

DIY Bride

Adore by Chloe

Bijoux Bride

But maybe you’re not up for crafting, or you’re finding your efforts are falling short of the Martha Stewart mark. Fear not, there are some brilliant styling companies out there. We think these few are amazing. And when you add up the spend on supplies for your makes, it can be surprisingly cost effective to hire a little pizzazz!

Ava Event Styling

Teaspoon Events

Jennifer Sue Weddings

Y is for Yum!

One element we always include in our Illustries is our ‘Recipe for Love’. We create it in different styles – sometimes channeling Nigella, sometimes a bit more Jamie and even a little shouty Gordon now and then – depending on our client and the kind of day. It makes a great highlight for the cake and looks amazing framed up. Yummy!

We also love adding the wedding breakfast menu to our Illustries, it never fails to make us hungry. We’ve had a hog roast, a celtic feast, a barbecue and at-table carving to name but a few. And then there are the cakes and sweet treats to add extra deliciousness - have a look at some more of our fave suppliers out there.

http://butterflybakehouse.co.uk/

http://kissmecupcakes.co.uk/

http://www.boutiquecupcakes.co.uk/

http://www.whoopiepiesuk.co.uk/

http://www.restorationcake.co.uk/

W is for Where?

Is the venue the first thing you choose? We suppose the one of the first decisions is the choice between a civil and religious ceremony. And then is it his home town or hers, or maybe where you’re living now?

We love the fact that our Classic Illustry clients, Neil and Kathryn, opted for his home town but a catholic ceremony to fit with her faith. That left choice fairly limited in Dunoon, but they ended up with the most beautiful church and that view of the coast – magical. Rebecca and Andrew chose the church just up the road from their country cottage and Rebecca says that whenever she’s standing at the kitchen sink, she can see the place that she married, and that it still gives her a warm feeling (helps get through the washing up!).

Other clients have gone for venues where they can take over the whole place for their day and evening, great hotels and even a fabulous castle. Another couple chose the local register office followed by a relaxed party in her mum and dad’s stunning garden, complete with garden-themed menu and favours. And one of our very favourite venues was the gorgeous boathouse that Andrew and Natalie dressed so beautifully for their very personal wedding.

We think that as long as the venue is where you want to be, then anywhere goes. Sign the petition to relax the rules here:

 http://www.theanycampaign.co.uk/

X is for just that, Ex!

Let’s face it, we’ve all got a history, whether it is littered with hearts broken and discarded or just one or two that we’ve loved and lost before we’ve found The One. Maybe your break ups have been messy and the thought of an ex attending your nuptials is laughable. But what if you parted on good terms and are still the best of friends? Can you invite them to your wedding without any awkward moments? We think you have to take your cue from your other half – if they’re comfortable, don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. William and Catherine invited practically all their rumoured exes to the Abbey – which may have something to do with controlling kiss and tell intentions. So maybe there’s some truth in the old ‘keep your enemies close and your enemies closer’ adage. Perhaps that’s the best policy, particularly if you share children with an ex-partner: invite them, please your kids- and hope they turn you down!

We polled you to find out if you'd invite an ex to the wedding. No huge surprises, 80% of you said a resounding no. But a surprising 20% were generous, inviting an ex because of the kids.

V is for Vintage

Definitely all the rage at the moment, vintage is a fairly difficult concept to pin down. Normally described as ‘pre-1989’, we think vintage can be a pretty free brief with loads of lovely eras from which to pick and choose. We’re sure there are purists out there, so we’re not trying to be experts here, just that we’ve spotted some lovely suppliers who specialize in true vintage or vintage-inspired items, or could give you a little inspiration:

http://www.cuteasabuttonuk.co.uk/ for some lovely button bouquets

http://www.natashajane.co.uk/ to check out bespoke, vintage inspired headwear

http://www.ohmyhoney.co.uk/ for retro creations and beautiful custom ideas

http://www.bonnefete-hire.co.uk/ have venue and table decorations for hire

http://www.fiftieswedding.com/ just loads of inspiration

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!

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!

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!

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.

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

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!

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?

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!

A wedding alphabet

Our CELEB magazine has a lovely section imaginatively titled 'The A-Z of the wedding',because that's what it is. It is always different, we create each one from scratch for our very special clients, and as we're working on for Mel and Andy ('S' is for sparkles, their wedding glistened with tiny crystals!) we thought we'd start our own. So, the Illustries A-Z of weddings was born. It's there, on your left, starting with A, as you'd expect. Oh, and Illustries' mums, if you're reading (probably not, as you're both kind of silver paddling rather than surfing), we're sorry x