Children and Weddings

Should you invite children to your wedding? It is a topic that will rumble on for ever and always sparks debate with many differing views. I do not think there is ever a right or wrong answer, it is down to the individual and what you want for your wedding day.

Some couples will consider the family element of a wedding to be the most important with children being an integral part while others will want parents to be able to let their hair down without the worry of taking care of the little ones.

In the recent edition of Stylist Magazine, Zoe Williams gives her views on why children and weddings don't mix. Please click below to read the full article.

Petite Cake Balls

If you haven't already realised - I love cup cakes! So, I was excited to hear of a new company 'Petite Cake Balls' offering an alternative to the traditional cup cake. This idea started in America and has now come to the UK.

These hand made cake balls are bite size tasters of moist cake blended with rich frosting and a delicious chocolate coating. They come in a variety of flavours including chocolate, carrot, strawberry's and cream, coffee and walnut and jaffa cake (see leaflet below for a full list), decorated in any colour and can be displayed in cake cases (cake balls) or on sticks (cake pops).

These could make a great addition to any wedding adding a little quirky touch. Why not consider using them as favours or as dessert. Prices start from £1.25 depending on the design.

For more information visit Petite Cake Ball on Facebook.

Budget bridesmaid dresses

The summer sales are well and truly upon us so why not make the most of them and search for a bridesmaid dress bargain. No matter what your colour theme or the style you are after I am sure there is something for everyone. As with most sale items they fly off the shelves so make sure you get in quickly to guarantee your sizes especially if you have a few bridesmaids.

Here are a few of my favorites...

Photo credits:
1 One shoulder Origami Dress (£75 reduced to £45) - Oasis
2 Savannah Duchess Satin Maxi Dress (£195 reduced to £125) - Coast
3 Ivy Dress (£175 reduced to £99) - Coast
4 Boudoir Satin Dress (£180 reduced to £89.95) - Karen Millen
5 Modern Artwork Dress (£165 reduced to £110) - Karen Millen
6 Symphony Maxi Dress (£160 reduced to £125) - Coast

Preston Bailey colour pallet picker

One of the first steps when planning your wedding, and sometimes the most difficult, is deciding on your theme or colour scheme. I recently came across a wonderful tool which I wanted to share with you. The Preston Bailey colour pallet picker is a fun way to come up with a knockout colour scheme in four easy steps to bring the wow factor to your special day.


Step 1 asks you to decide on your main colour, step 2 requests further information about the wedding in terms of how many guests, indoor or outside, the light source and the tone of the event.


Then, before showing you your final colour pallet your asked to choose a Preston Factor. Here is one that I came up with using Magenta as my main colour....

I'm not saying this tool will 100% provide you will all the answers but it will definitely give you the inspiration to help get your creative juices flowing. Why not give it a go.

UK Alliance of Wedding Planners - Member Focus

The UK Alliance of Wedding Planners (UKAWP) was founded for one purpose: to promote professionalism in wedding planning. A wedding is the most personal and important event in a couple's life and those involved have a duty to act with integrity and honesty.

Having undertaken training with the UKAWP I am an associate member. This means that I have met strict entrance requirements and adhere to a strict code of ethics giving you the reassurance you are using a wedding planner you can rely on.

I was recently asked to answer a few questions for a members focus on their blog. To find out what I had to say please visit the UKAWP.

Strawberry and lime

Call me an old romantic but I do not think pink will ever go out of fashion where weddings are concerned. Rather than subtle pastels, this colour board shows vivid splashes of hot pinks with a twist, mixing it with a quirky citrus green. This board shouts fun fun fun and I would love to be a guest at this wedding.

Photo credits:
Bride and bridesmaids: The Brides Cafe
Gerbera flower on chair: ivillage
Butterfly cake: Nicky Grant
Bride with bouquet: My Toronto Florist
Ring cushion, Pink dress with green shoes & Green bridesmaid with bouquet: Brides.com
Table setting: Tickled Pink Brides
Cookies: A Dozen Eggs
Button hole: Sarah's Flowers
Pink shoe: Christian Louboutin

Velvet Weddings

I have some very exciting news about Velvet, a family run business in Brighton & Hove. Velvet has two lifestyle stores offering a beautifully unique range of furniture, lighting, clothing and accessories. More importantly, they also stock a range of items for brides but with such a large range of fab items to offer there was no space to fit everything in. So, great news for all you brides, they have recently launch an online website 'Velvet Weddings' totally dedicated to weddings.

Velvet Weddings stock everything from cake stands, bird cages, favours, table decorations, frames and photo holders as well as fairy lights, chalk boards, wooden letters, photo albums and much much more. Here are a few of my favorites.

The website is also great for searching for items of a particular colour or more importantly a particular theme. Here are some of the themes that you can choose to search with.


For more information visit either Velvet or Velvet Weddings or why not pop into one of the Brighton & Hove stores to have a look round for yourself.