However brides still seem to think that you have to keep your bridesmaids in exactly the same shade of that colour or it won’t look right.  In our opinion we’re not seeing enough of an array of colour.

We wanted to share some ideas with you of how you can subtly introduce various shades of the same colour into your wedding using your bridesmaids dresses.

This works exceptionally well at weddings where there are lots of adult bridesmaids.

As self confessed Dessy fans here at I Do Designer Weddings, it made sense to use their dresses to illustrate our point.

Stunning Shades of Blue 

Using Lela Rose Bridesmaids Style LR161 in Ocean Blue, Larkspur and Taupe.

Classic Shades

Using Dessy Collection  Style 2489 in Ivory, Taupe and Charcoal Grey.

Funky Orange & Black

Using Dessy After Six 6629 in Clementine, Tangerine Tango and Black.

Pretty in Pink

Using Dessy Social Bridesmaids in Carnation, Pretty in Pink and Merlot. 

This look can be achieved with most colour palettes - but do be careful and make sure that there is no clash. 

All of the dresses on this post can be found on the Dessy website here.  They have 381 to choose from!

We are more than happy to get involved in designing your wedding for you if you want it to look truly spectacular.

What is it? (for those that haven’t yet got involved in this fabulous phenomenon)

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard – it lets you share and organise all the beautiful things that you find on the web. PERFECT!!

We love it – it’s just brilliant for wedding planners as it allows us to show ideas and styling to our clients and potential clients.  It also gives potential clients a ‘feel’ for the type of things that we like, which helps them to decide whether we might be the right Wedding Planner for them.  Our boards can be found here.

Although Pinterest has been around for 2 years now, we have only been active for a short time.  We have always been slightly concerned by the Copyright issues around Pinterest.  Whilst it seems to have been widely accepted that it’s ok to ’Pin’ anything that you find as long as you reference it, we were a little worried that it’s basically stealing images for your own use. 

We know how it feels to have your work ‘stolen’ as we’ve had other wedding planners steal all of our wording from our website and put it on theirs.

A photographer should always be credited on Pinterest, therefore the general feeling is that they should be pleased that their work is being repinned and seen around the Globe, increasing their presence and getting free PR.  I appreciate that our ‘stolen’ work was a little different as other businesses were trying to pass it off as their own.  But there is never a clear line and if an image isn’t credited properly the first time round it will be repinned with those original credits.

Local photographer, Helen Andrews, drew our attention to an article written by a fellow photographer, explaining why she ‘tearfully deleted all of her Pinterest Boards’ for this exact reason.  You can read the article here.  It seems quite scary stuff – we don’t want to be sued for just sharing pretty pictures! 

So what’s the answer??  The photographer in question did get a call from the founder of Pinterest, Ben Silberman, he seems to be working with her and various photography associations to see what can be done to ensure that the copyright issue is overcome.  You can read one of her follow up articles here.

We don’t want to have to delete our boards so will continue to be careful in what we choose to Pin.  But I would love to hear the views of photographers and other Pinterest lovers out there.

WE LOVE YOU PINTEREST

In a previous article we told you all of the benefits of hiring a wedding planner.  In the UK more and more couples are realising how important it is to book a planner as soon as they get engaged, but we still haven’t caught up with the US yet.  Our original article can be seen here.

Today we’re going to take things one step further and tell you why that wedding planner should be a member of the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners. At I Do Designer Weddings we are proud to be members.

The UK Alliance of Wedding Planners was set up in 2004 to promote professionalism in wedding planning.  The words below were provided by them.

Why consider hiring a UKAWP wedding planner?

Vetted

Our planners are vetted and reference checked, important in an unregulated industry.  Our planners have had their key business materials vetted by UKAWP and supplier and client references sought.

Pioneers 

Our planners believe in investing in training and their continued learning – our members regularly attend seminars, networking events and internal meetings in order to share ideas and ensure that they are at the forefront of the industry and offering the very best customer experience.

Support Network

Most independent wedding planning companies are small (often one person) businesses; as a result this can be worrying for potential clients in the case of illness and emergency.  Our members have access to a large group of experienced planners who can step in on your wedding with ease if necessary.

Business Minded

Our planners adhere to the following code of ethics and good business practice which aims to promote the high standards of members and offers reassurance to couples:

• Respond to enquiries within 48 hours
• Respect client confidentiality
• Disclose all suppliers that they have vested interest in
• Always pass discounts and/or commission onto the client
• Ensure their Public Liability Insurance is up to date
• Never give client details to any third party unless for the sole purpose of the wedding
• Respect copyright of all planners, co-ordinators and related suppliers
• Represent each client fairly and honestly

If you are looking for a reputable planner and you are from The North visit our website here, otherwise you should take a look at the members directory page on the UKAWP website for a high quality planner local to you.

We just wanted to wish all of our blog followers a very Happy Easter.  Have a good rest and enjoy some lovely chocolate.

We can’t post without adding something wedding related……..How cute is this easter themed wedding cake topper from Joo Joo?!

Since the 1990′s strapless dresses have been extremely popular.  We estimate that about 80% of our brides have worn a strapless dress, but things are about to change.

Necklines are getting higher and backs are coming down.  The year of the backless dress is nigh…..

Here are our favourite backless wedding gowns from this season.

This amazing gown is called Cadogan and is by Rita Westenius.  A stunning column dress with a flared skirt – we adore the lace trimmed hemline.

Lace is on all the catwalks as a key fabric for romatic detail.  Look at this bias cut gown with a beautiful french lace back from Suzanne Neville.

Just look at these amazing gowns by Delphine Manivet.  The first is Sacha and the second is Agapan – we are in LOVE with her Agapan dress and have heard brides say that they couldn’t get married in anything else!  If you’re tall and willowy there can be no other dress.

We’re huge Stephanie Allin fans so it wouldn’t be right to leave her out.  If you’re nervous about showing a lot of back this Claudine Gown is just perfect.

If you have a figure to die for why not go for the Gemy Couture Gemy dress below.

For real glamour and elegance what about the Lara Hannah Alberta Gown.    Made from silk crepe, with a guipure lace overlay on the bodice and lined with luxurious silk, it’s a real Wow dress.

Which is your favourite?  We would love your comments.

If you’re thinking of something a little more fun than a traditional marquee, why not head along to the Papakata Open Weekend this weekend.  It’s running on Saturday 31st March and Sunday 1st April at the stunning Escrick Park Estate.

Sit in front of the fire, enjoy the coffee and have a chat with the lovely Papa peeps.  They might even have a hog roast on.

If you want to book your teepee wedding don’t forget to book Yorkshire Wedding Planners, I Do Designer Weddings, to take the stress out of the planning and save you some money.

Come along to A Wedding for all Seasons to be in with a chance of winning some truly amazing goodies…. 

A Designer Couture Handmade Wedding Dress 

The winner will receive a designed Haute Couture Dress worth up to £1,500
Plus unsuccessful entrants still receive a 10% Discount*  Courtesy of Jane Elmer Couture        
www.elmercouture.com

 An Adventure Weekend for Four 

Visit the Adventure Zone, pay £1.00 towards BBC Sport Relief and the highest score of the Fair with 3 arrows wins*  Courtesy of Maximum Adventure Sports
www.maximumadventuresports.com

 50% off Your Wedding Ring 

The winner will receive 50% off their Wedding Ring*  Courtesy of Iain Henderson Designs
www.iainhenderson.co.uk

A Three Tier Wedding Cake or Cupcake Tower 

The winner will receive a Wedding Cake or Cupcake Tower worth up to £350*  Courtesy of Cakes for All Occasions Yorkshire
www.cakesforalloccasionsyorkshire.com

A Pair of Weddington Boots worth £49.95 

The winner will receive a ‘Catherine’ or ‘Classic’ Pair of Weddington Boots*  Courtesy of The Wedding Affair
www.theweddingaffair.co.uk

20% Discount at L.K. Bennett.

Book a personal styling appointment at L.K. Bennett, 62-68 Low Petergate, York and enjoy 20% discount on full price purchases.* Exclusions apply.  Courtesy of L.K. Bennett, York
www.lkbennett.com

 A Free Facial at Molton Brown York 

For VIP Brides Only-Take your Complimentary Express Facial Voucher to Molton Brown, 19 Davygate, York and also receive a £10.00 gift bag with any purchase*  Courtesy of Molton Brown York
www.moltonbrown.com

A Bottle of Champagne 

Visit the Casino in Hollywood Glamour, highest score of the Fair to win*   Courtesy of MissDeal Fun Casino Hire
www.missdealfuncasinohire.co.uk

A ’Cinematic’ Wedding Video of your big day* 

Visit the Mulhern Media Wedding Video stand in Hollywood Glamour and fill out your entry form, free entry!  Courtesy of Mulhern Media
www.mulhernmedia.com

 Come along to the event for your chance to win! 

We love it when the press come and ask us for an expert opinion.  It’s nice to know that they value what we have to say.

This month we can be found in Perfect Wedding arguing their Hot Topic “Should I blow my budget on my Wedding Dress.”  What do you think we said???   Why YES of course! 

To read the full article get out there any buy a copy of Perfect Wedding.

I Do Designer Weddings are delighted to be part of ‘A Wedding for all Seasons’ at Newburgh Priory on Saturday 24th March & Sunday 25th March. 

We believe that this looks set to be Yorkshire’s finest wedding show.

The idea for the show was thought up by The Wedding Affair, who wanted to showcase some of the Norths’ finest wedding suppliers in one mammoth event.  It’s a far cry from a traditional wedding fair which is why we were so keen to get involved.

We will be in the Quintessentially British Marquee offering free advice from the sofa to Brides & Grooms, in addition to running a wedding school throughout the day.  If you are attending the show don’t foget to drop by and say hello! 

A bit about the show……..

The Design Quarter

In order to inspire brides and grooms there will be the ability to ’step into’ a wedding theme.  In the beautiful ruins of the old ballroom, a marquee will be divided into four quarters to represent each season. 

Some of the best florists and venue stylists will be designing each season.  We are so excited to see what they look like as we know all of the suppliers involved and have had some inside information on the stunning themes they have come up with – you are about to be amazed by their creativity.  

 The Wedding Affair Boutique

An on-site boutique from which brides can talk to Yorkshire Designer’s and see the latest trends and accessories.

The Limelight Catwalk Shows

Three amazing Catwalk Shows a day will be delivered to you by The Model Experience, showcasing designs from each season plus latest Designer fashions from Bridal, Menswear, Millinery and Jewellery.

The Adventure Zone

Adventurous Brides and Grooms can step into the Adventure Zone to ride quad bikes through the woods or have a go at archery and a climbing wall.  Why not try your hand at Black Jack or Roulette and bring out the gambler in you! 

All activities are included in the price of the admission ticket.  A competition will be run for an Adventure Weekend for Four for the highest score with 3 arrows on the weekend – we hope we’re allowed a go!

The Wedding School

We will be running the on-site wedding school and are so excited about getting in front of you all.  Spaces are very limited for each seminar so pop along and register as soon as you arrive.   We will also be offering wedding planning, inspiration and advice on the sofa. 

The Cocktail Bar

A sublime cocktail has been created especially for the event by Spiritus Events. Lucky VIP Brides will have the opportunity to sample it as part of their ticket.

The Beauty Room

Beauty treatments and complimentary hair and make-up consultations are being held in The Beauty Room. 

There will also be lots of competitions and giveaways throughout the event.  

Admission is £5.00 per person or £15.00 for VIP’s.  VIP tickets include the entrance fee, a Wedding Affair cocktail, invitation to a private champagne reception on Friday 23rd March, a luxury gift bag and various discounts from selected suppliers. 

To register CLICK HERE.

After a quick coffee and catch up with many of our Wedding Planning Colleagues from throughout the country, we grabbed our files and headed in to see what WPE 12 had in store.

The room layout was perfect, with some classic designs by Euphoric Flowers on each table. 

UKAWP Director Bernadette Chapman welcomed us all to the conference and ran through the agenda. 

With the morning spent focussing on our businesses, it was great to get onto more practical areas in the afternoon. 

The lovely Jo Bryant,  from Debretts, came to speak to us about Etiquette for the Modern Wedding Planner.  Debretts produce their own wedding guide which gives an excellent overview of how to plan your big day.  If you’re not choosing a wedding planner to run your big day it might we worth getting a copy, it’s currently available for the reduced price of £10.99 through this link. 

At I Do Designer Weddings we tend to run a lot of marquee weddings, so we were thrilled to hear Anthony Wickham from luxury marquee company TT Tents.  It’s always worthwhile hearing what’s new in the world of marquees, and what to look out for, for our clients.

Debbie Baisden from iBarco gave a great talk on how to use a mobile bar to the best of its potential.  We were delighted with the amazing Thunder toffee vodka shot we all got to round off the day.  This would make a nice drink after the coffe get the party going at a wedding.

Day One was rounded up with a stunning Cocktail Reception and Meal at 30 Pavilion Road.

Day Two kicked off with the amazing photographer Lloyd Dobbie tallking us through what happens in the lab after a wedding.  It really helped to see examples of images pre and post processing, with lloyd talking us through each edit and what difference it made to the photograph. 

When a bride tells us that they have a family friend that’s a photographer it always fills us with dread - seeing the stages that Lloyd goes through to make sure that each and every image look perfect just reinforces that this is the one area of your wedding that you must leave to a professional.

After a bit more business advice we were treated to a make-over by one of the UK’s leading make up artists, Jules Cardozo-Marsh.  She talked us through what to look out for from a good make-up artist, and what to avoid from a poor one.  It always amazes me just how a face can be transformed by a professional.  

On your wedding day you shouldn’t look completely different, but a great make up artist can really bring out the best in your features.   

Ellie Sanderson had to be our favourite speaker.  Not only did she tell us what is hot in bridal fashion, but she also let us get up close and personal with some amazing bridal gowns in a little X Factor Style Game. 

We were split into four teams and had to create a look for a model bride based on a brief given to us by Ellie. 

The judges were four Wedding Planners chosen at random.

Our team were given the brief to dress a bride in her 30′s for a glamorous wedding in Helsinki Cathedral in winter time.  Here we are deciding which dress to choose for our stunning model.

The final result – not bad.

When the dresses were put away it was great to hear venue design trends for 2012 from leading venue stylists Meditteranean Occassions. We’re always on the look out for ways to make our clients’ weddings stand out from the crowd so like to stay ahead of the curve on latest trends.

The last speaker of the weekend was Whitney Wing-Drake, of Californian Wedding Planning Company Wish Wonder Dream.  It was interesting to hear how a US Planner does it.  There is a huge difference in the market for wedding planners in the US, where the majority of couples understand the benefits of a planner and hire one as soon as they get engaged. 

And of course we all got a lovely goodie bag to take home – some great reading for the long train journey back up North.

Huge thanks go to Lloyd Dobbie for allowing us to use his images on this blogpost.