By pairing ice-white with tones of taupe, gunmetal grey and copper the look is cool and sophisticated with a hint of rustic thrown in…

 Snow Scene: James Christianson Photography | Wool Cap: BHLDN | Gloves and Acorn: Tiny White Daisies | Envelope: Oh Joy | Winter Bouquet: Paige Winn Photography via Elizabeth Designs | Feather Buttonhole: Pomp And Plumage via Etsy | Winter Table Setting: Jenny Haas and Ashley Krogman Designs via Green Wedding Shoes | Floral Belt: Erica Elizabeth Designs | Cotton Wreath: Oh, How Charming!, Aaron Delesie and Mindy Rice Floral and Event Design via Green Wedding Shoes | Cotton Place Setting: Anna Kuperberg via Style Me Pretty | Cake: Patty Cakes and Kristyn Hogan via Rustic Wedding Chic

Original Article: One Fab Day : A Snowy Winter Wedding

So first of all we need to know the love story – how did Kate and Damien get together? “Well… we met in Hogans bar on Georges St in Dublin. Back then I was living in the UK but had come to Dublin for a weekend with a girl friend. We checked into our hotel and asked where the best place nearby was to go for a drink. Hogan’s was packed and at the bar a guy asked me to help him carry drinks back to his mates. I said yes and that’s when I got chatting to Damian. We all had a great night and Damian and I ended up sharing chips and swapping numbers. We met up again a couple of times over that long weekend and Damian offered to drive myself and my mate to the airport at the end of our stay. We kept in touch after that and everything grew from there. I won’t lie, there wee a fews up and downs along the way, but we got married 7 years later!”

While for most couples the proposal is a private time alone just the two of them, Damien chose a perfect We were in the Cotswolds in the UK, spending a long weekend with all my college friends and their partners/families. We’re all scattered all over the place now so don’t get together that often any more. On the first night we went back to the cottage we were renting and Damian got down on one knee. It was such a lovely moment, made all the better by the fact that we could then spend the rest of the weekend sharing our news and celebrating with good friends!

Swoon, swoon, swoon… Kate’s be-aut-i-ful dress came from the collection of Claire Pettibone at Myrtle Ivory, if you’re not already familiar with Claire Pettibone‘s designs, but you dream of a soft romantic, ethereal style of wedding dress, embellished and embroidered as if by fairies – then you have to check out www.clairepettibone.com

With a dress this beautiful as the centrepiece, Kate opted to keep her wedding palette clean and simple, “we wanted something elegant yet relaxed, and nothing too fussy. I wanted a bright colour to provide contrast and I knew I wanted fresias and roses in my bouguet, and so we decided on the bright red for the bridesmaids dresses”.

The magnificent Church of the Most Holy Rosary in Abbeyleix was chosen for the ceremony, and it really does make for a breathtaking location with the beautiful barrel-vaulted ceiling and splendid altarspace…

So what was the best bit? “We loved ALL of it! The night before we had an informal dinner which was a great way for wedding guests to get to know each other and was really relaxing for everyone. I loved waking up early the next day and having room service breakfast and getting ready with my bridesmaids – Caroline and Rosie. Tori, who did our hair, is a good friend of mine, so it was all very relaxing and loads of fun! The staff at Castle Durrow were amazing and we enjoyed all of the reception, but for me, my most absolute favourite bit was walking up the aisle and greeting Damian at the alter. It sounds cheesy, but it really was amazing to walk up there in front of all our favourite people and say ‘I do’ to the man I love! Damian said this was his favourite bit too… I didn’t have to twist his arm or anything”

Timeless and romantic – is this not what every girl dreams of as her wedding portrait? Nicola Webster excels at capturing these soft, subtle and intimate moments.

Kate and Damien chose Castle Durrow in Laois as the perfect setting for their dream day, located as it is in the midlands it is situated almost at a midpoint between their two hometowns… “We wanted to get married in Ireland. We live in Dublin but Damian’s from the West (Mayo) and I’m from the UK (Winchester, England) and so we wanted somewhere which was in between all of these and relatively easy to get to for all our guests. A few years ago I did the Ballymaloe 12 week cookery course and so used to drive past the entrance to Castle Durrow when I headed home to Dublin at the weekends. We went to see a handful of places and fell in love with Castle Durrow as soon as we saw it!”

To keep the little ones occupied during the wedding Kate made party bags for the kids. “These are a great idea and I’d highly recommend them to any couple who have kids on their guest list. The kids love the excitement of a party bag and you can fill them with thing to keep them occupied throughout the meal and speeches.” Kate also roped in family and friends to help out in other ways… “Damian’s mum made our cake…and it was fabulous – there wasn’t any left at the end of the few days in Castle Durrow. Our friend Natalie is a wonderful calligrapher so she wrote all of our invites and the name cards for the tables too.” Gotta love talented mates…

And a final word of advice from Kate…“Don’t get stressed out or overwhelmed by any of it. Set a budget and stick to it (as much as possible!) If things are becoming too expensive, prioritise the things that are essential to making your day perfect, and sacrfice the things which are not. Most of all just enjoy all of it, it’s the most amazing experience!”

Thanks a mill to Kate and Damien for giving us insight into their gorgeous day – Congratulations guys!

And huge thanks to Nicola Webster for sharing her beautiful work with us – there’s lots more to see over on www.nicolawebster.com

All the Wedding Details 

Original Article: One Fab Day : Timeless Elegance at Castle Durrow by Nicola Webster

Any of you who have started the big venue search will know that while you do have lots of questions and (usually) good conversations with the marketing/wedding person while there, typically you walk away thinking of a gazillion questions that you should have asked.

So our advice is: when you going to view a venue, bring along a list of questions and jot down the answers as you go. That way a) you’ll have all the information you need and b) you’ll have consistent answers to compare between venue options. This will make the entire pros and cons thing so much easier when trying to make your decision.

To get you started we’ve compiled a general list of wedding venue questions that cover all the various aspects but we’d love to head any other suggestions so do lash us in a comment if you think of something, and we’ll update the page…
General questions for most wedding venues

• How many people can this location accommodate? also taking into consideration, area for the band, dj, cake table, candy buffet?
• Do you hold more than one wedding per day? or will there be another event held in the venue on the day/night?
• Will you charge a corkage fee?
• Is the champagne toast complimentary?
• Are there additional charges for bar staff/waiting staff?
• Who will actually be here on the day? Is there an in-house wedding coordinator?
• If there is a coordinator, will they be there for the duration of the reception?

• Can I have a marquee in the grounds?
• What is the back-up plan if it rains?
• Can we set up the day before?
• How flexible can I be with suppliers/ is there an in-house caterer etc?
• If I hire my own caterer, are kitchen facilities available to them?

• Will you have a red carpet?
• What crockery/linen/cutlery provided as part of the package?
• Is the cake-cutting knife provided?

• Is there a room for the Bridal Party to prepare for the big entrance?
• Is the venue child friendly?
• Is there a lift/facilities/access for the elderly, disabled?
• Is there enough parking for my guests/is it complimentary?
• Is there a heated outdoor space for smoking or where my guests can mingle?
• Can I move things around and decorate to suit my purposes, or do I have to leave everything as is?
• How many toilets  are there? You should have at least 10 toilets per 100 people.
• Does the venue have public liability insurance? If someone gets injured during the party, you don’t want to be held responsible and  if the site doesn’t have insurance, you will need to get your own.

Ceremony

• Which rooms are licensed for ceremonies?
•  Is the ceremony to take place in the same room as the reception?
• What is the changeover plan for converting to reception?

Accomodation

• Is the bridal suite included in the price? Are rooms provided for the parents?
• What accommodation does the venue offer, will there be discounted rates for guests at the wedding?
• Are there B&Bs and other hotels in the area for guests? Can you provide a list?
• What public transportation is there available in the area? Are there reliable taxi companies?

Party 

• Does the wedding venue already own a sound system with adequate speakers or will that need to be rented?
• Will the band be able to set up beforehand or does it have to be during changeover?
• Will the band have to go through the reception to set up or is there separate access?
• Do you have microphones in the venue for the speeches?
• Can I hook an ipod/laptop up to your sound system?
• Is there a late bar? How late will the bar be open?
• Is there a charge for a bar extension?

Financial 

• Is there a payment schedule? What kind of deposits are required?
• What’s the cancellation policy?
• Are discounts/packages dependent on certain numbers of guests booking accomodation?
• Are there special reductions for off-peak (e.g. Mon – Thurs or Oct, Nov, Jan – March)?

So what do you think? Any other suggestions are very welcome and in the next little while we’ll include them and create a wedding venue question checklist you can print out, so let us know…

Original Article: One Fab Day : The Important Questions – A Wedding Venue Checklist

So this list covers everything sugary and sweet from those you will know well, like cupcakes, to others that are just emerging as hot trends, like jelly and croquembouche. Read on if your calorie counter dares…

Images: My Sweet and Saucy &  Paiges of Style via Hostess with the Mostess

Doughnuts

Not usually thought of as wedding fair, but one of my personal favourite sweet things, is the humble doughut. With a variety of fillings and a little creativity in terms of presentation you can have a very cost-effective and pretty wedding cake alternative. Ireland’s most famous doughnuts - The Rolling Donut (the little kiosk on O’Connell Street) is now offering a wedding service of their gorgeous sweet and sticky delights…  One Fab Tip - Be sure to place doughnuts in between flattened paper or cupcake liners so they won’t stick together.

 Images: Cloudberry Bakery by Pauline Dennigan and  The Sweet Cupcake Co.

Cupcakes

Since bursting on the wedding scene a few years ago individual, beautifully decorated cupcakes stacked high on pretty tiered stands have made serious in-roads into traditional wedding cake territory. And what could be more perfect, if you’re planning on having  vintage style tea party paraphernalia gracing your reception tables? A delicate little cupcake decorated to your personal theme or motif is a delectable delight. Some of our favourite cupcake makers include: Cloudberry Bakery, The Perfectionist Confectionist, The Cupcakery and the Cake Cuppery

Original Article: One Fab Day : Sweet and Saucy – 10 Wedding Cake Alternatives

To help with the big wedding venue search this morning we’ve put together a list of the main wedding venue options and the pros and cons of each. From experience, and talking to lots of couples, weddings are plenty of work and what might seem like the perfect venue at first, mightn’t be quite right really, so it’s worth weighing up your options…

Image: Johannes Photography

The Two Big Wedding Venue Questions

Before you think about the options it’s worth having a sit down together and thinking through your overall vision, we have a post about the very beginning of planning, but there are two main questions that will help you shortlist your venues immediately.

1. How many guests you are going to have?   For weddings with more than 150 guests you are talking a hotel or marquee; for weddings smaller than 50, a private venue or restaurant will work best; Determine the ballpark number of guests before even thinking about drawing up a list of potential venues.

2. How “hands on” do you want/intend to be?

If you want to minimise the stress and hassle, then a marquee wedding or private rental are probably not right for you, a hotel wedding  where things have been worked out to a tee, is going to make life much easier for you.

Image: Studio 33 Photography

Hotel Wedding Venue

The traditional choice for most weddings in Ireland involve booking the local hotel and church and done. While Irish brides and grooms are getting more adventurous and creative in their choice of wedding venue, and mode of celebration, there are very good reasons why a hotel is the perfect choice. If you’ve got a large wedding guest list, are time-poor or just simply want a location with on-site accomodation, facilities and an experienced and professional team to look after your day, then choosing a hotel with a great reputation

Pros:

• Package Deals: Hotels that cater for lots of weddings usually offer good packages making budgeting so much easier.
• In-house wedding coordinator: organising all the nitty gritty of the day
• Trust: A respected venue with a great reputation, means you can be confident you are in good hands
• Accomodation: available on site
• Recommendations: Most venues can provide recommendations for trusted suppliers

Cons:

• Less flexibility:  some venues are restrictive about decor and changes to menu, wine etc
• Packages: can be expensive and extras or changes can really add up
• Same old, same old: hotel function rooms can be very bland, so more effort is required to make it personal
• Restrictions: some venues insistent on couples only using certain suppliers

Exclusive Rental/Private Wedding Venue

An increasingly popular choice among Irish couples is the private venue or exclusive rental property. This really works for those planning a formal(ish) dinner and dancing style wedding, but who don’t want a hotel.  Exclusive rental wedding venues in Ireland are so diverse, but the common theme is that they offer something different and spectacular.

Pros:

• Privacy: As you are the only group of guests, you have the intimacy of a private event
• Wow Factor: Private venues are often beautiful and unusual places with true character
• Personal touch: As a private venue is usually operated by the owner directly, and only hosts a few weddings a year, you have a much more personal relationship with the place and people and they will invest time and energy in your wedding

Cons:

• Small: Most private venues are really only suitable for smaller wedding parties within the house itself
• Expense: For larger wedding parties marquee hire is usually extra
• Planning: Private parties involve more coordination of suppliers so a wedding planner is often necessary
• Restrictions: A private rental wedding venue is someone else’s property and often their home, so most times you don’t have complete run of the place

Wedding At Home/Marquee

The ultimate in personalisation, having your wedding at home in a marquee is a fantastic option if you’re lucky enough to have the space and mental energy for it Not for the faint-hearted (trust me) organising a marquee wedding at home means a lot more hands on supplier coordination and organisation

Pros:

• More Personal: celebrating at home means your guests are truly ‘at home’ with you
• Control: you are completely in control of every aspect of your day from decor to suppliers
• No Restrictions:  Have an open bar, party until 6am, and nobody will tell you to turn off the music
• Budgeting: a marquee wedding is far from cheap, but there is more scope to save money in certain areas and to do deals

Cons:

• Hidden Costs: unlike a package from a hotel, the costs of a marquee wedding are not clear cut, and often surprising
• Weather: marquees these days are weather proof, but a rainy day can ruin the look and feel of your garden wedding
• Intrusion: your personal space will be invaded for days ahead of the wedding, with suppliers over-running the place
• Coordinating and Organising: a wedding at home means a lot more work for you as the planner, and you will definitely require a day coordinator to assist with the wedding planning

Image:  Johannes Photography

Restaurant Wedding Venues

For the foodie couple who want an intimate, less traditional celebration, then a great restaurant might be worth considering for the reception.  More and more restaurants are opening up for private hire for wedding parties. When we published a list of 8 fabulous restaurant wedding venues around Ireland recently, we were immediately contacted by lots more to let us know they were open for weddings too, so we’ll be following it up soon with more restaurant wedding venue options.

Pros:

• The Food!
• Atmosphere: Usually more intimate atmosphere
• Decor: Choosing a beautiful restaurant means wedding decor can be kept to a minimum
• Wider range of options: More and more restaurants are offering weddings as a service

Cons:

• No Accomodation: Guest accomodation is not usually available on site
• Location: Good restaurants are usually located in urban centres, so a country wedding might be difficult
• Early Night: Late licences can be trickier for restaurants
• No Dance Floor: Space for dancing could be restrictive or not available at all
• Separate ceremony venue is usually necessary (some restaurants will have a suitable space or room, but not all)

Images: Sean Curtin

DIY Weddings aka Whatever You Want

As a reader of One Fab Day, you probably know that we don’t believe in conforming to any sort of pre-set wedding ideas, so no doubt lots of you are thinking up amazing and creative celebrations in none of the above suggested venue types. Whatever your other ideas – choosing to have your wedding in a garden with a picnic reception, or on a beach, or drinks in the pub, or having a barbeque at the rugby club – these are all brilliant options and carry most of the same pros and cons as having a wedding at home combined with an private venue rental. You will have to work harder on the organisation yourself but if you’re the kind of couple who does their own thing, you’ve probably got lots of experience and it will turn out fabulously!

So we hope this has been of some use for those of you considering your wedding venue choices. Like all such lists it is based on generalities, each wedding venue is different and will have its own individual set up, pricing structure and way of working, so each has its own pros and cons, but hopefully this should point you in the right direction.

We’d love to hear any other pointers or issues you come across that we may have missed… drop us a comment below

Original Article: One Fab Day : Choosing the Right Wedding Venue for You

Whether it’s a pop of strong colour, or a metallic masterpiece a big beautiful necklace or pendant adds a little bit of eye-catching to your wedding dress. As with any outfit, it’s a case of finding the perfect accessory to match the style of dress though.

Statement necklaces work best with wedding gowns that are more simple in their lines and detailing. If your dress is heavily embellished then be very careful about choosing a large and loud neckpiece. Equally, watch the neckine – strapless dresses are perfect for statement necklaces, but with sleeves and straps a bigger necklace can be too much. So choose carefully, but to get you into the groove, here are a few of our favourite picks…

If you’re looking for a semi-traditional take on a statement necklace, then New York based Kate Spade offers different options in metallics and white. You can find the best range on the Nordstrom website, who are now offer shipping to Ireland. Prices start at around €200, and include such pretties as (from left to right) Putting on the Ritz,  Glossy Garden and Sweet Zinnia.

For something more fashion-forward, Net-a-porter has a fantastic selection of  jewellery from a huge list of designers including Marni, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Lanvin, Yves Saint Laurent and lots more. From left to right - Marni neon-yellow resin necklace €198, or blow the budget with Tom Binn’s hand-painted Swarovski crystal and tiered pastel piece at over €1,700! The beaded chain and ribbon necklace also from Marni.

You don’t have to look abroad for great statement necklaces. Check out Style-tonic.com for the best in Irish design, stocking contemporary Irish designers such as Joanne Hynes, John Rocha, Natalie B Coleman, Merle O’Grady, Philip Tracy and many more. A must visit for a fashion-forward bride! From left to right:  Momuse (€120),  Merle O Grady (€176) and Joanne Hynes (€780).

Making a statement doesn’t have to break the bank, so look no further than the high street to Accessorize, which is brilliant for a bride on a budget, these necklaces – Antoinette, Mixed Metal and Cinderella all cost less than €25 euro. And with new collections arriving every few weeks, there’s a style for every kind of bride.

Elva Fields is a jewellery company based in Kentucky, U.S. Designer Emily Wheat Maynard scours markets, auctions, and shops for unusual vintage and antique pieces to use in all three of the Elva Fields lines. These finds are then given a new lease of life in beautiful striking necklaces – for example a strand of old paste pearls combined with an antique carved ivory brooch as its pendant, or a 1930s Bakelite belt buckle clasping glittering chains from just a decade later. Each piece is completely individual. From left to right - Jaded Sophisticate, Living Breathing History and  A Hint at Fabulous. Prices range from $140-$300.

For something that makes a sparkly statement, then look no further than Glitzy Secrets, an online jewellery store filled to the brim with sparkles and bling. There is a dedicated bridal section with  hair accessories and costume jewellery like the Pearls of Drama necklace, Antique Dream necklace and the Enchanting Pearl necklace. Glitzy Secrets is also stocked in a few bridal boutiques around  Northern Ireland and Seroca Bridal in Limerick.

So what do you think? Would you make a statement on your wedding day? Or would it be too much?

Original Article: One Fab Day : Bridal Style Watch: Statement Necklaces

Wedding Stationery from Finer Details

Finer Details is a wedding stationery studio based in Clonakilty, Co. Cork – just 45 minutes outside Cork city. Established in 2002, Finer Details have designed and created some of the finest wedding invitations for clients across the world. From classic elegance to contemporary, Marie will work with you to make sure your wedding stationery is a perfect reflection of your style and personality.  Finer Details offers a beautiful range of designs to be tailored to suit your taste and budget and Marie can also work with you to create a bespoke range of wedding stationery just for you.

Check out Finerdetails.ie or call 023 8836619.

Wedding Photography by Mary Brown

Originally from down under but now settled in Ireland Mary Brown is an internationally reknowned wedding photographer specialising in reportage style wedding and civil partnership photography.

Mary’s style of photography is “relaxed, natural, fun and romantic, creating a series of stylish colour and black and white photographs that document your wedding day without intrusion”. We’ve featured Mary’s work from engagement shoots to the beautiful real winter wedding of Tara & Raul in Leixlip Manor.

Check out marybrownphotography.com or give Mary a call on 085 133 7414.

Wedding Venue – Ballinacurra House

Ballinacurra House is one of Ireland’s most exclusive wedding venues. This stunning Georgian property is only 2 minutes outside the town of Kinsale and offer bespoke private weddings to make your day unique. Ballinacurra House was voted  ”Best Exclusive Hire Property” at the  International Luxury Travel Market in Cannes. The estate has magnificent walled gardens for your wedding photographs along with an outdoor entertainment patio, Italian Pizza oven, croquet lawn, playground, helipad, picnic lawn, stream and pond, and leads down to woods and boat jetty on the Bandon River estuary.

Get in touch with Ballinacurra on 087 2867443 and visit their website at ballinacurra.com

Make-up Artist – Clare Hogan

Clare Hogan is a Dublin-based makeup artist who has had a lifelong obsession with all things makeup. Clare is passionate about her job and knows every woman wants to look and feel amazing for their wedding.  She’ll make sure you look the best possible version of you on the day! She’ll work with you to create the look that suits you best.

Give Clare a call on 087 256 1879 or visit her website at clarehogan.ie

Original Article: One Fab Day : One Fab Day Sunday Sponsor Spotlight

We have created a timeline based on a 12 month engagement and planning time, running through the typical times you would research and book different elements. Obviously each wedding is different, we’ve shown brides who have organised their whole wedding in just 10 weeks, others take 2 years (me!). But there are general rules that are helpful so here’s our Wedding Planning Countdown…

Photograph by Black Box Photography

As soon as you get engaged/once you’re serious about planning the wedding

• Sit down with your other half and discuss your ideal wedding to make sure you’re on the same page
• Draw up a budget
• Start planning the guest list. Decide on approximate number of guests - this may impact your choice of venues
• Pick potential wedding dates - check with important guests to avoid clashes
• Research potential wedding venues and ceremony locations - if separate
• Pop the question to your bridesmaids and groomsmen
• Enlist any helpers/talented friends of family with aspects of the wedding (for the cake, flowers, dresses etc)
• Optional: Have an engagement party

12 Months Before The Wedding

• Visit and book reception venue and ceremony locations
• Research potential wedding services and suppliers – photographer, florist, invitations, cake, decor, music, hair and make up
• Consider and review wedding insurance options
• Decide what type of entertainment you want for ceremony, drinks reception and dancing
• Book Photographer
• Book Videographer
• Research and consider options for your venue and ceremony decor
• Start wedding dress research
• Book Cars

8/10 months before

• Book ceremony music, band and dj for reception
• Research and reserve accommodations for guests
• Contact decor hire companies if you need to rent anything for ceremony/reception, such as chairs, tables, and tent.
• Book Honeymoon
• Order wedding cake
• Book Groom’s and Groomsmen’s Suits
• Book Pre-Marriage Course

6/8 months before

• Send Save the Date cards - important if you’re getting married abroad, or during a very busy time of year
• Book ceremony musicians
• Meet with florist to discuss options
• Ensure passports are in date for honeymoon –  order new ones if necessary
• Start planning honeymoon
• Plan Hen & Stag Parties - well not you, the best man and bridesmaids should!
• Order wedding cake
• Choose and order invitations

4/6 months before

• Choose bridesmaids’ dresses
• Attend pre-marriage counseling, if required
• Order invitations and wedding stationery
• Order wedding rings
• Shop for formalwear
• Organise the legalities – give at least 3 months notice to registrar or priest/religious celebrant
• Decide on prayers, readings and music for mass booklets – check with your priest / registrar
• Organise invitations and order of service booklets
• Arrange travel vaccinations if necessary
• Gather addresses for guest list – create spreadsheet for RSVPs

2/3 months before

• Send invitations to guests
• Order wedding cake
• Rent the men’s formalwear
• Hire wedding transport
• Attend dress fittings
• Choose wedding rings
• Organise gifts for parents, bridesmaids, groomsmen and each other
• Book hairdresser and organise hair trial
• Book a makeup artist and go for a trial

4 weeks before

• Have final wedding dress fitting
• Make any last-minute adjustments with suppliers
• Finalise details for, and order mass booklets/order of ceremony
• Order and plan in-room welcome baskets for out-of-town guests

2 weeks before

• Review final RSVP list and call any guests who have not yet responded
• Deliver must-have shot lists to photographer and videographer. Include who should be in formal portraits and determine when portraits will be taken

1 week before

• Give reception site/caterer final guest head count
• Supply location manager with a list of vendor requests such as a table for DJ or setup space needed by florist.
• Create your table plan
• Print placecards
• Call all wedding  suppliers to confirm arrangements, create timetable for day
• Give ceremony and reception site managers a schedule of vendor delivery and setup times, plus contact numbers.
• Get manicure, massage, waxing
• Do full wedding dress rehearsal from underwear to veil
• Pack an overnight bag for the reception
• Pack for the honeymoon
• Organise money to be paid to suppliers on the day

2-3 days before

• Make last minute changes to table plan if necessary
• Groom: Go for final fitting and pick up your formalwear.
• Groom: Ask the best man to make sure all groomsmen attend fittings and pick up their outfits.
• Confirm pick-up times with wedding car company
• Reconfirm final details with all vendors. Discuss any necessary last-minute substitutions.

Day before

• Drop off place cards, table cards, menus, favours, table plan to reception coordinator
• Provide all wedding professionals with an emergency phone number to call on the day of the wedding.
• Write checks and/or talk to wedding hosts (usually your parents, if not you) about any final balances to be paid at the end of the reception.
• Ensure the cake is collected from cake shop and delivered to reception
• Rehearse ceremony with full wedding party  ceremony readers your officiant at the ceremony site to rehearse and iron out details.
• Get a good night’s rest

The Wedding Day!

There’s so much to do, we’ve created a Wedding Day Checklist but this is a just a short version

• Give the gifts for your parents to the best man/bridesmaid for after the speeches
• Get flowers delivered to the bride’s house
• Give wedding bands to the best man to hold during the ceremony
• Give best man the officiant’s fee envelope, to be given after the ceremony
• Introduce your reception site manager to your wedding planner, or bridesmaid/bestman for questions or problems during the reception.
• Assign a family member or attendant to be the photographer’s contact so he knows who is who.

After the Wedding

• Prearrange for someone to return any rentals.
• Preplan for attendants to take the bride’s gown for cleaning and return the groom’s tux to the rental shop.
• Write and send thank-you notes to gift-bearing guests and vendors who were especially helpful.

Original Article: One Fab Day : The Ultimate Wedding Checklist – a Wedding Planning Guide

We are so delighted to feature this fabulous winter wedding, which we think is brilliant inspiration for how to add warmth and sunshine whatever the weather…

So how did Martin and Orla get together? “Martin and I met at DIT Mountjoy Square on the Visual Communications Course in 1998. It took us until Art & Design Week in our third year to get together – no doubt a combination of lethal punch and tragic Superhero fancy dress outfits. We’ve been together ever since.  Martin proposed in Seville on our 10 year anniversary, last April and it was a complete surprise. It was at the end of a perfect day where we’d walked miles to eat the most amazing food in a tiny tapas bar called Sol y Sombra (check it out if you’re ever there), drank vino and pottered about the city enjoying the sights. He’d had a little horseshoe ring in his pocket all day which he used to propose, and we picked out the real one together when we got back to London – a rose gold ring with a Victorian diamond that had been a hat pin in a previous life.”

When it came to the wedding celebration, Orla and Martin were pretty clear on what they wanted. “As we’d been together a long time, we wanted it to be small, and very informal – a laid back party atmosphere – where we could pick and choose the aspects of weddings that were important to us. Also, as we’re based in London, it was important that it was reasonably easy to organise and that the style of the venue matched our own.” This is a very stylish wedding believe me…

All week we’ve been swooning for Orla’s bridesmaids outfits – their fantastic My two bridesmaids (sis & best mate) are two very fashionable ladies, so I wanted their outfits to be sharp, glamorous and be suitable for a Winter wedding. I flew to Dublin one weekend in August and we hotfooted it to BT’s, blew the budget on two Marc Jacobs skirts, then teamed them with navy blouses from Topshop. I got their shoes in London, we picked up the fur stoles a few weeks before the wedding, and they were set.

“My wedding dress was the second one I purchased for the day! I had those classic bride wobbles about two months before the big day and headed out to confirm that my original dress was ‘the one’. But then I found ‘the real one’. My dress was a vintage gown from the late 1950′s that I found courtesy of the lovely Helena at Heavenly Vintage Brides.  I think by that stage I’d been to every single vintage wedding dress shop in London, but I hadn’t come across anything like this one – it was fun as well as glamorous and I didn’t feel like I was playing dressup. Helena even had a vintage petticoat to go with it for extra twirl action. I borrowed my Mam’s fur wrap from her own wedding day. I chose Vivienne Westwood shoes for a bit of extra sparkle.”

The ceremony was by far the memorable and emotional part of the day for me. We had placed big church candles all along the windows and ‘borrowed’ loads of vases of flowers from the dining room, so the room looked really pretty. It was packed to capacity with our guests so it felt really intimate. I walked in to White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes with my Dad, feeling really shaky, but so excited to see Martin standing at the top of the aisle. We had personalised the whole ceremony, so friends and relatives read out poetry and passages from novels that had real meaning for us. I was also lucky enough to be given my late grandmother’s wedding ring, so all in all, it was a very overwhelming experience. 

Putting so much thought and planning into a wedding from across the water, it was essential to choose the right photographer and Orla and Martin were super pleased with their choice of Penry Photography. Penry Photography had been on my radar for a while having been recommended to us by people who had used them for their own wedding days and as I was also aware of Peter’s other landscape photography. The main thing for us was a person who could capture (what we hoped) was the relaxed atmosphere of our big day. We’re not very into the posed shots and as Peter is so good at capturing those unstaged, reportage style shots, so it suited us down to the ground. We couldn’t be happier with the results – he has managed to get across our giddy happiness in a way that feels modern and fresh. Plus, it is a huge bonus to have someone capable of putting everyone at their ease, and a massive peace of mind that comes with knowing someone knows what they’re doing! Straight away we knew we could relax and let him get on with things.

Doesn’t Martin look dapper in his slim-fit suit and bowtie. He was quite the smart when it came to his groomswear shopping, couple of tips in here for the men preparing to walk up the aisle… “We decided because he’ll be wearing it to all formal occasions for the next few years to come, that we should dedicate a decent chunk of our budget to it. So, he went to Liberty, chose a gorgeous wool suit from Burberry Prorsum, and had it altered by their tailors so that it fitted perfectly. We got his shirt and bowtie from Mr. Porter, which was quite stress-free as he could try them on at home and send back the ones that didn’t suit.” Sounds like the kind of shopping most men would be very happy with!

It’s always great to pick a central motif or idea that you can use in different parts of your wedding decor, it doesn’t have to be a “theme” or anything too contrived, but for Orla and Martin they picked a palette of subtle rainbow tones, with yellow as the main highlight, and a bunch of balloons formed a subtle centrepiece that made the odd appearance throughout the day. “We had 3 huge balloons that we hung inside the venue where they floated above the staircase. It was originally supposed to be my homage to Funnyface with a giant bunch of 12 balloons at the front door, but a mix up in the supplies of helium, meant that we ended up with a more modest arrangement, but it still looked pretty good to us…”

For the reception decor, the talents of Stephanie at The French Touch were brought into play, she  “mixed it up for the table displays, for the gathered from the garden look I wanted, with little mix-matched vases that we had collected from flea markets and car boot sales in London. Everything looked laid back and relaxed and as the arrangements were plentiful, but small and compact, my guests could see each other across the tables. Also, they doubled up as wedding favours – everyone took a little posy home with them, so they could be enjoyed for as long as possible.”

“Myself and Martin are graphic designers and we kind of went to town on the print collateral, roping in our friend Eoin Tierney to do an illustration of us, which we adapted for the invites, ceremony booklets, menus, placecards, thank you cards etc. Martin painted the little figurines, we made our thank you book, I handpainted the table plan which we hung on the back of the door and Martin painstakingly illustrated 90 placecards so that everyone had a personalised place setting. It made such a difference and was so cool to see everyone sitting down to dinner laughing at our representations of their hair dos. Eoin had painted 4 different head shapes, so we were able to pretty-much capture everyone’s likeness!” WOW!

Original Article: One Fab Day : Sunshine on a Winter Day – Orla and Martin’s Bellinter Wedding by Penry Photography

With metallics being oh-so-trendy right now in fashion and interiors it’s not a surprise that we started seeing them appear at weddings  towards the end of 2011. So we think 2012 brides will be going gaga for these shiny sweets, and to inspire a few of you, we rounded up some of our very favourite gold wedding cakes, and shades of silver, copper and pewter. Prepare to be amazed…

Molten yellow gold is a most striking look for a cake, especially when it’s made with high layers, which are so en vogue among wedding cake designers right now. Whether it’s a full gold cake, or just the addition of detailing – how amazing is the gold braid on a white cake – there’s a real “look at me” factor with these cakes – guaranteed your guests won’t have seen one of those before…

Image Credits: Faye Cahill Cake Design via Mini Moko photographed by Lucy Leonardi Photography | Market Of Choice and  Erich McVey Photography via Style Me Pretty |  The Hudson Cakery and Monika Broz | My Sweet and Saucy via Ashley Rose Photography

A metallic cake does have that IT factor but it is a fine line between beautiful and blinging – a strong cake like one of these should be a centrepiece but it shouldn’t be part of an overall gold or silver theme – your metallic wedding cake should be a beautiful addition and extension to your chosen palette. These silver cakes working with a palette of greys, white and blue offer the same wow effect but less in your face.

Image Credits: Faye Cahill Cake Design | My Sweet and Saucy | The Bride Suite | Faye Cahill Cake Design via Mini Moko photographed by Lucy Leonardi Photography

A hint of metallic can be just as effective as full colour and no matter your style or preferred look. Just talk to your cake maker about what your overall look for the wedding is going to be and I’m sure they’ll welcome the creative challenge to make something that fits your brief.

Image Credits: Martha Stewart Weddings | My Sweet and Saucy | The Cake Company | My Sweet and Saucy

Image Credits: Faye Cahill Cake Design photographed by Milk and Honey via Wedding Style Guide | Sugar Bee Sweets photographed by N Barrett photography via Green Wedding Shoes | The People’s Cake | My Sweet and Saucy

Hope you’re as inspired as we are by these golden (and silver) wonders – what do you think? Beautiful or a bit too blingy?

Original Article: One Fab Day : Wedding Trends of 2012 – Metallic Cakes