Real Winter Wedding: Gill & Ed

It doesn't get much cooler than a red wedding dress. If you're not the type of girl to rock it in white, then don't feel restricted by tradition - do whatever you want! Gill and Ed had an intimate winter wedding at the stunning Coombe Abbey Hotel in Coventry, which is filled with fabulous antiques. The whole feel of the wedding was one of cosy luxury, with a dollop of old-fashioned romance. My favourite details are the candle-lit wedding service, Gill's cute furry shrug and the heart-topped cupcakes with their laser-cut cases. Gorgeous pictures as ever, from the lovely Anushe Low.

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Real Wedding: Catriona & Chris

The wedding venue is often the first thing you'll want to consider when you get engaged, and you're going to want to make sure it suits you as a couple. I spent months researching my venue in the South of France, but for you, it might be as simple as picking your back-garden. In the case of Catriona and Chris, they chose their home away from home, a venue called Lunga House in Scotland. The views are breathtaking, and I can't get over the beauty of Scotland in the winter. Now on to the details! I'm blown away by Chris' amazing uniforms, both look so striking, and I love the tradition of walking through the arch of swords. The red of Chris' dress jacket set the colour theme for the wedding, with berries and candles to add to the cosy feeling. Catriona's something blue was thistles for Scotland and her bridesmaids' dresses, and she found the best cake-topper in the world via Feats of Clay. Gorgeous photographs published with thanks to Elemental Weddings, this is their first wedding on Before the Big Day, and I hope for many more! Don't miss Catriona's answers to the Before the Big Day Bridal Questionnaire for all her suppliers.

The Before the Big Day Bridal Q&A - Catriona was kind enough to fill in our questionnaire, aimed at helping other brides with their planning process. Feast your eyes on her answers for helpful hints and tips from someone on the other side of her big day!

Where and when did you get married?
27th November 2010 at Kilbrandon Parish Church on the Isle of Seil, Argyll, and had our reception at Lunga House in Craobh Haven, Argyll.

What was your thinking behind choosing the venue and the decoration of the reception?
The venue has been a special place for our family and friends to enjoy over the past few decades, as a private house which can be hired for exclusive use. It is like a home away from home.

Did you have a theme, colour or motif in mind? (e.g. green ivy leaves)
Wintery/autumnal with lots of candles, hurricane lamps and flaming torches to create a warm atmosphere.

Who made your wedding outfit (dress, veil, shoes and accessories), and how did you come to that decision?
The dress is a Suzanne Neville design called 'Antoine'. The veil was from Eleganza Sposa in Glasgow, as were the shoes. The necklace was a present from my mum.

What about your husband’s outfit? Where was it from?
Chris was wearing his Royal Marines No.1 dress uniform for the ceremony and then changed into his Mess Kit for the reception.

And how about your bridesmaids’ outfits?
They were bought from Anne Priscilla in Glasgow, and they were Dessy Bridesmaids dresses in midnight blue.

What type of cake did you go for, and how did you come to that decision?
We chose fruit cake, because Chris’s mum makes the most delicious fruit cake in the world. We chose ivory icing and simple flowers to decorate, and had a cake topper made from Feats of Clay.

Did you have any favours? What were they? Was there any particular reason why you picked them?
Our favours were a little box of matches from Cox & Cox which have a little piece written on the side about marriage, ending in the statement 'the perfect match'. I then tied 2 little gold heart sparklers to the boxes with 'to have and to hold, from this day forward' ribbon.

Who was your florist, what flowers did you choose, and how did you come to that decision?
Our florist was Angela from The Flower House in Oban, Argyll. I chose ivory flowers with a splash of blue in the form of thistles.

Who was your photographer and how did you choose them?
We chose Elemental Weddings from Edinburgh. Jay and Christina, a husband and wife team, had photographed our friends wedding the year previously and we were so taken with the way the approached the day and the guests that they were a MUST! Their photographs capture such special moments which we love, rather than stiff portraits.

Did you enjoy planning your wedding?
We loved it. It was stressful at times, trying to feature everyones hopes and dreams into one final day, but in the end, the day was about Chris and I standing before the people we loved and making a promise to one another. The rest was a bonus.

What advice do you have for brides planning their big day?
Have an idea of what you would like for your day before everyone else tries to tell you what you want. Enjoy the preparations and if you are the artistic type, enjoy the creativity.

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Perfect Wedding Stole

We've still got three month of winter weddings ahead of us, so if you're a winter bride looking for a stylish solution to staying warm, then look no further! This gorgeous fake-fur stole is handmade to order by Katie Carter Bridal in London. Lined with heavy weight silk satin backed crepe and secured with a silk satin bow, it comes in a variety of colours, including the mink and oyster combo pictured below.

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Real Wedding: Jenny & Devin

This bright winter wedding has such a cosy feel, thanks to the barn-style venue. It's almost like a ski chalet with all the wooden beams and glowing lanterns. I'm loving the bunting, mossy initials, fairy lights and the multiple cakes, while the tablescapes of linen and lace napkins plus blue-tinted vases add a feminine edge to a masculine surrounding. Jenny's dress, shrug and mini-veil are gorgeous, and I love that she walked down the aisle by herself. Seriously gorgeous stationery - the mix of rustic and chic dark blue exactly matched Jenny and Devin's wedding style. Stunning pictures published with thanks to Punam Bean.

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Real Wedding: Tarien & Pierre

Amazing wedding dress alert! This alternative gown is going to seriously rock your world, particularly if you're looking for a non-traditional wedding dress. Tarien picked a heavenly soft pink and black lace gown for her big day, and it's fierce! If you're planning a winter wedding you'll want to start taking notes now, because this event is a lesson in how to add glamour and drama and COLOUR to your big day. I'm loving the bright pink, the blackboards, the fabulous brocade table-cloths, and the cute slate place markers. Huge thanks to the team at We Love Pictures for their gorgeous photographs.

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Cuttlebug Winter House Shaker card

Hi and welcome to my Blog :-)

I'm still having fun with my "frame" cards and this particular card is a Shaker Card and is another entry in the Splitcoaststampers Flowersoft FSC14 Sprinkle Challenge of "Winter Wonderland".

I used the now-retired Cuttlebug embossing folder:  Winter House - which I have recently seen on EBay go at Auction in Australia for more than $50 - eek!!   If you Google it, you might be lucky enough to find one somewhere!  

I diecut a circle with my Spellbinder Circle Nesties, then used the larger Snowflakes embossing folder from the Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland set, then punched some icicles with my Martha Stewart Icicles edge punch and attached them underneath.  I know that you can't really tell by the photo, but there is some clear acetate over the Winter House image and I added some Polar White Flowersoft inside (approximately 1 teaspoon) which of course is the "Shaker" part of the card.. 

There is approximately 3mm thick foam tape between the Snowflakes embossing and the Winter House embossing - if you have too small a gap, the "shaker" parts get stuck underneath the acetate and don't move around freely.

I diecut some snowflakes and added Kaiser Island Lagoon Rhinestones and when I glued them to the front, I bent the edges of the snowflakes up slightly so they would stand out a bit better against the Snowflakes embossing.

This panel was then adhered to Bazzill Bling Icey Teal cardstock (I don't know the proper colour name - I am just "guessing"!), then onto more white cardstock  I love how the Bazzill Bling cardstock shimmers in the light.  Lastly, I added the ribbon in 2 separate elements and the bow itself was made with my Bow Easy.

Thanks again for stopping by!

Jocelyn

Card Recipe:

Accessories:  Cuttlebug, Snowflakes embossing folder from Winter Wonderland set, Winter House embossing folder, Cuttlebug Snowflake #2 die, Spellbinder Circle Nestabilities, Polar White Flowersoft, acetate, thick mounting tape (approx. 3mm thick), Bow Easy, Teal organza ribbon, Kaiser Rhinestones Island Lagoon RS402, Cardstock:  Bazzill Bling Icey teal, white

Punches:  Martha Stewart Icicles edge punch