We all know there are lots of good luck charms that can be given to the bride and groom on their big day from a silver sixpence, a horseshoe and even a chimney sweep.  So we thought luck will definitely be on our side today as we introduce….. Horseshoe Photography, otherwise known as Annemieke Goldswain-Hein and Jo Thorne.

“Times have changed and with that, styles have changed.  From more official, traditional wedding photography, reportage wedding photography has become very trendy over the last couple of years, which captures an event in a more realistic way.  Where traditional wedding photography focuses on staged photos, a reportage wedding aims to pictorially capture the spirit and feel of your wedding as it really is.”

“We really enjoy approaching weddings from various angles, bringing the atmosphere of the day into our imagery in a creative way.”

Their award winning style is a mixture of photojournalism, fashion and fine art photography and they both feel that modern weddings offer the photographer the scope to broaden his or her creative talents far more than was previously possible (..as the image below clearly shows…Wow!).

They offer pre wedding shoots and ‘rock the frock’ sessions too!  So what are you waiting for? If you’d like to get in touch with the ladies and have a look at more of their work you can visit their website at Horseshoe Photography.

I’m now off to buy a lottery ticket.

We love love love it when we find something that is absolutely gorgeous… but we love it a bit more when we know that it’s been hand-made by one lovely lady!  Take a look at these gorgeous… I’m going to say it again… HAND-MADE clutch bags by Emma Gordon.

Emma says “I was tired of only being able to buy mass-produced goods in the shops that were being worn by thousands of other people too, so I decided to do something about it!  I am proud of the personal service I am able to offer, and I try to make shopping with me that that bit more special.”

“My signature style is ‘ladylike with a twist’ using pretty colours, quirky detailing and delicate trims. As every bag is handmade, this achieves the unique ‘one-off’ style that has so far proved very popular with my customers.  I take my inspiration from everything elegant, from the light-hearted glamour of Audrey Hepburn in ‘Breakfast at Tiffanys’ to the gorgeous pin-up girls of the 1950’s.”

Emma also offers a made-to-order service where any of her styles can be made in specific colours to match bridesmaids dresses or wedding colour schemes.  Emma also offers a discount to brides who want to order multiple pieces for gifts to their bridesmaids (we like that idea).

We think you’ll agree that these are some cute clutches that would look fabulous at any wedding!

If you want to get in touch with Emma then you can contact her at emma@emmagordon.co.uk and if you want to get your hands on a clutch or two then you can visit her shop Emma Gordon London.  You can also be kept in the loop and check out some more of her beautiful designs on facebook!

Our good friends at pingg have recently been in touch and are excited to share with us their EXCLUSIVE, brand new collection of online invitations and announcements by Martha Stewart Weddings.  We knew our Bridal Soupies (I just made that up) would love their soft pastel colours and gorgeous images so here are a few examples for you to ohhhh and ahhhh over….

Pingg says ‘With two-dozen designs to choose from, the Martha Stewart Weddings collection is sure to have the perfect design for any invitation or announcement a bride may need. Ideal for save-the dates, engagement announcements, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners and more, the exclusive Martha Stewart Weddings Collection for pingg will fit any couple’s unique style and budget (they’re FREE!). Now that’s what we like to hear!

Here’s what Martha Stewart Weddings’ Darcy Miller, Senior Vice President and Weddings Editorial Director has to say…  “At Martha Stewart Weddings, we’ve always provided brides with the very best tips and resources for their special day. Our collaboration with pingg is yet another great way we can help brides have the very best experience possible planning all their events.”

Thanks to pingg for sending these over and you can see more of this gorgeous collection and choose your favourites here - Martha Stewart Weddings collection for pingg

As a new member of the Bridal Soup team I wanted my first blog to make a statement and boy oh boy did I find just the thing!  Oh So Boudoir recently got in contact to let us know about their new luxury boutique boudoir shoots and I think it’s safe to say….we’d all LOVE to have some gorgeous shots of ourselves looking beautiful and down right sexy!

Oh So Boudoir have teamed up with the Radisson Blu Hotel and Crowne Plaza in Birmingham to offer us ladies boudoir shoots in a stylised, luxurious, boutique setting with the option to really pamper yourself.  Not only do you get your own photo shoot with a professional hair and makeover, you can also have lunch or dinner in the hotel or pop over to the mailbox for some retail therapy!

Jo says ‘I think our images have a softer, more sensual, feminine feel to them than a lot of boudoir that’s out there at the moment and the stylised hotel settings adds greatly to the finished effect, boosting the air of glamour surrounding the experience. All images are professionally airbrushed to make our ladies look even more fabulous.

Clients are all offered a free consultation as part of their Boudoir experience, where we offer styling advice and suggest outfits for the day, we discuss any body hang ups (we’ve all got them - right) and reassure clients that we have poses that will flatter every different body shapes.’

They have a range of packages including overnight stays for that extra treat and girlfriend packages designed for two people, each getting their own private shoot.

Of course boudoir isn’t just for the brides to be, girlfriends can get in on the action too with their hen weekend packages. This is available for up to 10 ladies, each getting a professional makeover, 30 minute boudoir shoot with full posing direction and a professionally retouched image in a presentation folder, along with 2 nights accommodation in the Radisson or Crowne Plaza.

The images can be used as a unique and personal gift for your groom on the morning of your wedding (he will LOVE them), a valentines or birthday gift or simply just for yourself!

If you would like to get in contact then you can visit their website www.ohsoboudoir.com

Thanks Oh So Boudoir!  So when can you fit me in?

Hello everyone!

My name is Emma Case and I would just like to introduce myself as the newest member of the Bridal Soup team and to say that I am so so excited and cannot wait to share all the delicious things that come our way!  As a ‘not yet married but engaged to a gorgeous guy’ lady I am really looking forward to finding all sorts of wonderful things that I would want to book for my own wedding and to share them with all of you!

So who am I?  Well I am a photographer who loves anything vintage and a girl who likes fake moustaches, photo booths, cupcakes and good music.  You can find me at www.emmacasephotography.co.uk

When I’m not taking photographs I do a bit of acting, sign language (which is my other passion), spend time with my fiance Pete, attempt to decorate my house and look after my two cats, Maximo and Nanna.

I hope you all enjoy my future posts and it’s an absolute pleasure to make your acquaintance,

Emma x

If you have something that you would love us to feature or you simply want to say hello then email me at emma@bridalsoup.com

The no-nonsense guide to stationery for the modern wedding and civil partnership

Suzanne from Prettywild Stationery lets us in on the secrets for great wedding stationery. Bridal Soup love her modern and contemporary style, so have a read and check out her stuff.

Save the dates

Following trends in the US, these have gained in popularity in recent years. Sent a year in advance, save the date cards are particularly useful to prepare guests if the Big Day falls at a peak holiday time, is weekday celebration that will require guests to book time from work or if the destination involves a significant journey and possible overnight accommodation for most guests. I recommend sending them to daytime guests only. Encourage the recipient to keep it handy by sending a fridge magnet style or a tie-on tag.

Invitations

I like to think of the invitation as the “ambassador” of the event. Not only will it inform the guests of the details but it should whet the appetite for the day you have planned, reflecting its tone and formality. They can provide the perfect link for a theme or colour scheme.

We advise sending them around 3-4 months before the wedding date. Traditional etiquette deemed it 6 weeks but realistically it will depend when your venue needs to know the final catering numbers by. Set an “RSVP by. . .” date or some guests may not reply till the last minute or not at all! Ensure you give one to each of the bridal party too – they are wonderful keepsakes.

We get many queries from couples who worry about choosing the correct wording style but like most stationery designers we will happily suggest suitable text to suit your circumstances. Traditionally weddings were hosted and financed by the parents of the Bride but modern weddings and partnerships often have different dynamics to consider - couples paying for the wedding themselves or joint contributions from both families, hosting from extended families – we can cater for all circumstances.

The fun part…

Long gone are the days when wedding stationery suppliers were restricted to a few dusty albums depicting hearts, rings and horseshoes – there is now a huge and gorgeous wealth of pattern and design to choose from. When researching stationery websites bear in mind that many individual designers and companies will happily adapt their styles to suit, particularly in colour, for example: we will print match to fabric swatches if requested and change embellishments. So don’t worry if you do not see the exact design at first look – tweaks can be made, we positively encourage customisation!

Often we are approached to create bespoke concepts for a celebration with an individual theme – a recent example was a wonderful Alice in Wonderland styled wedding we were commissioned to design for, resulting in a whimsical booklet invitation complete with intricate keyhole and silver-plated key detailing. We are currently working on a stationery suit portraying otters for a Scottish Loch venue!

Bear in mind when picking a format that it is relevant to the amount of information you need to send. If your guests require overnight accommodation or the venue is in an unfamiliar location consider providing your guests with a little information cards with the invitation - portfolio or booklet style is ideal. RSVP cards can be included too. Don’t forget to factor postage costs – anything thicker than 5mm will incur a large letter stamp.

Welcome to our celebration…

On the day stationery is a great way to continue a theme and bring together a whole look of a room. Colours from flowers or motifs can be picked out in details on place cards and menus.

An extravagant table plan can be both a talking point and a lovely keepsake. Think about ways the stationery can work for you and create interesting formats. An order of service booklet can be an opportunity to print a dedication to loved ones, thank the bridal party or provide a timetable of the day. Table numbers can double up with menus. Place names can be made as tags, to be tied to chairs and glasses. Perhaps use a wishing tree centrepiece – encourage your guests to write a special message on their tags to tie to the foliage and retrieved later for an album of memories.

http://www.prettywild.co.uk/

Bijou Woo started nearly two years ago. The business grew quite organically, Shari Amos, a designer by trade, was constantly being asked to develop stationery ideas for friends and family. This may have been due to her love of all things sparkly, and pretty, including crazy wallpapers and patterns.

Shari soon began to realise that this was a lot more fun and enjoyable than the corporate material, that she had grown used to creating, so Bijou Woo was born.

As for the name, this was a happy accident! Whilst working on another branding project for a wedding rings website, Shari and a colleague were toying around with the word Bijou, meaning a small gem. The idea of wooing someone in the old fashion sense seemed like a very loving, romantic phrase, so two and two were put together to form Bijou Woo. We love the way that it plays with the tongue : )

Bijou Woo offer I wide range of beautiful stationery collections, some of which can be personalised with venue details, dates, names etc, and then for the more money conscious weddings we have a pre-packed range, that the happy couple can write their own details on.

Alongside the collections that have already been developed, we also offer a bespoke design service, where the bride & groom can come to us with their ideas, colour schemes, venue and wedding theme, to help us create a unique stationery range to suit their celebrations. Of course we add a little Bijou Woo magic into the mix, for good measure.

A particular favourite project at Bijou Woo was the Alice in Wonderland wedding style created for a recent customer. They came to us with a open mind; their wedding was very informal and modern, held in a historic beautiful venue. After an initial meeting with the bride and groom, we settled on a colourful, funky, illustrative style. We felt that this would suit the occasion and the personalities of the happy couple.

We came back to them with a few different design ideas which incorporated their choice of colours, their personalised wording and the bijou touch. We then combined their favourite parts and created a design perfect, which blended beautifully with their wedding style and had the added touch of their own silhouettes.

To complete the range we produced day invitations, evening invitations, a table plan, an announcement poster, name cards, number cards for the tables and thank you cards for after the wedding.

With an ever expanding client base in the UK and abroad, Bijou Woo is spreading love far and wide, with it delicious designs for paper.

Please visit us online at www.bijouwoo.com