The BIG 2013 Wedding Blog

Happy New Year! Especially to those of you who have found themselves being proposed to over this Christmas period and are now starting to think about your upcoming wedding! It's nearly the first day of 2013 - and I'm writing this blog to discuss all thinks fashionable and fabulous for 2013 weddings.

 

First of all, congratulations. Congratulations on the new jewellery addition you are now sporting on that ring finger, wear it with pride. I hope you're still on Cloud 9 from the excitement of it all, but it's time to start getting down to the nitty gritty. Planning that wedding!

2013 is going to be a fabulous year for fashion and creativity. I'm going to first talk to you about the trends that we will see from the fashion world that will wean their way into the wedding realm. It is what tends to happen, a trend or fad will start in the fashion industry, make it's transition from the catwalks into couture shops, from there it finds it's way into the high street that we all know and love, and then that fashion is sometimes then transferred into a woman's wedding planning. The reason that weddings are the last to receive the fashion trend, tend to be because planning a wedding takes so much time. So when the bride is deciding on colour tones and what style dress to wear - she looks at the culture around her, the magazines full of current styles and colours - then 6+ months down the line when the wedding is oh so very close, the fashion industry design something new, and the cycle repeats. This is normal, it doesn't mean to say that the bride is being unfashionable or "sooooo last spring, darling!"; the wedding world is a completely different ball game as to what is defined as "fashionable". I'm writing this blog to tell you lovely readers, what you can expect to see at any weddings you may be attending this year, whether or not it's your own.

 

Firstly, mint green. Perhaps my favourite colour trend that has ever come about. If you were to look in my own personal wardrobe at home the amount of this colour you will see is enough to make you sick of it... Even my bedroom walls have been painted this beautiful colour. It truly is a fabulous colour, and for 2012 it has been a popular colour choice in fashion.
 

Keira Knightley:

 

Diane Kruger:

 

The Queen even wore it on her own jubilee!

 

As we all know, each year when Spring comes around, we are bored to death of hearing "Pastel colours are going to be big this spring." - WE KNOW. Every year it's the same, but what I really do love about this particular pastel colour, is that the palest of the pale (such as myself) can pull it off without looking pasty or washed-out. This again is what makes it such a fabulous colour for bridesmaids, if in your bridal party there are mixture of skin tones, mint green is guaranteed to suit them all!

 



 

Pastels in general for 2013 are going to be all the craze I think, especially for those who have opted for the "vintage theme". Baby pink has proved popular over 2012, particularly at the end of summer, so perhaps this summer it will be even more popular.

 

 

The Vintage Theme, is also going to be THE theme of the year for 2013. The great thing about it is couples are able to interpret "vintage theme" however they want. They can add as much sentiment or originality as desired, and this means that not one wedding with this  theme is ever the same. For example, "Vintage" could be anything. It could be taking inspiration from any particular era or decade, e.g. 1950s - this was proved popular over 2012 and reintroduced the fashion of tea-length dresses and birdcage veils. I think that we'll find the 1920s/1930s the most influential era for "Vintage" themed weddings this coming year, as we saw Art Deco fashion popular in retail and on the catwalks. Art Deco in the wedding fashion industry is already causing a stir, as proved by Amanda Wakeley in her new 2013 collection:

 

 

1920s styled brides, really are impeccably dressed. The photo below captures all the glamour and beauty this vintage style has;

 

 

The Chantilly lace, the glamorous waved hair and the cathedral length veil with that gorgeous capped headdress. It really isn't hard to see why this is going to be a popular look for 2013... Especially the capped veils! The capped veils just complete this fabulous look and are the piece-de-resistance for any 1920s vintage-themed bride! 

 

 

 Continuing with this vintage fashion for 2013, the men will have some involvement too! Forget cravats, and welcome the bowties. Bowties of any size, colour or pattern - this simple little piece of fabric is going to be big for this coming year. What's fabulous about them is that they give a groom the chance to get involved in the vintage theme too, in a very quirky and stylish way.

Not only do I think the bowties are going to be a hit - what's going to be more fashionable is bowties with a pattern on them. Paisley, polka-dot, floral, velvet, you name it - he can wear it.

 

 

So why not get your hubby-to-be to wear this staple fashion piece of 2013, to heighten the quirkiness, the trendiness and the fun factor.

I personally adore this vintage lace mint green one - it wraps all the wedding trends for 2013 up in one!

 

 

Bows in general are going to big for 2013, not just to around the necks of the groomsmen; expect to see them in hair, on flower girls, in bouquets and on wedding dresses:

 

 

 Most importantly however is the bows that will be on the wedding dresses. The little detail can make such a huge impact on the dress and how it looks; such as this beautiful silk gown by Ritva Westenius (below). This dress to look at is rather plain, but it has that fabulous matching silk bow that practically covers the entire waist area, giving an illusion of a seriously tiny waist. What else is wonderful about this dress?... It has pockets!

 

Style: 598801

 

Pockets are a great little bit of detail and fun in your wedding dress, and on big skirts like this one, they're well disguised so people won't actually notice them until you start posing with your hands casually in your pockets. They're great for storing your lipstick too - just for touch-ups after dinner!

 

Pronovias - Style: Dakar

 

Nature will play a huge theme in many weddings in 2013. With outdoor venues becoming more and more chic, expect to see nature involved in a lot of weddings. Couples start taking inspiration from the location of the venue itself and turning it into a nature filled theme; this means bird motifs, wild flowers, feathers and bohemian looks all coming together for one wedding.

 

Bird motifs and inspiration will be a plenty, on invitations and in the décor...

 

Wild flowers will decorate the bouquets and floral arrangements...

 

 

Feathers on dresses has started to become quite a desirable style for many brides, Pronovias designers have proved this through many of their designs for their 2013 collection.

 

 

Pronovias - Style: Benicarlo

 

So that's everything (for now) about 2013 weddings! I could go on and on, but what I have listed is what I believe is going to take weddings by storm for this fantastic new year.

This by far has been our longest post, and I hope it can help to some of you ladies and keen wedding planners, by opening your eyes into the fashions and upcoming trends of 2013. Keep your originality flowing and your ideas sparking - this is the year of individuality.

If anybody else has any other trend predictions or some fantastic ideas for their big day in 2013, share them below in the comments - sharing is caring!

 

Happy New Year, and much love to you all.

 

X

 

 

Marry Christmas

Well ladies and gents - it's that time of year, where the wine and food is flowing, along with proposals...

 

Many of you reading this may have actually got engaged today, and congratulations to those of you that have. Proposals on Christmas are always something to cherish. The day will from then always have a deeper sentimental value to you, and on the plus side, your fiancé can't forget the date ;)

 

 

For those of you haven't been proposed to today - have no fear. This is the season packed full of love and excitement, and new year is also yet to happen. New year is again, a beautiful and memorable time to propose.

 

 

And what's a better Christmas gift for your lady than an engagement ring? The one piece of jewellery that a woman fantasies over. Especially if you've already discussed the chance of an upcoming proposal. Let me tell any of you gentlemen who might be reading this - you cannot, will not and shall not go wrong if you go with Tiffany & Co.

 

 

I don't think any man understands the power this little blue box holds.

In fact, you really don't need to worry about the shape, style or colour of the ring - so long as it's all wrapped up in this beautiful case of aqua! ... Joking, the ring itself is important too, I'm just trying to put this into perspective for those who are contemplating where to buy the engagement ring!

 

Tiffany&Co. have some absolutely stunning designs, such as this beauty:

Style: Embrace

 

This shimmering piece of magic comes in two colours, you have Crystal, or Sapphire... which matches that little blue box perfectly!

This ring will be the subject of plenty of conversations whether you know the people or not - it's bound to grab the attention of passers by... It's too big and beautiful not to!

 

The jewellery company Pandora have also caused quite a stir in the retail market over the past few years, and their popularity is growing! They're infamous for their charm bracelets, but with their fame increasing - people are beginning to go to Pandora for more than just charms. Pandora have some incredible ring designs too, and are a great alternative price-wise if Tiffany&Co. is just a little bit over budget! A lot of the designs at Pandora are unique too, so if you're a lady who doesn't necessarily want to follow the crowd with a traditional ring, you may want to drop some hints about this fab company!

 

I wish all you lovely readers, a happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year. I hope it's full of surprises, excitement and most of all - love.

Marry Christmas... ;)

X

 

http://www.tiffany.com/

http://www.pandora.net/en-us/

 

Our "Brides of the Day"

Nothing is more exciting to me, than hearing about people's weddings. How the day went, the highlights, the guests, the after party, his face when the bride entered the room, who cried. I love it all.

What's even more exciting for me, is seeing the pictures. The pictures that capture the love that married couple share. The pictures that show how made for each other they are. The pictures that make the bride look like something out of a magazine.


Bride of the day: @messvaleria
 

This is why, my company and I decided to broaden our networks by creating an Instagram profile. On here, we share with our followers our new blog posts - but most importantly, we recently set up a "Bride of the Day " project!
 

 
Bride of the day: @littlemissbeliy
 

If you're married, on instagram, and have some gorgeous photos of your wedding - you too could feature on our instgram page that is getting more and more popular by the day.


Bride of the day: @jewlz0312

By sending us photos of yourself on your wedding day, or brides you know - it gives our followers all over the world the chance to see your wonderful photos!

Bride of the day: @illnana
 

All you have to do is send us your favourite photos to: voguebride@gmail.com

or you can tag us in a photo that you've already uploaded by simply commenting "@voguebride".

We look forward to seeing your gorgeous photos!
X

Bride of the day: @jordansvaughn

(All the photos featured in this post are real brides who have sent us their wedding photos, and have had the chance to feature as our bride of the day on Instagram)

 

 http://statigr.am/voguebride

Vintage Accessories: The Birdcage Veil

In previous blog posts, I have gone into detail about vintage wedding themes, and briefly mentioned birdcage veils. With the vintage wedding theme clearly becoming more and more popular, I've decided to dedicate a blog post to each individual aspect of a vintage wedding theme, in order to help you brides who as lusting after this fabulously fashionable theme.

 

So I've decided I'm going to do my first post which is solely dedicated to the vintage theme, about birdcage veils...

 

 

Veils are fabulous, as I'm sure you've read elsewhere on my blog, I'm a sucker for tradition. And nothing screams "traditional bride" to me, like a veil does. I've noticed too, when at work and dressing up brides-to-be, that conversations go a lot like this:

 

Me: Have you thought about a veil?

Bride-to-be: Erm, yes I have. I don't like them.

Me: Shall we just try one? You don't know unless you try!

Bride-to-be: OK then

*puts veil on bride-to-be*

Bride-to-be: Oh my God! I feel like a real bride! 

And it's true! It sounds pushy - but a bride doesn't know if she likes something unless she tries it. As I'm sure most of the brides reading this have found, you have to expect the unexpected when it comes to finding your outfit for the day. A dress style that you think you like might not be right for you, and those dress styles that you ruled out before trying them on might look absolutely drop-dead gorgeous.

 

So, you're a bride with her heart set on a vintage wedding for your big day. You've found your dress, you've got the men kitted out, you've got the venue, the transport, the bridesmaids sorted, the catering, the flowers, the seating plan... What about your accessories?

For me, nothing is as effective for a bride wanting to look retro and vintage, quite like a birdcage veil. I have to admit, when they're not being worn, and you are just looking at them on a display cabinet - they can look a little frightening. But don't let that put you off!

 

 

Birdcage veils are extremely easy to pull off, so long as you have the confidence to do so. They surprisingly suit a number of different style dresses - not just that stereotypical, lacy, vintage dress. These style of veils also look their best with an updo, just to stretch your theme even more, try a twisted updo with perhaps a little beehive bump, to make you look super retro!

 

One of the best places I've found to buy these fabulous accessories is the online store "Not on the High street". They've got a rather impressive collection of these veils, and they're also not too costly!

I personally love this full faced birdcage veil, by Faulkner & Carter London, for only £55...
 

Style: Silk Bow with Birdcage Veil

 

Click the link below to browse their collection of birdcage veils.

 http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&term=birdcage+veil

The best thing about this website is also that a lot of the vendors on it, ship worldwide!

 

What I also love about the birdcage veil - is that anybody can wear them. You don't have to be a certain age in order to pull them off. I've seen brides ranging from all ages, from 20 to 50+ who plan on wearing these veils - and each bride who wears one looks absolutely timeless.

 

 

Although I harp on about the tradition of veils, a birdcage veil is a great way to step away from tradition if you're wanting a different type of wedding style. Some brides just don't feel like they suit the typical tulle style of veil, and the birdcage veil gives a unique twist on that tradition and allows the bride to have fun with her outfit.

 

 

The birdcage veils also look absolutely incredible with tea-length dresses. Again, because they just heighten the vintage-ness that a tea-length dress brings. A splash of red lipstick - and before you know it you're a 50s bride, in the 21st century, turning heads for all the right reasons.

 

So go out there and try one! You don't know until you try

 

X

 

 

 

William and Kate - The Royal Wedding

Who doesn't love a Royal Wedding? It's that classic dream every little girl has when she dresses herself up in a tiara and a princess costume. The dream of marrying Prince Charming. I hold Walt Disney responsible for making me believe that I would indeed, one day marry a Prince. Recently however, I've had to come to terms with the fact that it probably won't be happening to me, it's OK - I can learn to live with it... *sobs*. We've all read the stories, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty - they all get swept of their feet, marry the Prince and indeed, live Happily Ever After. Unfortunately, we are in the real world, fairy tales are all very well and good, but we all know that doesn't happen in real life. But who's to say that can stop us living Happily Ever After too?

 

 

A royal wedding however, can bring that fantasy to life. Let's face it, I don't know one person in my social groups who didn't spend the 29th of April last year sat in front of their television in absolute awe and giddiness. Mostly in anticipation to see the dress (what else?!). Will and Kate's wedding day last year, really demonstrated how a Royal Wedding can really unite a nation. I know it can sometimes cause a controversial topic of conversation - but personally, I fully support the British Monarchy. I think they're an absolute iconic cultural factor for our country and I'm extremely proud of everything they represent. I do think however, the royal family in the UK had a lot of bad press around the millennium, they didn't have much support and moral was low. However, that wedding of Prince William and Princess Catherine I think really demonstrated how proud we should all be to have them representing our nation. One thing, I think however, that made everybody really love this wedding even more, and accept Kate into that family is the fact that she isn't actually royalty. That fantasy I was referring to earlier, about young girls dreaming of marrying a prince - was made real when Will and Kate announced their engagement. Will and Kate's wedding brought a young, fashionable outlook on the Royal Family. Not only do we here in the UK love them - the world loves them.

 

I have to admit, I turned my television on at around 7am that morning last April in sheer excitement to see Kate's dress. There had been rumours flying left, right and centre about style, shape, fabric, colour, etc. and it amazes me how not one of us could have guessed what she actually ended up wearing. I have to be honest, I couldn't have put money on any factor of the outfit - all I knew is that it would be absolutely stunning. Well, I got that part right.

 

 

This was everyones first glimpse of Kate and it gave me butterflies. The pride in her fathers face shone, and rightly so - she was already, arguably the most stunning bride I had ever seen, and I had only seen her face - which was covered by a veil. If that doesn't speak volumes, I don't know what will. The lace did shock me to begin with, I think I naturally envisioned her in a dress identical to Princess Diana's, I really don't know why.

My stomach was in knots (Yes, I do understand how sad that statement is), and the moment came when she stepped out of the car and we could all see her dress in full view. It absolutely took my breath away. The photo below is one of my absolute favourites, Kate is looking at her sister, Pippa as if to say "This is really happening!". Which again reiterates that fairytale story, a young, normal girl, marrying the man of her dreams - who also happens to be a prince.

 

 

I immediately noted the similarities with Diana's dress, the full skirt, the satin sheen, the veil, the ivory bouquet, the tiara, and most importantly - the sheer radiance. Kate's dress does have a ton of similarities, but is just designed on, shall we say, a smaller scale and fitted into the 21st century perfectly.

 

 

I was absolutely transfixed the minute Kate arrived. I was actually asked to move out the way of the TV at one point, I had unconsciously shifted as close as possible towards the screen. Kate and her father began their trek down the mammoth aisle of Westminster Abbey. Her poise and confidence was incredible, a girl who hadn't been brought up in the public eye, now had millions of eyes all on her and she took to it so naturally. Her nerves seemed nonexistent and her smile was infectious.

My personal highlight of the entire day were the little conversations that happened at the altar. Firstly, when Prince Harry turned to his big brother, and said "Here she is now", and the way Harry looked at Kate in absolute astonishment and pride that she was soon to be his sister-in-law. And again when Kate finally got the altar, Wills face was unforgettable, he turned to her and said how lovely she looked, he too, in absolute awe. The ultimate part of these conversations at the altar was when Kate's father, Michael turned to the couple and said, "We were supposed to have just a small family affair." I couldn't help but think about how long he had been waiting to say that comment, and imagining his face when he came up with it, "Sheer genius!", he must have thought. I also wondered how many nights sleep he might have lost, deciding whether to say it or not. But my God, it was worth it.

 

 

My second favourite part of the day, and the thing that also made me love Kate even more, was the moment before the kiss on the balcony. The doors opened, to the tens of thousands stood waiting below the palace, and out came Kate. Her instinctive response and amazement at the sight she saw, was "Wow!".

 

 

This moment showed that even though she's now a princess, she's still who she always was. The title hasn't changed her one bit. It reiterated to the public, even though she is royalty now, she is genuine, she's not putting on a facade for anybody. And I think that makes her the most deserving woman to be transformed from a civilian to a princess.

 

 

So I want to thank you Kate, for making little girls dreams of marrying Prince Charming, become a little bit more believable... So if you wouldn't mind giving me Prince Harry's number - that would be great...