Belle Amour - Advice & planning

‘Advice & planning’ posts

Flower picking

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

I know very little about flowers. I’ve seen tons that I like but I couldn’t name. However, I also don’t like the idea of letting the florist decide fully on my flowers for me. Of course they know what they’re doing and I’m sure they would come up with something beautiful but I’d like an input in every aspect of my day (well most of it, the groom can pick his clothes, I guess…) Luckily for me and others that are flummoxed by flowers, Chris from Desmond Talbot has written a post on a way to find flowers that are right for you. It’s a little different from heading straight to the florist and letting them do all the work. And I like that…

Finding your flowers

Autumn weddings can provide some of the most difficult decisions when looking at your choice of flowers. Sorry to start on a downer for all you brides-to-be, but it’s the truth.

The truth is that there are such things as ‘safe’ trends with your wedding flower choices. Summer often means colour so sunflowers and bright flowers are often popular. Winter equals elegance with white lilies or deep red roses (although they are out of season), whilst spring means a lighter, greener selection with daffodils proving to be a more contemporary favourite. Then we have autumn… and the trouble begins. Autumn is where nature decides to not have one common denominator between its creations, it’s where foliage comes into its own and that means a nasty headache for most brides!

I’m (hopefully) going to talk you through 3 steps to make sure you get the right flowers for you no matter when your wedding is and give you some sneaky cheats to make sure you get a great look without just doing the ‘norm’.

Spring

Step 1 – Get Overwhelmed!

I am a firm believer that you have to be completely overwhelmed by choice in order to get the flowers that are right for you. Head to a flower market, the stalls, the florists and anywhere else you see flowers and please, please, please make sure your eyes are open! To make this count, it is essential that you forget that you are looking for your bouquet and instead pick up one individual example of every flower you like. If you judge each one separately and forget that it’s your wedding, you will start to notice flowers and colours you have never noticed before that could really work for you.

Summer

Step 2 – Clear Out The Spare Room

Having taken at least one of each of the flowers you like home, let them move in! They don’t have to work together or look pretty, but it is essential that you get used to holding, touching and smelling each of the flowers you like. This will start to eliminate individual flowers that you like less for various reasons and slowly refine your search. Put them against your dress that’s hanging secretly in the spare room, take them shopping and put them on your desk at work because they are your best friends on the biggest day of your life so the fit has to be right.

Autumn

Tip 3 – Don’t Settle For Second

This is your day but unless you can arrange flowers yourself, you will need a florist. Using the much smaller bunch of flowers you now have left, head to as many florists as your little legs will stand to take you to! Any florist worth their salt should be able to think of something creative off the back of the small example you are giving them. It is quite common for clients to have no idea what they want or what will work so giving them such a clear starting point means they should be able to produce a top notch design for you and if you are less than perfectly happy, come to see me at Desmond Talbot instead!

Winter

All awesome images courtesy of Desmond Talbot

I do like the idea of going out and getting one of all the flowers you like that are in season and then eventually heading to numerous florists, not just one, lots. This way you’ll hopefully have a whole bunch of ideas to choose from. Although you could go into a florist that would come up with a fantastic idea it may not be the best for you. We shop around for the dress so it only makes sense to shop around for flowers too.

Thanks to Chris for the fantastic post. I hope it helps you pick your perfect posy!

Debs

Vendor Details:
Desmond Talbot website
Desmond Talbot blog
Contact Desmond Talbot
Phone: 02070 600038

Tags: flowers
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A list of gifts
Thursday, July 29th, 2010

The gift list is often one of much debate in wedding world. Is it bad to ask for gifts? But if you don’t ask do you risk getting lots of items you don’t want when people feel obliged to give anyway? Can you ask for money and, if so, how can you possibly phrase that politely? Is there perhaps an alternative that you haven’t even thought of?

Personally, I think the thought of asking for gifts would make me feel a bit cheeky. Although it has pretty much become a given that guests at weddings buy gifts I do still believe it would be nicer if this wasn’t the case. That brides and grooms were genuinely touched and surprised to get a gift lovingly hand-picked for them rather than wait for guests to buy all the items on a list they’ve compiled.

On the other hand, the majority of guests do want to buy gifts and perhaps you’re making it easier on them by giving them a list to pick from!

The choice to include a gift list with the invites, or instead to leave a message with the parents for those that insist on buying a gift, is a personal one but either way I thought I’d try and come up with 10 ideas for the list, some obvious, some perhaps not so obvious…

1. Homeware store

One of the most common routes to go down is setting up a gift list with a shop such as John Lewis or Debenhams. This is great for the few couples that haven’t lived together for that long (or at all!) prior to their marriage and still need the essential homewares these types of shops offer. As you have a gift list to fill, however, you could well end up putting those unnecesary, use-once-and-then-put-in-a-dark-cupboard-never-to-see-the-light-of-day-again type objects on just for the sake of filling it up. I’d have to have a good think about whether I really needed all those homewares before going down this route! If you decide you want such items but would rather pick from different stores then services such as Presentwise and The Gift List Company allow you to do this.

2. Honeymoon

If your house has everything it needs and you’d rather treat yourself to a luxury holiday then asking guests to contribute to the honeymoon would mean your first trip as a newly married couple could be an amazing one! Companies such as Turquoise allow guests to either contribute cash to your honeymoon or select from experiences pre-determined by the couple, such as a massage or quad-biking!

3. Money

Perhaps the hardest to ask for! Most tend to go with a cheeky poem such as this:
Because at first we lived in sin
We’ve got the sheets and a rubbish bin
A gift from you would be swell
But we’d prefer a donation to our Wishing Well!
If this still makes you feel uncomfortable I’d leave this one to the parents to deal with! If there is no mention of a gift list most guests will ask them and they could just casually suggest the money option.

4. Art

Companies such as Scotland Art and Artery Gallery offer gift lists that allow guests to contribute to a piece of artwork of your choice. I rather like this idea as it is just one item so no chance of it cluttering up the house! Pick a statement painting and it can have pride of place in your home as a reminder of your special day and all the loved ones you shared it with.

5. Charity

Another great idea and one I wrote about in this post on Oxfam Unwrapped. If you really don’t want for anything but want your guests to feel satisfied that they gave you a gift then this is the way to do it. Lots of charities, such as Cancer Research and the NSPCC offer options to set up an online page where guests can contribute. Alternatively, pick any charity of your choice and put a note with your invites stating that contributions are welcome for you to pass on to your chosen charity. The chance to help others long after your special day is definitely a great idea for your wedding gifts.

6. Interior design

If you want to create the perfect home for your newly married life but need some help, then companies such as Beyond Weddings are perfect. Set up by Chelsea Bidwill there are 3 services all involving a visit from Chelsea to give her an idea of your home and what design elements will enhance it. Lists can feature decorative items to buy or interior work such as reupholstering chairs, fitting a carpet or renovating the bathroom. You could ask for money and put it towards something like this but this way you get an interior specialist’s help and I think many guests like to know what they’ve bought you. Alternatively if you’re happy designing your house yourself and would just like help with the DIY costs, vouchers for a hardware store such as B&Q would come in handy.

7. Gardening

If your house is just the way you want it but the garden’s looking a bit shabby then get a garden makeover for your gift! The Wedding Garden Company offer lists that allow you to choose garden items yourself or alternatively they can visit you to discuss a few ideas or even a full garden redesign. And if you can’t decide between homewares, interior design or sprucing up your garden then a company such as Bottom Drawer is for you as they allow you to put anything on your list!

8. Wine

For wine drinkers why not have enough to fill a cellar waiting for you on return from your honeymoon? Those at The Wine Wedding List can help you compile ideas for wines from all over the world and at different price levels to suit different guests’ budgets. A nice touch is that every bottle bought is hand labelled with the guest’s name that bought it for you so you can drunkenly thank them after you’ve enjoyed it!

9. Books

The last two are my favourite ideas as, to me, they are what gifts should be about: they allow the guest the freedom to choose themselves and a chance for them to be creative, a great combo! I absolutely love books. So much so that one day I dream of a library in my house like the one in Disney’s Beauty & the Beast with the ladder to access all the many books! This list is simple, ask the guest to buy you their favourite book, fiction or non-fiction. This way you’ll end up with a really unusual and interesting collection of books that will remind you of your guests and most likely offer up reading oppportunities you’d never have explored otherwise. You could take this one step further by including with your invites a sticker for them to include in the front of their book allowing them to add their name and a message for you.

10. Romance

The most creative option! Ask guests to contribute to your romance. Leaving it quite open means they can have fun deciding in what way they want to do that. Whether they choose tickets for the theatre, a voucher for a meal out, a set of gorgeous candles for the home or a book of love poems you’ll hopefully get a whole bunch of weird and wonderful gifts out of this one!

Awesome image courtesy of Jen Chan

If anybody can think of alternatives to the usual gift lists then please let me know. I’d love to hear your ideas!

Debs

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A variety of veils
Friday, May 21st, 2010

Imagine a bride and it’s more than likely you’ll picture a veil. And when a little girl plays at weddings it’d be quite normal for her to drape a towel over her head. Because a veil is often the defining element that makes a bride truly look and feel like a bride. A girl’s wedding day, more often than not, is the only time she’ll wear a pretty veil (I’m not including the tacky one donned for the hen do!) and therefore many brides opt for this accessory for their big day, not wanting to pass up on the pretty.

There are several explanations of how the veil came to be…

Some say that the veil, like the white dress, was a symbol of innocence and purity.

Others believe that the origin came about through arranged marriages. Men would arrange with a father for his daughter’s hand in marriage and a veil would cover her face until they were married. At this point the veil was lifted and if the groom didn’t like what he saw, well, it was too late!

And then there are the stories that the veil shows a wife’s submission to her husband. I’m not a fan of these stories.

Now, however, past meanings are irrelevant. The veil has become a tradition that brides keep simply because a veil looks stunning!

And because veils are such a popular choice there are currently so many different types to choose from! So I’ve come up with some illustrations and included some info on each veil in the hope that you can get an idea of the perfect veil for your perfect day…

Blusher

The Blusher is a short veil covering the face. Worn over the face for the entire walk down the aisle and most of the ceremony, this veil adds impact to the ‘You may now kiss the bride’ bit. At this point it can be flipped back to allow your new husband to give you a romantic kiss just like you’ve seen in endless TV shows and films. After that the veil can remain off your face for the rest of your celebrations. You can wear a Blusher alone or add it to a longer veil at the back.

Flyaway

This one is multi-layered and just kisses the shoulders. I think it looks great with tea-length dresses due to the fun and flirty nature of it. If your dress has detail at the back that you want to show off the Flyaway is a good pick. The short layers create a suitably informal look for more casual affairs.

Elbow

As the name suggests this veil stops at your elbows. It’s certainly a more formal, elegant look than the flyaway veil but not overly traditional and therefore wouldn’t be out of place in an informal setting. Would be a great choice if you were looking for a longer veil but had a beautiful bow or likewise at the back of your dress that you didn’t want to cover.

Fingertip

This one sits at your fingertips when your arms are down by your side and is a very popular length with brides: not too short, not too long. We’re getting into the more traditional realm of veils with this one. If you’ve always dreamed of the white wedding with the romantic veil then this length or longer is likely to be the choice for you.

Waltz/Ballet

Named so as this is a veil you can wear and still twirl round on the dance floor without fear of tripping! This length is the perfect option for those wanting a long veil without the fuss of having people to help carry it at times. This would only work with a floor-length dress and generally requires a more formal setting.

Chapel

The Chapel veil falls all the way to the floor and is around 2.5 metres long. This is one super sophisticated, full-blown wedding veil that would complement a floor-length dress with train. This isn’t really one for the informal gatherings.

Cathedral

The Cathedral veil is named so as it once was only worn in cathedrals. A cathedral setting for a wedding is an extravagant choice and the veil doesn’t disappoint. This one hits the floor and then keeps going, coming in at around 3 metres long. It’s definitely the most formal choice requiring an elegant gown and a fancy venue to go with it.

Double tier

If you fancy more fullness to your veil then why not go for two. And which two is up to you. Either have two at the back of differeing lengths to give the veil some volume. Or pick a veil and blusher. You can even have three veils. Or four…

Pouf

The Pouf veil is a contemporary choice. A lot of fabric is used for this one, all gathered together at the headpiece creating a lot of volume. Very differing levels of pouffiness can be achieved and the veil can be any length so this is all down to personal preference. I think this one could work well in both formal and informal settings depending on the length and if teamed with the right dress.

Fountain

The Fountain veil uses more material than most veils. It gathers at the crown of your head and flows down your back. But this veil also cascades around your face. Supposedly like a waterfall. This veil sits around the elbow mark and is particularly good for softening and romanticising your look.

Birdcage

The Birdcage is the perfect vintage piece. Whilst other veils are made from finer fabrics the birdcage is usually made from netting. It’s often attached to a headpiece, such as a flower or feathers, that suits the vintage look the bride wants to recreate. These veils work superbly with vintage gowns and, in particular, tea-length numbers.

Mantilla

Mantilla veils are beautiful. Spanish-inspired, oval shaped and often have a scalloped edge decorated in delicate lace. They are known as drop veils as they can be dropped on the head and secured with pins, no need for a headpiece. These are perfect if you’re going for pretty.

So many choices! Be sure to pick your dress first as this is the most important bit of your outfit and will also inform your choice of veil. And then there’s nothing stopping you trying out several to get the veiled look you’ve always envisaged.

Debs

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Adults only?
Friday, April 23rd, 2010

One of the first things to do when planning your wedding is to decide who’s invited. There are many different factors that can influence the size of your guest list such as how many people you can afford to feed, the amount of guests you can squeeze into your ideal venue, whether you want a grand invite-everybody-you’ve-ever-met type affair or a smaller very-close-friends-and family gathering…

Another decision to make is whether certain types of guests should be invited: namely children.

For some of you it may not even cross your mind to not invite children. They are spontaneous, fun and look adorable. If friends have them or family members are children then it may be the natural choice to have them be a part of your wedding.

Kids = catastrophe?

But for others horror stories such as babies crying throughout the wedding video, grubby lil’ fingers on wedding dresses and kids getting to the cake before you have chance to cut it are enough to put a bride and groom off!

Awesome image courtesy of The Image is Found

These couples are faced with the tricky task of how to tell guests that whilst they’d love them to come they don’t want their bundles of pride and joy tagging along!

Definitely a good time to be diplomatic.

Say it with stationery

How you word your wedding invitations lets guests know who’s coming. For a couple with children, reading an invite addressed to Mr & Mrs (minus ‘and family’) is an indication that they need to be finding a babysitter for the night. Although I do think this method is a little vague and sometimes to be safe it may be better to spell it out to your guests.

Perhaps don’t opt for a blunt ‘No children allowed’ or blunter ‘Leave the ankle-biters at home’ though! Instead ‘An adult only affair’ would work. Or something similar to how my best bud Michelle addressed people for her wedding day:

“As much as we love your little bundles of joy; we regret to inform you that we are not inviting children to our wedding. We hope that you will see this as an opportunity to enjoy an adult day, let your hair down and enjoy the party with us!”

This is actually a very good reason to not want children at your wedding. I’m pretty sure that by the time I marry most of my close friends will have had children and I think I’d be a bit upset if the party ended at 9pm because the kids needed putting to bed! It’d be really nice to see your friends and family have a really good time with no worries about how their children are behaving and if they’re bored or tired.

If you are worried that saying it with stationery may offend then you could always ring guests with children and explain it to them over the phone before stationery is sent out. I’m sure they’ll understand and if they don’t then perhaps they shouldn’t be a part of your day. It’s your wedding and it’s important you aren’t pushed into any decisions you don’t want to make.

You may, however, feel too uncomfortable asking parents to leave their children behind despite it being your preferred choice!

So what to do if you want kids at your wedding but also want to make sure they don’t affect the day?

Count on a crèche

A crèche is the perfect solution for adults wanting to have a great time knowing their children are nearby and safe (googling ‘wedding crèche’ offers up loads to choose from). And picking a crèche that meets Ofsted requirements ensures you are leaving the children in the capable hands of trained staff. Crèches also offer all sorts of activities for children to participate in meaning they won’t be bored; they may even have more fun than the adults! And some crèches will even look after the children until the next morning so parents don’t have to leave the party early!

Of course budget is an issue. Having a crèche may be something that you could ask parents (who will be glad to use it) to contribute to. But if it’s simply not an option there are other ways to include children in your wedding and make sure they have a good time. Here’s a few ideas:

Entertaining the kids

Have the children seated together at your wedding so they have company of a similar age and don’t have to endure hours of adult conversation!

Arrange with the caterer to have kid-friendly food: burgers, chips and ice cream for example. Fancy wedding food may not go down so well with little ones.

Let them doodle all over paper tablecloths whilst the meal is taking place:

Awesome image courtesy of The Image is Found

Don’t give them the same favour as the rest of your guests. Pick gifts suitable for a child such as small games, sweets and bubbles.

Or go for a box of entertainment such as those offered by Event Smiles that have boy and girl themed boxes in different age ranges.

Organise a scavenger hunt of things to find around your reception. These could be items you place yourself, but to give you less to organise (as let’s face it there’s enough already!) you could pick items that are likely to be around such as items from guests (tie, coin, comb) or if outside you could include a stone, flower or leaf.

Hire an entertainer, such as a magician, who could set up in a corner of your venue and keep children entertained.

Slightly older children could be given a disposable camera and a list of pictures to take. These could be developed for them and put in a small album as a memory of the wedding they were a part of.

Mini memories

Whatever you decide make sure it is your decision and how you imagined your wedding day to be. That’s the most important thing! But do remember, if you don’t have children at your wedding you will be missing out on super-cute memories like these:

Awesome images courtesy of:

Angelica Glass

Eclectic Images

Eclectic Images

Eclectic Images

Michael Norwood

Amelia Lyon

Eclectic Images

Amelia Lyon

Adamo

Eclectic Images

Adamo

The Image is Found

Amelia Lyon

Debs

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Made up
Monday, April 19th, 2010

I’m a big fan of make-up. Especially experimenting with it. But most of my experiments don’t make it out of my bedroom door as I’m simply not brave enough! I’m also pretty bad at putting it on. Despite having a steady hand when painting on canvas I am utter rubbish at painting on myself and the art of getting eye liner straight still escapes me! My embarrassing make-up tip for eyeliner is to actually put it on really messily then fold up a cotton pad saturated in eye make-up remover into quarters (thus creating a fine point) and then sweep that over the eyelid to remove the messy bits!

Due to that terrible tip you may understand why I’ve found an expert in the field of make-up to give you some wedding day advice!

Much thanks goes to Carla, a make-up artist splitting her time between Trinidad & Canada, who I discovered through a friend. She’s produced some stunning work (which I’ll dot throughout this post for you) and has some great information for brides deciding on a look for their wedding day. Over to Carla:

In the beginning

Growing up I figure skated so right from an early age I enjoyed dressing up and playing with make-up. I got the knack of colours early! After high school I went into film production. While I enjoyed being on set and the behind the scenes aspect, I didn’t feel I was in the right place. Then I started talking to the make-up artist on set! I asked her about where she went to school and what work in that industry she had done and was planning on doing… it was a 100 questions! And that is when I had my ‘Ah ha!’ moment. I already enjoyed make-up and it just seemed a perfect fit to mix my love of make-up and being on set! So I went home and started researching schools!

Image above shot by Laura Ferreira

Beauty School

I found a school in Toronto: Complections and went on a tour. I knew as soon as I stepped in that this was the right place for me. Complections train their students to be well rounded professionals. I took courses in everything from hair design for special occasions to make-up for fashion/modelling shoots and film/theatre to SPFX and prosthetics.

That was 5 years ago! Today I am still loving what I do. The best part is working closely with my clients, really listening to what they want, whether it be a bride for her special day or a company and a photographer for an ad. Getting to know their ideas and then seeing how they react when they see the finished product. There is no better look on a bride’s face when she is fully ready with beautiful hair and make-up. You know she feels magical!

Skin suggestions

Whether you are a bride that is doing your own make-up, or a bride that is shopping around for a make-up artist, everyone wants to look their best. As it gets closer to your day make sure you are drinking a lot of water: being stressed and dehydrated takes a major toll on your skin. Also stay clear of any facial treatments at least two weeks before your wedding. Your skin needs time to heal from a facial, it naturally does this in steps that take about a week to fully complete. For any facial treatments, make sure your spa or aesthetician knows you are getting married and your wedding date so they can advise you accordingly.

When it comes to the actual make-up for your big day there are a few things to keep in mind:

DIY make-up

If you are doing it yourself:

Stay with colours and products that you are comfortable with. If you are usually a minimalist when it comes to make-up, keep your make-up simple for your wedding. A soft pink eye and dewy pink cheeks, paired with a light gloss lip can look gorgeous. Don’t pick your wedding day to try the newest product on the market or an outrageous colour palette!

Even if you aren’t having a professional do your hair and make-up, still give yourself a trial. Pick a day where you can try doing a few different looks on yourself and time how long each look takes. This way on the day of the wedding you know exactly how long it will take you to get ready and what products you are going to use. Knowing exactly what you are going to do and how to do it makes for a much more relaxing morning!

Not sure what look you want or how to achieve it? Go get some advice. Many of the make-up counters do complimentary makeovers when you purchase an item or two. This is a great time to get an expert to try out new products and give you a great look. You’ll pick up a few tricks along the way and walk away with the products needed for the look you want.

No one wants their make-up to look heavy and cakey on their wedding day so to keep the shine down have a pack of oil blotters to hand. If you feel you really need to touch up with powder use a loose mineral powder. They are much lighter in texture and settle nicely on the skin.

Pro make-up

Going the professional route is a great idea! The artist can come to your house, or wherever you are getting ready, and make your morning a lot less stressful!

One thing when looking for a make-up artist: look for one whose work matches your personality and look. View their portfolio. If you know you want a soft clean look don’t go with the artist that has a retro punk feel to their work. As with photographers, while a good artist should be well rounded, many have a genre that is their style.

Always do a trial! A trial should be done about a month before the wedding date. Many artists will include this in their price packages. This is when you can really communicate with your artist about what you want. Have pictures on hand: if you see a made-up eye in a magazine that you like rip it out. If you see a different picture with lips that you adore rip that one out too. Having visuals that you can show just guarantees you get exactly what you want.

Trials are also good for an artist to get a sense of your colouring and skin textures (helps us determinate what the best products to use are) If you’re planning on tanning (the real or fake way) let your artist know that your colouring may change before the big day.

On the subject of tanning, I know brides often like to have a little more colour on their wedding day but it is best to avoid long sessions in the sun, this makes the texture of your skin change and if you’re out there too long your skin can get a leathery texture that no make-up will work well with!

Airbrushing make-up is something that is becoming very popular but can be more expensive (see bit on budget later). However, you will feel the difference in texture on your skin with airbrushing make-up. Its smoother and much lighter. If you have problem skin at all this is a great way to go because you don’t have to have a ton of layers on to hide any imperfections and it lasts much longer. If you’re not sure whether to choose airbrushing make-up or stay with regular foundation a trial is a perfect time to ask your artist to try both applications.

Awesome images courtesy of Carla. Images above shot by Laura Ferreira

Budget

Everyone knows that budget is a big factor when planning your special day, this is why it is important to choose an artist that fits into your budget. Shop around and get some quotes. Keep in mind that the price of the artist will reflect their experience. This isn’t an area I recommend going for the cheapest option. Having an experienced artist you can trust is important. They know how to get that perfect look and keep it looking perfect all day. They are the expert, you will appreciate their level of expertise if anything goes wrong on the day of your wedding.

Another thing to keep in mind when budgeting, as I mentioned earlier, is the kind of make-up application you are looking for. Not a lot of artists do airbrushing make-up so if you find one that does expect the charge to be a little bit more. It’s going to be a long day, if you are getting married in a hot climate or do have problem skin I highly recommend the airbrush application, it is worth the extra spend to know you don’t have to be constantly running off to do touch-ups!

Whatever you choose, it is a special day, relax and enjoy it knowing you look beautiful!

Debs & Carla

Vendor Details:
Facebook: Carlotta
Email: carla@carlottamakeupartistry.com
Phone: Canada 705.794.4955/Trinidad 868.749.5685

Tags: make-up
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