Unusual Wedding Bouquet Ideas

This morning I stumbled upon some absolutely fantastic, unusual and alternative ideas for wedding bouquets!  Ok, so you're getting married and maybe you suffer from hay fever...or...you just don't like the idea of paying all that money for flowers that unfortunately die soon after your wedding day that you can't hold onto as a keepsake...well, here are some great alternative ideas!

This beauty is recycled papers rolled to look like little roses...isn't is gorgeous?!  I'm sure this could be relatively easy to fashion yourself, though I'm sure there are lots of companies who specialise in bespoke, alternative bouquet designs.

Image Courtesy of:
www.onewed.com/blog/show/splurge-vs.-save-non-floral-bouquets-centerpieces

Why not consider a cupcake bouquet?!  Maybe it's not such a great idea if you're walking down the aisle on a hot summer's day (the horror of icing all over your beautiful dress!), however, if you're planning on giving bouquets to family and friends as wedding thank you gifts, then why not consider one of these gorgeous alternatives for those with a sweet tooth?

Cupcake Bouquet from the Mulberry Teacup, Soho, London (UK)

The beauty of these unusual wedding bouquets is that you can easily coordinate them with the location or theme of your wedding.  Take this sea shell bouquet as an example; wouldn't this be perfect if you were getting married by the sea?

Image Courtesy of: http://planitevents.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/unique-wedding-bouquets.html#

These absolutely stunning brooch bouquets are wonderful.  You can be as quirky, classy or vintage as you like with these beauties...

Image Courtesy of:
http://www.fantasyfloraldesigns.com/

Image Courtesy of:
http://www.fantasyfloraldesigns.com/

If you haven't quite got the budget for a bespoke bouquet, then why not give it a whirl and see if you can make one yourself.  Collect buttons, broaches, ribbons...anything that catches your eye.  It could be a lovely little project that you start a few months before the wedding and the best bit is that it won't wilt and you either get to keep it or give it to someone as a gift!  

Happy wedding planning!

xXx

Wedding Photographers - Green Olive Wedding

My FREE Engagement Shoot by Green Olive Wedding Photography

Looking for your wedding photographer can be quite a difficult task.  If you’ve never had to consider what style of photography you like before, you’re possibly not going to know exactly what it is that you do and don’t like until it’s staring you in the face.  There are absolutely thousands of photographers out there, all at extremely varying budgets, offering different packages and add ons.  One of the underlying reasons that we may find it difficult to choose a wedding photographer is the knowledge at the back of our minds that these will be photos that capture one of the most intimate, emotional and happiest days of our lives.  These are photos that need to stand the test of time.  They will be seen by many people and most likely take pride of place on display in our homes as well as others.  There is also an element of fear involved in the choice that we make...what if we’re not happy with the end results?  One option to alleviate this fear is to consider having an engagement shoot with your preferred photographer.

www.greenolivewedding.co.uk

As someone who recently got married (in July 2011), I have had this daunting experience of hunting for that style of photography that captures your eye.  I had absolutely no idea where to start.  In all honesty, it took rather a lot of research, and many hours of trawling through the internet before I finally decided to take the plunge and meet with the wedding photographer at the top of my list...Green Olive Wedding Photography.  So why am I telling you?  It's always great to have a recommendation when you're searching for something as important as a wedding supplier.  If I can help others save time in their hunt for that great wedding photographer then I have succeeded in helping alleviate some of the stress of planning a wedding!

www.greenolivewedding.co.uk

Green Olive Wedding - A Photographic Duo
Ben and Slawek, a.k.a Green Olive Wedding Photography, work extremely well as a team.  They're wonderfully friendly, easy to get along with and make their clients feel relaxed, which ultimately is the way to get the best photos of people!  Green Olive Wedding Photography specialises in a combination of reportage, documentary and directed photography.  Other than loving their style of photography, I was interested in contacting Ben and Slawek for a 3 main reasons:

1. They offer a free engagement shoot, with no obligation to book them and you are given the photos to keep as a memento.  This is a fantastic opportunity to discover whether you feel comfortable with them and ask any questions that may spring to mind.  Let's face it, unless you're famous, or a model, not many people are used to having their photographs taken for an entire day!
2. There are two of them!  I loved the fact that we were able to have photos of both the bride and groom getting ready even though we were on opposite sides of London.  Most photographers work alone, which means that usually, it is the bridal preparations that are photographed.  As I wasn't with my fiancé (now husband!) during the morning of our wedding day, it was lovely to see photos of him, his best man and ushers while they were all getting ready.
3. They don't count hours.  During my hours of research, I discovered that most wedding photographers charge for a set number of hours and if you wish to extend that, you pay an hourly rate...usually at least £100 per hour!!!  Ben and Slawek were with me and my husband from around 9.30am until 8.30pm!  Weddings rarely run on schedule, so imagine knowing at the back of your mind that you have run an hour and a half behind and suddenly your photographer's bill will be escalating as the minutes tick by...not a nice thought when you're supposed to be enjoying your wedding day!

Overall, our wedding day was absolutely amazing and so were Green Olive Wedding Photography!  They took fantastic photos of us and our guests.  Many people mentioned how great they were and now that they've seen the end result, they love the photos just as much as we do.  I would truly recommend Ben and Slawek if you're currently looking for your wedding photographer.  If I've managed to entice you so far, here are their contact details:

Website:  www.greenoliveweddingphotography.co.uk

Ben's Mobile:  07919 593 876

Email:  info@greenolivewedding.co.uk

For those of you who need a little more convincing, I shall leave you with the photographs from my free engagement shoot with Green Olive Wedding Photography...

Wedding Shoes - A Touch Of Couture For Your Wedding

Jimmy Choo - Sugar
The Ultimate Designer Wedding Shoes!
Stunning Peep Toes Covered in Swarovski Crystals

Like many women in this world, I have an unbelievable obsession with shoes; designer ones to be specific!  The higher the better!  The more unusual, the harder I fall in love.  I literally don't care how painful they are as long as they look gorgeous...I want them on my feet and I feel like I'm worth a million dollars (or I suppose pounds considering I'm english!) when I'm wearing them.  The only thing preventing me from having a cupboard filled with couture shoes is my wallet; unfortunately I have extremely expensive taste when it comes to most things in life, in particular, designer footwear.

The funny thing is, you wouldn't have thought that people would look at your feet, but wow, they really do.  When I have a beautiful pair of shoes on my feet people comment!  Frankly, this only makes my shoe addiction worse as it fuels the fire and makes me justify having spent so much money on them!  My cupboard full of shoes grows year after year and I feel loathed to throw them away when it becomes apparent that I can no longer wear certain pairs; I feel a loyalty, as if they were living beings rather than fashion accessories!  I frequently open the door and they come crashing out, searching for air, almost as if they were screaming "please, wear me, set me free!"  But it's such a fantastic feeling when you rediscover a pair and suddenly they've reinvented your entire wardrobe.  What do I love most about shoes?  It doesn't matter how much weight I put on or lose, they will always, always look great, and will always fit!  Now that's loyalty to me, which is why I show them so much love in return.

So why am I telling you about my shoe addiction?  Well, I figure that I'm not the only one.  For those of you who are currently engaged and who revel in trying on beautiful new footwear, you may want a little couture wedding shoe inspiration!  You may not be able to afford some of these but it's great to dream of having them on your feet!  Enjoy!

Freya Rose - Della Sky Blossom
Peep Toes with Handmade Silk & Lace Flowers
What's not to like?!  They're covered in mother-of-pearl, Swarovski crystals, lace and pearls!

Freya Rose - Tahiti Boudior
Beautiful Sling Back Sandals with French Lace Ruffles

Miu Miu - Crystal Heel Sandals
Bling Up Your Feet with these Glamorous & Eye-catching Crystal Heels