A Bride Named Smith

found THE shoes

2010-06-30T12:51:00.000+01:00

x a bride named smith x

T's gonna let me wear navy blue!

2010-05-20T15:17:00.000+01:00

Yippee! I contemplated different colours and dresses and shapes but I was always drawn to the SarahSeven (on etsy.com) Midnight Stroll. Its still a bloody long time til my wedding (while people who got engaged after me are storming away with their plans...)and I will change my mind millions of time but for now its settled. In the mean time no movement on the plans, and seen as I have loads on my mind re: giving up my job to go freelance I think I will not be thinking on it for a while. So I will be dipping in and out of here but keep the plans as they are for now.

x a bride named smith x

whats been going on....erm...?

2010-05-01T10:51:00.000+01:00

I was sitting at the computer for about 10 minutes staring at the screen and thinking - what the fuck have i been doing lately... well i guess i have mostly been preparing for my upcoming unemployment and starting my own little business... the business of freelancing and doing fun things with paper... it all seems like so much fun right now but i can't see how much i can actually make from it - i mean a girl gots to eat right? I think i could do with loosing a few lbs but not starvation...mmmm... got the royal hump this morning.... more wedding stuff when i can be arsed...

x a bride named smith x

ps its a year since we got engaged on tuesday and i don't feel like i'm any closer to this stupid fucking wedding and its annoying - i just want to marry T & get one with the rest of our lives, if he wasn't insisting on us having a small but proper wedding we would have been hitched by now... I know gretna green ent as glamorous as vegas but whatev's...

dresses...

2010-04-18T17:34:00.000+01:00

in shaving our budget i have been searching elsewhere for my wedding dress inspiration, etsy for one and some normal dresses i also like... like this stunner from Nicole Fahri:

Peonie Print Dress £180.00. Picture from Nicole Fahri

And these beauts from etsy:

Pink Petals from SarahSeven

Midnight Stroll Dress from SarahSeven

White as Snow Dress from SarahSeven

Striped Carnival Party Dress from Ouma

Now which to choose!?

x a bride named smith x

Oh also...

2010-04-14T21:57:00.000+01:00

Anyone been to/heard of/like the sound of Elizabeth NY?

All Images via Elizabeth NYC

It looks like a lovely reception site, I love the back room and the menu looks great - real good food!

I haven't spoken to them yet but I think I'll email them this week! Found it on a foody website - I think thats a good place to start!

x a bride named smith x

things on net-a-porter

2010-04-14T21:48:00.000+01:00

i thought after my last post that i might have a little look to see if there were anymore delights in the world of internet this evening...and there were! Whoop!

Vivienne Westwood Ring - £255

Zac Posen Maxi Dress - £1,730

Dannijo Celai Necklace - £265

Lush Louboutins - £685

On another note which I forgot to mention earlier - I am growing some lovely flowers in my front garden and they are about to flower when I do I'll post em up! Peonies and Ranunculus...! YUM!

x a bride named smith x

hey-yo... its been a while

2010-04-14T21:24:00.000+01:00

I quit my job! Yippee! I am doing things all by my self and I am excited at the prospect... I'll keep you posted...

In the mean time we are cutting back on our New York wedding because I think it was getting away from us - we always wanted simple and suddenly it got way too much, we want a super sonic quick reception and then some really good food and a few cocktails, why have all the rest of the fuss eh?

But one thing I don't really want to compromise on is my shoes!

First are from Tatty Devine - absolute stunners and only £120 bucks? Think they'd look lush with a beige cocktail dress...

Image via Tatty Devine

Second are from the powerhouse Chanel... these are amazing. I want them so bad I might sell a kidney.

Image via Chanel

I'll try to do this a bit more often, if nothing else its mega theraputic!

x a bride named smith x

net-a-porter

2010-02-17T15:43:00.000Z

net-a-porter have started doing wedding stuff.

there collection looks lush - loads of great interesting pieces that aren't the cookie cutter dresses i've come to hate...! good show!

net-a-porter bridal

x a bride named smith x

where the hell have I been?

2010-01-29T11:13:00.000Z

No where. I just can't be bothered with the blog atm. Its not as rewarding and forfilling as I had hoped... plus its not even like I ever really thought it would get read, but writing to yourself is a bit lonely. Its not like I could ever finish anything anyways. Self loathing aside:

Wedding is now in New York. End of. I am not changing my mind again. I always wanted a 'destination' wedding (in quotes cause I hate that fucking word) so we're doing it. And we thought lets go somewhere we really want to go - et voila New York. I have decided on the 'theme' (see 'destination') and with a little help from the new girl at my work I am a bit excited about it. I won't go into details. Its a suprise.

Also doing a side project. Pretty sure that anyone who becomes a bride decides they can be an event planner but fuck it. Its my life I can do what I want. So event design, paper based. Taking off sometime soon.

hey zeus i am in a bad mood today. grrr.

x a bride named smith x

new york - new york!

2009-12-16T09:39:00.001Z

God I knew I was indecisive but this takes the fucking biscuit. I guess the deal with not having to make any plans in any great hurry means we have too much time to think and re think and change and re change the ideas, so cornwall is gone, adios kent, see ya laters uk, how about new york?

Found a place the Gramercy Park Hotel, NY - where I would love to get married - bet its mega bucks but look how awesome it is!

x a bride named smith x

oh and also...

2009-12-11T11:23:00.000Z

I read regretsy and cake wrecks almost every day because they are fucking hilarious, if you haven't seen them yet you should. When I stumbled upon cake wrecks a month or so ago I sat all evening going through every post and I literally was in tears for the whole evening. At one point I was laughing so much I fell of the sofa. I am not shitting you. I had a bruise on my leg that looked a bit like Italy.

enjoy.

x a bride named smith x

I have a reader! And a Barbie...!

2009-12-11T10:59:00.000Z

I have had news that someone reads my blog! I was about to give the whole bloody thing up because I don't seem to have the time but it gets read to fuck it - I'm keeping going. (just noticed I had a comment also from the fabulous brilliant East Side Bride - it was from months ago but was nice to know I have had visitors!

Re: the wedding... We have so so so far to go before we even have to think about venues and whatever but I can't help it - I get wound up about things and I need to think this far in advance and get worked up about it or else my mind would literally melt... (or so I am led to believe) but Lighthouse in Kent? Windmill in Norfolk? Barn in Cornwall? Or a foreign land? Which one will win!

Also - check out what T let me buy on Friday - it was waaaay too much money but we decided in Northumberland to collect toys and books so it was a sensible purchase really!

Available from here

x a bride named smith x

bored

2009-11-20T17:19:00.000Z

bored of the idea of my wedding dress so i've been looking instead at other dresses... more usual ones that i could wear again perhaps.... like this one...

Stella McCartney Dress from Net-a-Porter

with these shoes or someething ( i really want blue or orange shoes....)

Louboutin Shoes from Net-a-Porter

and a cardi. i love cardis!

x a bride named smith x

what an awesome tutorial

2009-11-05T09:10:00.000Z

i like this idea for a backdrop for a wedding:

from kate at design*sponge

it is easy and made entirely of pipe cleaners and would look ace as a backdrop.

yes please!

x a bride named smith x

its our 3 year 10 month-aversary

2009-11-04T09:35:00.001Z

We always used to go out for our month-aversaries... but the last few months we've let it slide with all sorts of other crap getting in the way - and with xmas approaching we've got no hope of a retrieval... i think its nice to make an effort once a month or so to keep the spark alive, no? In other news, we got bought a car, a '99 VW Polo, she's black and called black betty and we're going to decorate her interior just as soon as we can! having wheels = new forest in autumn and dates with me & T.

excited? yes.

x a bride named smith x

Its gold and has a use. I'm sold.

2009-10-28T15:15:00.000Z

You know when you order some tasty goodies online and you get their newsletter/catalogue? Well I love this. Not eco friendly I know but its like shopping - at home - without spending. That's ME friendly for sure! So this week we got the firebox.com catalogue, full of geeky gadgets and crazy bits and bobs its always worth a look...found some ace stocking fillers for T (even though he would genuinely rather a stocking full of Haribo's).

I found this and wanted to share... its a iPod dj. Shaped like a cassette. A GOLD CASETTE! Whoop! We're thinking that we might get a wee band and no dj - or neither one, but we would use our iPod's or our guests and this could make it fun! I could totally rival grand master flash with this. I met him once, with 3 sisters who awesomely made friends with his 'crew' and got us on the bus! Good times.

image via firebox.com

x a bride named smith x

Wow - how sweet

2009-10-28T13:01:00.000Z

check out this news story

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/8329295.stm

that's romantic, bittersweet love for you eh?

x a bride named smith x

Look at this! ASOS strikes again!

2009-10-28T10:24:00.001Z

I have been a bit slack with the old posts lately - been crazy busy at work and have had mega loads of crafting in prep for xmas to do. I have made a bit of progress but still a long way to go! In the meantime I have been perusing asos (wanted to show T a head band and ring*) and I saw this which in my opinion would be an awesome addition to any brides attire!! And £40? I love a bargain me...!

picture from asos

* ps thinking of getting a ring made to my taste cause i'm struggling to find what I want exactly...I'm thinking topaz or ruby BIG and then vintage silverwork with some tiny tiny tiny diamonds (brown ones if i go ruby)... mmm we'll see!

all change! toot toot...!

2009-10-17T17:36:00.000+01:00

So its all change on the soon-to-be-smith front! We have cut the budget and moved it forward so its now going to be October 2012, its going to be cheaper but still with all the bits we want with just less of the bits we don't need...we are moving the moving to Australia bit forward to by 2 years so it'll be adios in September 2013... Can't wait. CAN'T WAIT.

In other news I am getting all xmassy and crafting all my hand made xmas gifts and enjoying it!

x a bride named smith x

1301 days to go - almost into a new '100'!!

2009-10-11T21:35:00.000+01:00

Tried on the Bulgari ring today. *LOVE* it.

Watching House with T and thinking about xmas. Feel all snuggly!!

x a bride named smith x

I've lost count - but it might as well be a million days away!

2009-10-09T16:36:00.001+01:00

Rainy day - boo! And we were supposed to have a lovely after work walk today but I am in no mood to get soaked to the core. Instead I decided to look online at various sites and saw these stunning dresses on Monsoon! Gold old Monsoon!

Leatrice Cocktail Dress

Prarie Print Dress

Onyx Dress

Peacock Dress

Arizona Embroidered Dress

Perfect for a wedding guest or bridesmaid no?

x a bride named smith x

The Wedding Show

2009-10-07T16:51:00.001+01:00

T & I went to the Wedding Show in Friday and it was an experience...! We walked in to the same hall that the dog show had been in recently and I was disappointed that I wasn't there again. There was a HUGE barbie pink bus and some white rolls royces's and people everywhere selling their tacky overpriced extras that no bride needs! Ok that was overly negative I think, and I can see how people get caught up in this idea but I just can't imagine why anyone would need fireworks at their wedding? Or flip flops that say 'just married'? Again, I understand others wanting this stuff but doesn't it seem that we are buying into a fools idea of romance and a Hollywood perception of how a wedding should be?

Persoanlly I think it is a little bit of a waste, we are not scrimping on our wedding in any way but the focus is on things like the rings and the photography which will be with us always, the decoration will be mainly DIY and as much as I want it to look pretty I don't want a 12 course meal and matching table centres and monogrammed save the date cards and trash the dress shoots and engagement shoots and pre pre pre engagement shoots. When does it stop? People squeeze as much cash out of us as they can don't they?

Not to mention the 'Green' issue, we waste more than any other species on the planet and brides and grooms MUST be some of the worst offenders with not using the resources to hand...

Rant over. Hope I haven't offended anyone.

x a bride named smith x

Cartier a-no-go

2009-10-06T17:01:00.000+01:00

I went to the National Wedding Show (waste of time apart from the gorgeous free eclair thing) which I will report on later I think. T & I had an ace weekend shopping and talking and eating and walking. We went to the Cartier boutique at Selfridges and I saw my Ballerine ring and its tiny. And dissapointing. Now front runners are:

Bulgari Ring

or:

William and Son Ring

I love both! Long time to wait though so no rush!

x a bride named smith x

1312 days to go

2009-09-30T17:20:00.002+01:00

Screw the diet this weekend its wedding fair, london times with T my lovely bubba, looking at rings and stuff, meeting my dad for lunch and then rest of the weekend visiting other reli's for food and good times! Whooooooop! Only one day of work left.

x a bride named smith x

Not about weddings - Our Kitchen

2009-09-29T12:27:00.000+01:00

We bought our delicious house 2 years and 3 months ago... I love it. I love that people love it. Its a cute and kitch 180 odd year old cottage in Southampton city center. We are a mix of ecological, natural, vintage chic and uber modern gadget freaks and a little bit of punk thrown in for good measure and our house reflects this eclectic mix quite well. I also love painting so in the 3 years we have painted A LOT!

Our kitchen is not exactly my style but we can't afford to replace it anytime in the next few years so we'll just do our best to make it work. Originally we painted it white (it was a weird tan colour) and then put all our red and white accessories in. The counter is weird faux granite and the cuboards pine and the tiles grey and peach? It's ok. I think we're going to get new doors and a new counter at some point white doors and a dark brown wood counter and an enamel sink, but again due to bucks not anytime soon.

We decided a few weeks ago to move our recycling out of our kitchen it was getting a bit untidy and now we have an empty space, which we are going to wallpaper with this:

picture and wallpaper from John Lewis

then buy this so people can sit while we cook:

picture and stool from IKEA

and then put a dark brown skirting board, some hanging racks and wall mount some of our red accessories. Also I think we will re paint the one door we decided to paint with blackboard paint and we might go shopping for bits of glass and jars to finish it up! When it's done I'll post it!

I LOVE DECORATING

x a bride named smith x

Wedding Venues - Another Bobby Dazzler

2009-09-29T11:21:00.000+01:00

This morning I have found another gem of a venue. I have said before that T & I would very much like an outdoors-y, natural, laaaaaid back wedding in Cornwall. I know exactly what I want and I have a list of venues to look at and until today only one screamed 'YES'. Now that one is in stereo baby! Ha!

all photos from Cornish Tipi Holidays

Cornish Tipi Holidays is primarily a campsite but they hire out this gorgeous setting for Weddings.

In their own words... "Wake up to the sound of birdsong, go swimming before breakfast in the clear water of a secluded lake. Cook your bacon and eggs over an open fire while you plan your day, or just laze it away in the peace and quiet of your own personal tipi. You can always go fishing tomorrow, and walk along the cliffs the day after that…"

It looks dreamy and not budget breaking and a little less formal than our other choice. It's also seems like a bit of a blank canvas for us to paint! I will defo be visiting this one on our 'Find me a Wedding Venue UK' tour to take place in 2010/11!!

Whoop.

x a bride named smith x

1317 days to go!

2009-09-25T16:18:00.000+01:00

I found my little book of songs and I am very pleased! It is a cracking list so far and by the time all our Sundays have past we'll have about 400 songs! We're also sending out song request cards with the invites so we'll have loads to go on. A really varied selection I hope.

We don't know what to do about music we are swinging between DJ (an 'alternative' one though no YMCA thank you very much ta) and an iPod playlist or a band. I love live bands and they have a great atmosphere but we're only having 35 guests tops so a band may be a bit much

Dungeness Lighthouse - Kent

Also we looked at some other venues around the country, in case we find somewhere better for us and I found an awesome lighthouse venue. Its a smaller venue and a completely different idea from our barns in cornwall but would be awesome too!! We will see eh...!

x a bride named smith x

I've lost my dotty note book

2009-09-23T18:13:00.001+01:00

I am a bit upset about this. My spotty notebook was my wedding music note book. T & I decided a few months ago that we wanted to make sure we got to hear all the songs we wanted so thought What Oh! Write them down!

I have an outrageous collection of notebooks. Crazy really. I literally can't stop buying them. I have hundreds. I went through my little collection and picked the perfect one bought for me by my friend and started listing. Every Sunday we sit down and we write a song each. It wasn't a long list but now the pad has gone missing!

I'll just have to buy a brand new pad then.

Whoop!

x a bride named smith x

I'm so blue

2009-09-21T16:10:00.000+01:00

I am really not feeling the wedding or anything at all today. I feel a bit neglected and un-thought about. I just get like this every now and then and T gets the brunt of my mood swings. I feel so bad for him as I can kind of put him through hell! Hmmmm...

x

1324 days to go!

2009-09-18T09:08:00.000+01:00

1324 days to go! It's soooo far away isn't it?

Today I mostly want to be a Florist, I can't stop day dreaming about all these beautiful flowers. I know its expensive to buy flowers from M&S etc so I don't generally buy different types. I also don't know much about different types. I want to know more! I think I will learn!

Design*Sponge has a lovely bouquet tutorial up. These are the sorts of things I want to know. How do certain flowers work together, what lasts longer and how to make them last, lots of questions, no? Plenty of time to find out!!

Pictures from Design*Sponge

x a bride named smith x

My New Favourite Website!!

2009-09-17T14:58:00.000+01:00

I was going to do some outfits yesterday to try and continue on this whole Wednesday thing I'm trying to do but instead I stumbled upon this website. I laughed til I cried and then almost threw up. It is amazing. A website dedicated to cakes gone wrong! Genius! This wedding cake is the best (or worst) of the Wedding Cakes: (Image from Cake Wrecks)

x a bride named smith x

1325 days to go!

2009-09-17T14:41:00.000+01:00

I am lucky that I work in a printers in the respect my invites and stationery will be MEGA CHEAP! But somethings annoy me, like how other printers rip people off like woah for anything Wedding. I also see some awful invites that people are having re-done that come back with mistakes and just look terrible! Why does it seem that people are so eager to rip off brides? I'm working with this wedding the way I work with Christmas and Birthdays. I will not buy anything unless I absolutely cannot make it myself! Should boycott a few money making b*stards. Hahahaha!

x a bride named smith x

i heart tatty devine

2009-09-15T16:38:00.003+01:00

I have always loved Tatty Devine. Their line of jewellery is right up my street. Quirky and well designed it is always on my birthday/christmas/whenever list. Their new season has just been launched and I love it! My Fave is this:

Their new collection features Pearly King's and Queen's which I always saw at events and fairs when I was young it being a cockney thing and all. This large Pearly Queen Button is a steal at £27.00!

This next one is my favourite of all time that I don't yet own and I fully intend to wear this on my Wedding day. I think it will offset my sweetheart neckline fabulously! Horse and Carriage Necklace a bargain-ous £54.00!

x a bride named smith x

1328 days to go

2009-09-15T16:25:00.000+01:00

Had a busy time this weekend just gone past. My best friend was down this way and we hung out and in the evening watched Home Alone. I spent Sunday with T and we thought about our house and all the decoration we need to do so tonight has a trip to Ikea on the cards. I have one of their new catalogues in my bag, WANT THINGS. NEED THINGS!

Looking forward to the wedding fair in a few weeks - today I feel a bit bummed out though, not feeling wedding crazy atm and worry it's lost the excitement as it is so far away? I have chatted to some people about moving the big day forward a year but I want to get it right and not scrimp and save, big budget or not we want it our way!

Anyways, I'm just feeling blue...

x a bride named smith x

Wedding thought for the day - 1332 days to go

2009-09-11T16:51:00.000+01:00

Not thinking too much today! Too busy at work! Am about to peruse some wedblogs though to get me back in the mood!

x a bride named smith x

Wedding thought of the day - 1333 days to go

2009-09-10T13:28:00.000+01:00

Mini-moon or Honeymoon? That is the question! In the week of worrying about money me and T had a chat about cuting more costs. There are a few places we don't want to scrimp on (venue, rings) and a few we think it will be fun to cut back on and DIY (cake, decor, invites) but the we were always keen on the idea of a bug honeymoon. But what if we had a mini moon to Rome or Barcelona or somewhere similar and then the following year did the big ole shindig to give us a bit more room on the budget aspect? I like this idea but I also like the idea of doing a massive blow out all at once! Also we intend to move to Sydney 2 years into our marriage but waiting a year for the honeymoon would set us back in the savings aspect... What to do eh?

x a bride named smith x

What are you wearing Wednesdays

2009-09-09T18:39:00.000+01:00

After watching last weeks Four Weddings (if you haven't seen it you must! ) I began to think about wearing white as a guest at a wedding. One of the brides wore a white lace dress and look very much the bride except it wasn't her wedding. But I am not sure I care about that very much -I mean if we were to stick to traditions not many of us could wear a white dress on our own big days, as virginal as we would like to think very little is pure in the modern age! I think if the styling is right guests can wear white! I snooped about on the internet and found some ideas and a few other colours for good measure. I am LOVING French Connection at the moment (their denim wear has such great prints at the moment) so all of this weeks dresses are from here! Enjoy!

French Connection Leather Dress

Carvela Boots

Lulu Guiness Perspex Clutch & Necklace

French Connection embellished dress
Bag, Earrings, Bird necklace & Hair Clip from Accessorize
Shoe boots (Shallow) Topshop

French Connection embellished dress
Hair Clip & Peacock earrings
Shoes (Star) from Dune

French Connection Dress
Topshop Shoes (Sebille)
Necklace from Accessorize

French Connection Dress
Rock & Roll Necklace, Earrings and Clutch Accessorize
Shoes (Special) from Topshop

x a bride named smith x

Wedding thought of the day - 1334 days to go

2009-09-09T13:35:00.000+01:00

We were talking the other day about our wedding budget and it's going CRAZY... I mean simple things like the rings are averaged as about £400 each and ours total 10 times that (I didn't get a proper engagement ring and was promised one for my wedding ring so I have seen a beautiful cartier ring I want - picture below)

Image from Cartier

So where do we cut back? We think we'd rather have an ace venue and a good party than all that other jazz. So handmade cakes, wholesale flowers, diy invites and decor! I can't wait. I love scrapbooking ideas to copy and I think all the planning and work that we will put in will make our wedding intimate and lovely!

x a bride named smith x

(ps much of this may be a repeat of yesterdays gubbins but I am having the money blues this week! Dress montage later, monochrome this week me thinks!)

Wedding thought of the day - 1335 days to go

2009-09-08T17:22:00.000+01:00

MONEY!! Weddings are insane-o expensive and ours is so far in the distance because of debts we got into (buying a home and having a few holidays - on reflection we could have done without the holidays!) but we are coping! Why can't we just win the lottery and be done with it eh?

x abridenamedsmith x

Wedding thought of the day - 1336 days to go

2009-09-06T10:33:00.000+01:00

We have just come back from a gorgeous holiday in Northumberland. Later (maybe not today!) I will upload my piccies and put a few on here to show you how utterly gorgeous the place was - and full of inspiration for my wedding. Flowers, colours, scenery. It was gorgeous. We had such a lovely time - snuggling up, going for long walks on the sea front and driving through twisty tiny roads. It was bliss. Now to get back into normal life!

x a bride named smith x

Colour me Happy Wednesdays

2009-08-26T12:32:00.000+01:00

I am not entirely sure on Bridesmaids, I don't think I want any. I have 4 sisters and 4 close girl friends and don't want 8 and also don't want to have to choose so I am having none! T and I decided that we are going to try and get people to dress as our colour scheme. Which is at the moment - Blues with Green & Yellow.

I have had a scout about for some outfit ideas today for what I would wear as a guest to my wedding...perhaps:

Clockwise from Top:

Swarovski Silver Love Pendant from ASOS

Disney Couture PocahontasGold Plated Arrow Necklace from ASOS

Lace Corset Dress from Topshop

3 Colour Satchel from Topshop

Leather Scalloped Bag from Topshop

'Dolly' Shoes by Kurt Geiger

Kaser Shoes from Dune

Eleanor Shoes by Kurt Geiger

Kitson Wing Ring from ASOS

Scoop Back Party Dress by Annie Greenabelle at Topshop

Them there green booby dazzlers are lush!

x a bride named smith x

Sin-spiration: Beautiful Wedding post at 100 Layer Cake

2009-08-26T10:58:00.000+01:00

Check out these gorgeous shots via 100 Layer Cake.
Photos from: Max Wagner. Planning from: Duet Weddings. Venue:Figueroa Mountain Farmhouse. Flowers by: Modern Day Design

All American suppliers etc. I am sure in the Great British Isles we can do something similar! Heads together Britain - Hey ho! Lets go!

x a bride named smith x

Venues - Home or Away?

2009-08-26T10:02:00.000+01:00

When we got engaged in Dubrovnik in May we sat by the harbour and dipped our tootsies in the Adriatic Sea and talked about our wedding! We decided it would be about 4 years away (to the day - fingers x'd) and we thought about doing it abroad. A good friend of T's (now mine too) went to Sorrento earlier in the year and it looked stunning so we set about looking up Sorrento... And then I got my self in a bit of a tis-was. What about my vintage inspired-fest I want? How can I do that abroad? How about a BBQ? Why's everything so formal? How can I convey my hopes and dreams to someone I don't know! (I am a controller - I NEED to be hands on!). And our ideas for destination weddings were getting further afield - Africa, New York, New Zealand.... I was having a panic.

Then we found Trevenna

Its in Cornwall - just over the border from Devon, it is beautiful and I think the all inclusive deal is a steal as it includes so much! Check it out!

Image from Trevenna

The thing is now we have almost decided on this here venue (we are going to try and visit this one and a few other cornish ones towards the end of next year) we are having ideas like crazy about things we can do at home to make the wedding ours and to be honest I feel somewhat relieved.

x a bride named smith x

Wedding thought of the day - 1347 days to go

2009-08-26T09:42:00.000+01:00

Good morning! My thought today is about my holiday! Whoop! Me and the Mr are off to Northumberland and all the delights that it shall hold on Saturday and I only have today and tomorrow at work and I AM EXCITED!

x a bride named smith x

Sin-spiration: Cake Toppers by Goose Grease

2009-08-25T18:28:00.000+01:00

Photo from Goose Grease who make the lovely cake Toppers

We have decided that we are going to make our own wedding cake. I want to give it a shot. We're not fabulous bakers but we have pleanty of time to practice! However, I don't think we will make the cake topper since I spied these awesome fabulous cake toppers on etsy! Goose Grease sell an array of wooden goods from the Cake Toppers above to Cupcake toppers and even yo-yo's... Makes me happy.

x a bride named smith x

Sin-spiration: Vintage Retro Awesome House

2009-08-25T09:10:00.000+01:00

Diana and Chris from Red Hook Anthemvia Design*Sponge 24.08.09

Design*Sponge (another of my fave websites) have featured many beautiful, aspirational houses and homes but this one this morning is extra delicious and has all that mixed up retro chaos I want to bring to my wedding. Diana and Chris, who live there also run an awesome vintage shop in Brooklyn, Red Hook Anthem. Enjoy.

Wedding thought of the day - 1348 days to go

2009-08-25T09:05:00.000+01:00

After yesterday's post on Honeymoons and that fabulous place in Colorado we have been-a-thinking. We always intended to go to Australia & the Cook Islands or perhaps Peru for our Honeymoon but now we're thinking a mini tour of the USA. Near (ish) to this ranch is Niagra Falls, San Fransisco, Las Vegas & Los Angeles. Not that we'll do all that in 2 weeks but who knows!

We also watched 4 Weddings on Living last night and saw another 4 ways we don't want our wedding to be like. Don't get me wrong they were all very nice and happy affairs but I'm not interested in chair covers and bow's and MASSIVE table centre pieces and least of all favours. I know that people like to give their guests a gift but I don't see the point. We aren't asking for any gifts. At all. We just want people to show up - in return we'll feed them and house them for 2 nights and show them a good time. That's better than sugared almonds, right?

I will reveal our chosen venue tomorrow - if anyone is interested? Whoop whoop! I'm excited.

x a bride named smith x

Honeymoons - Dunton Hot Springs, Colorado

2009-08-24T17:02:00.002+01:00

So the Hill-Smith wedding is drowning in pre planning and with nearly 4 years to go some may think this a little extreme but I can't help it. We have been talking about the honeymoon a lot. We love to travel. We don't like beaches. We love cities. Not too bothered about nightlife. We love nature at its rawest. We don't like camping resorts with cabaret clubs (although I had some great childhood holidays in places like that). For our honeymoon we would like to have an adventure. Drive across the states in a chevy/caddy/mustang? Yes! Diving in the cook Islands and a week in New York? Hell yeahs! Camping in Colorado? Hadn't crossed my mind. At all. Until....Apartment Therapy (one of my top 5 favourite webistes) posted a piece about Dunton Hot Springs. Here's the first 2 paragraphs of their About Dunton bit:

"Dunton Hot Springs is a small and exclusive resort nestled deep in the San Juan Mountains of the Colorado Rockies. This perfectly restored ghost town thrives on contradictions; hand-hewn log cabins exquisitely furnished, a life-worn saloon serving food of startling quality, lung torturing trails followed by pampering massages, sensuous hot springs beneath shimmering snow banks. Free of cell phones, this romantic old mining town still provides high speed wireless internet access and video conferencing to the comforting sound of a tumbling waterfall."

Wow.
And you can get married there. Mmmm....

Dunton Hot Springs

Sin-spiration: Perks of Being a Wallflower

2009-08-24T16:17:00.000+01:00

I love to read. I love the look of books and the smell and the delights inside? Wow. Mostly.

Stephern Chbosky's Perks of Being a Wallflower is a great book. A GREAT BOOK. It is heart-wrenching and sweet and I could (and have) read it over and over. The lime cover is great too, I love lime green. Fact.

But this post is about something else. Wall-frames. I will think this through and I will find a way to get this into my wedding (or home). Love it.

x a bride named smith x

from the via Oh Joy!

Also, while looking at Oh Joy! this morning I noticed these ethereal beatuties hanging in a row

via Oh Joy! from Store 518 Photo credit Lee Clower

Sin-spiration: Hygge & West Daydream Wallpaper

2009-08-24T11:54:00.001+01:00

I like to look for my inspiration in all manner of places and being a keen interiors freak it is often that I will find some gorgeous home scenes that scream wedding to me. I like to think you can get inspiration from anywhere and this wallpaper proves it.

Its beautiful, vintage and graphically pleasing and has dreamy colours.
Hygge and West Daydream Wallpaper

(nb. I am trying to work out the in's and out's of blogging law regarding posting other peoples products and will remove any posts immediately if they are breaking the rules...)

Wedding thought of the day - 1349 days to go

2009-08-24T10:54:00.000+01:00

My wedding is a long way off - we have buying our home to thank for this but I think a long engagement can be a wonderful thing. Take H2B for example, he is a strapping young man, bright eyed and bushy tailed at 22 and haggard ole me being 28 is bursting to get married. The long engagement will mean by the time that special day comes my man will be 26 and our relationship nearing 8 years. I think the bonuses of our engagement were that its length means H2B will have time to get used to the idea of marriage by living as married before the event meaning that most doubts he may have will be gone, and in the mean time me being engaged rather than just another girlfriend makes me feel wanted and secure, which by 28 is what I want and as I get older I will want it more!

All the same, seeing beautiful weddings and pretty things everywhere drives me nuts! Which is why I started this blog, to track my wedding thoughts and inspirations and to keep me sane in my 1349 day wait!

x a bride named Smith x