Via Dashing Magazine

So: yes, I know – we’ve already seen dessert tables with delectable cakes and lots and lots of candy. Now that businesses are popping up offering this specifically (Candy Queen to name one), this will continue for sure… but we will also see spin-offs by creative brides who have a different specialty in mind. My husband, for instance, is an ice-cream fan – so a beautifully styled ice cream bar would have been totally up his ally. How about a Martini bar or a champagne bar? Or perhaps a coffee bar, complete with a barista, numerous coffee beans to choose from and a huge selection of chocolate spoons, sirups and sprinkles?

Sources: Think Photography via Pretty Chic Blog | Amy Moss for Eat Drink Chic | Karen Mordechai for Sunday Suppers cheese table | Martini bar

Sources: Alicia Swedenborg via Pretty Chic Blog | Style Me Pretty | Style Me Pretty

PS: I know a number of you are visiting the blog today waiting for the announcement on who won the Full Day Wedding Photography Competition. Annelie is right now reading and pondering over who the lucky winner is. Watch this space, as the winner will be announced very soon!

Orange is a fantastic colour to add in one’s palette to add a little quirky pop into the whole wedding scheme – in stationery and table decor especially. Use tropical flowers, or ranunculus, roses, gerber daisies or orange berries to add that lovely pop into flower bouquets and decorations. It can really make an impression paired with white, or it can be softened with pinks, corals and neutrals. Tone the orange down a bit, while at the same time adding contrast by adding slate grey into the mix. Or keep it fresh and summery with one of my favourite colour combinations: orange and aqua.

Sources: Brides.com | Green Wedding Shoes | Project Wedding | Oh So Beautiful Paper | Snippet and Ink

Sources: Green Wedding Shoes | Lesapea Musings | Brides.com | Green Wedding Shoes

Neon has appeared on the catwalks for some months now, and is slowly seeping into weddings, too. With all things vintage still being fashionable, incorporating neon pink, yellow and green can give that little, fresh pop of colour. To avoid it becoming too glaring and tacky, I see it best incorporated as subtle touches in stationery and decor: as painted edges on wedding invitations or string wrapped around favours, softened with neutral colours and romantic fonts.

How would you incorporate neon colours into your wedding?

Via Wedding Chicks and Grey Likes Weddings

Top two images from Letterpress Workshop – thanks to Liselotte for sending image no. 2. Bottom 2 images from Göteborgs Tryckeriet

Letterpress is nothing new in the wedding blog world, but the scarce availability of good, old fashioned letterpress printers (and know-how) in Scandinavia has meant that in reality, very few brides have had the letterpress option without it being extremely costly. Luckily, letterpress printers seem to finally be dusted off and in use. Letterpress printing is still a relatively costly option – but the result is also unique and tactile.

We’re continuing our Wedding Trends 2012 compilation!  This time, it’s the veils’ turn…

Veils will be moving further and further towards the forehead and be wrapped tighter around the head, inspired by the french, 1920s bridal head adornments. These are in the shapes of juliet caps (with or without a long veil attached) and “pirate veils” – veils wrapped tightly around the head, like we saw in the beach shoot we featured a while ago.

We noticed lace caps springing up in 2011 and wrote about them back in March – since then, Kate Moss and Lily Allen both wore a Juliet cap at their weddings, and looked absolutely stunning. I’m confident that we will see even more brides with these lovely veils in 2012 – I really love the look!

Pronovias – model Peral | Claire Pettibone – model Mademoiselle | Claire Pettibone – model Bridgette | Jenny Packham – model Aspen | Stephanie Allin – model Martine | Claire Pettibone – Sophie

Pronovias – model Edecan | Jenny Packham – model Elm | Jenny Packham – Dalia | Claire Pettibone – model Sophie | Rikke Gudnitz – model Aphrodite | Pronovias – model Biarritz

Wedding dresses in 2012 will continue to follow the vintage trend which has been apparent for a number of seasons now. However, we will see a shift in the decades from which we derive our inspiration from. Instead of the 50s and 60s strutting tea length dresses, the tendency is to derive inspiration from the surrounding decades: The bohemian glam from the 1900s – 20s and the 70s.

This means blouson tops and slinkier shapes. Lace has been in fashion for some seasons now, and will still be everywhere… this time however more apparent on long sleeves, and on sheer, illusion necklines rather than overlays. Coloured, especially blush dresses are appearing more and more often, and glam details like jeweled belts will be popular accessories – replacing the coloured sashes. Finally, we will also be seeing a larger focus on the backs of the wedding dresses, either low, plunging backs or delightfully ornate on  illusion backs.

Other wedding trends that are mentioned around the web are corsets, disco glam (sequinned dresses) and high, frontal slits.

I’d love to hear what you will be wearing – will you stay classic, follow the trends or start your own? :)

All dresses available from the Monsoon store

I’m sure my friends in Sweden already know of this fabulous designer – yet to me, these gowns by Swedish Ida Sjöstedt are completely new to me (I really should visit Sweden more often). Ida, who is based in Stockholm, designs ultrafeminine, fun and flirty clothes with lots of detail, including couture dresses which could easily be used as bridal gowns. Plenty of crisp tulle and pale, pastel colours and lots of interesting details. I especially like the Nightingale dress, pictured in images 1 and 9, with the asymmetrical ruffled layers and the little, white dots.

Which one is your favourite?

Photographs by Sandra Åberg Photography. All photos are of the Vintage Bride boudoir.

For the occasion of the grand opening of the new Vintage Bride salon on Thursday (you’re invited! See the invitation here), I have asked Maria from Vintage Bride to give all you brides her advice on finding the wedding dress which is right for you:

• When planning your wedding, the first elements to have in place are the venue, the ceremony location (church, etc.) and the wedding dress. After these elements have been chosen, it’s easier to build the atmosphere and style of the wedding around these.
• When looking for a wedding dress, most brides start by searching for inspiration on wedding blogs, websites and magazines. During your search, choose a couple of places that you find interesting and visit them. Only when you have seen, touched and tried on the wedding dresses you will be one step further. Be open minded in dress styles, it’s important to choose a cut that suits your body shape.
• If you can, make your appointments with the bridal salons in the start of the day, when you are most clearheaded. Trying out dresses is quite a new experience for most brides, so be prepared for lots of new impressions that you will need to take in. For this reason, I suggest that you don’t visit more than one bridal salon per day, but rather spread your salon visits over a number of days.
• Next, give yourself time to feel if the dress fulfills your need. Most importantly, check that you feel comfortable in it, and that it reflects your personality 100%. At the same time, remember that a wedding is such a rare occasion and will hopefully only happen once, so this is the day where you can really express yourself with regards to the dress and/or accessories – for those who dare!
• When trying on dresses, wear a strapless bra, seamless underwear (preferably nude coloured) and not too much make-up, as it can be transferred to the gowns.
• It’s always nice to bring someone you know to the tryouts. Bring your sister or your best friend, and for your own benefit, keep the number of helpers limited to 1 or 2.
• ”I have plenty of time…” I hear this sentence often, but it’s not always correct. It’s quite normal to find your wedding dress a year before the wedding, or at least 4-6 months before the wedding date, in case it needs to be ordered, adapted and customized with accessories. Please keep that in mind!

Thanks to Maria for your advice!

I think most brides see the part of looking for the wedding dress as one of the most exciting parts of the wedding planning processes. I remember how I would walk by the bridal salon windows with a feeling of awe, as if it was forbidden territory for those who are not engaged. I envisioned the magical, glamorous feeling of being taken care of with exceptional service, champagne, a wonderland of exquisite dresses and an almost clairvoyant storekeeper who knew before I did, what my dream dress would look like – would whip out fabulous dresses which could transform me from the Monday-morning-haired working self into something close to Crown Princess Mary… I don’t know if I’m the only one to be this naïve – my friend joked that I expected this to be Cinderella-land, with trilling birds and cute little mice, delicately wrapping me in robes, veils and sashes… and, well… she isn’t entirely incorrect. I’m a little embarrassed to admit, I think I envisioned something very, very close to that… Am I the only one?

The truth is, I was really, really disappointed with my experience. I went through many, many try-outs and I must admit that only few stores made me feel particularly glamorous – even within realistic bounds. I appreciate that in the end, a bridal salon is a store like any other, and the shopkeepers want to, of course, sell. But I had expected so much more from the service, the experience -  I missed the magic.

This is why I so wish that Vintage Bride existed when I was getting married. Admittedly, I have never had a dress try-out together with Maria Lundorff Fekih who owns the store, but having gotten to know her very sweet nature through the photo shoots I have participated in with her, seen and felt her dresses, and having seen her beautiful new salon in Copenhagen, I know for sure that Maria knows what service is expected by the client, and she knows how to give it. Except for the Cinderella-mice and birds, of course, but it’s probably best that way.

This Thursday evening, the 24^th of November, she and Jannie Baltzer are celebrating the grand opening of her very beautiful boudoir, and I really think you should see the place for yourself. I hear there will be champagne and delicious food, and many lovely people (including me and Charlie!) turning up. Here’s a peak at what will be awaiting you:

Pretty gorgeous, right? Stay tuned for Maria’s advice on finding the right wedding dress! :)

Photographs by Sandra Åberg Photography

Photographed by Lumens Bröllopsfotografi See many, many more images

in the gallery

Carrying on from Jessica and Martins wedding in the previous post – I really feel that the homemade stationary and details that the couple made themselves deserve a post of its own. The simple palette of pink and grey details is gorgeous against a backdrop of silverware and white linen, keeping it all simple but still so very romantic. I also really like the idea of the guests painting a picture for the couple as a guestbook alternative – it’s such a sweet keepsake.

Photographed by Lumens Bröllopsfotografi from Göteborg – See many, many more images in the gallery

I love the protea for its soft pink colour and interesting texture, and the fact that a king protea can be used as a bouquet simply on its own. The protea is actually the national flower in South Africa, but they are available in the Scandinavian countries and can give a great spin to the funky beach wedding.

More examples of proteas at weddings here:

• 100 Layer Cake
• Junebug Weddings
• Wedding Chicks

Designer: LetterPunch Design

One more of my favourite table decoration ideas is this simple one with a wooden plank. It would tie in so well with a beach themed wedding, at a summerhouse perhaps, and with simple porcelain, white linens and little easy details such as doily wrapped tealight holders and navy blue ribbons as napkin rings. I loooove.

Source: Sunday Suppers via 100 Layer Cake.

The mosaic from afar…

And closer:

Completely up close:

These images are from LA Photoparty (via Amy Atlas’ blog), but you can actually create them yourself with the aid of a number of free, software programs. My favourite is Fotomosaik Edda, which works really well and is very flexible in temes of how many pictures you want to incorporate, the size and the shape.