I was very excited to hear that Emma Lappin will be holding an afternoon of wedding flower inspiration on the 20th of June to guide you through the key aspects of putting your floral scheme together. Whether you have decided to do the flowers yourself or are using a wedding flower specialist, the afternoon will cover every different aspect of wedding flowers that you need to consider in order to create the most beautiful scene and backdrop to your day.

Emma will start off by showing you how to create a mood board, taking snippets from magazines and also using online tools and blogs. She will talk you through how to pick your colours and show you combinations that you may not have thought of. If you have chosen your dress, you may find it useful to find out what style of bouquet is going to work with the shape and material of your outfit.
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Every bride wants her hair to be looking its best on her big day, that is why I went along to the Errol Douglas Salon in Knightsbridge, London to see what they could do to get brides hair looking ship-shape!

From the moment you walk in you know you are in good hands, the friendly receptionist greeted me and handed me over to Karis my lovely therapist. Karis took me down to the famous Errol Douglas Hair Botanicals Lounge, it is a therapeutic environment with dim lighting and soothing music. The first thing I noticed was the fully reclined bed with backwash (I almost fell asleep while having my hair washed it was so comfy).

They offer a selection of services and they all include two hair and scalp treatments and are delivered with either a soothing or energizing shiatsu scalp massage, followed with a Biolage hot-therapie towel and the famous Errol Douglas Knightsbridge Blow-dry. Each treatment also comes with the Booster drink of your choice, I went for the scrummy apple, ginger and mint booster which was divine!
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My Sugarland in London will be hosting its ever popular Vintage Wedding Evening throughout 2010.
Shop owner and stylist to the stars, Zoe Lem will be hosting the event between 7.00pm and 9.30pm on Wednesday 14th July. It will be an evening of ideas, inspiration and pampering for budding engaged couples.

My Sugarland is a gem in the world of boutiques. The stunning dresses, separates and accessories lining the rails of their ‘Alternative Bride’ section are suitable for a range of discerning brides as well as wedding guests. The unusual selection of gowns and evening wear on offer sets this bridal range apart from any other, with delicate vintage creations and beautiful dresses and separates from hard to find designer labels including Minni’s Closet, John Rocha and SteveJ and YoniP among others.

Zoe’s highly developed aesthetic ensures she is able to find a stunning selection of unique pieces from the deepest of treasure troves and understands a truly vintage bridal look. And on this special evening, discount will be offered on all My Sugarland products.

My Sugarland will also be launching their first collection of vintage-style wedding dresses. In order to be able to offer their customers different sizes, colours and of course value, they are re-creating some of their most popular vintage dresses, all for under £1000. The first 4 samples will launch on the 14th July, with new designs released in the months thereafter. All the dresses will be made to order in the UK within 4 weeks.

But it’s not just about the dress. The Vintage Wedding Evening encapsulates all elements of wedding planning, from hair, make up and flowers to food, entertainment and photography. You will also walk away with a fabulous goodie bag full of treats and discounts.

For more details visit www.mysugarland.co.uk

I am so pleased to announce that today is the first birthday of The Wedding Girl’s SOS.

What a year it’s been, I have been busy running around meeting with some of the countries top wedding experts, from dress designers, to wedding planners and everyone between!

And what better way to celebrate than with cake!! This morning I was delighted to have a bespoke birthday cake hand delivered by Amanda Baird of The Utterly Sexy Cafe (see left) it was absolutely breathtaking and unfortunately my photo doesn’t do it justice. It was so pretty, adorned with gorgeous edible roses and the the yummiest icing that melts in your mouth. The bottom tier was a flavour I had never tried before ‘Cardamon’ and I have to say it was simply delicious, the top layer was Tangy Lemon sponge sandwiched with lemon curd butter cream, yum!!! My guests at my little celebration devoured the cake in no time, there wasn’t even a crumb left for my lovely mum when she popped along later in the evening.
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Well then you must check out PapaKata, they are responsible for providing teepee’s for the most unique and magical events, specializing in hiring out Kåta tents – teepee style tents that were pioneered by the Sami people of Lapland.

They are a family run business and the company prides itself on it’s personal customer service and ability to provide something completely different for your special occasion.

With prices comparable in cost to hiring a standard marquee, Papakata’s luxury teepee’s not only provide a beautiful open plan venue for Summer and spring weddings, but the addition of reindeer skins and crackling open fires create an intimate and inviting space for Autumn and Winter Weddings as well.

For more information visit www.papakata.co.uk or call 0800 612 9692

Members of Hilton Glasgow today ditched their chef’s whites and uniforms for wedding dresses as they started their training for the 5K Runaway Bride Relay race.  The race, which is organised by Hilton in the Community Foundation, takes place on Sunday June 6th at Kelvingrove Park.

Teams of “brides” will run a circuit in a relay style around the park in a wedding dress as part of Hilton’s Around the World in a Day event.  The effort in Glasgow is part of a national challenge in which Hilton team members, charity partners and the public will all be working together on the day in over 75 hotels and offices across Europe, collectively aiming to travel the circumference of the earth – 24,901.55 miles.
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So many brides have emailed me to ask about babies and children attending weddings. It can be a really hard decision for many brides to make whether or not to invite children, on the one hand they want to be able to have the happy presence of children and on the other hand they want their guests to be able to relax and enjoy themseleves without having to run around after their little ones! Well now I think I have the answer for you…
Tinies Mobile Crèche is the only national mobile crèche business in the UK.  With Tinies you can avoid disruption and ensure peace of mind, the friendly staff bring assurance to your big day, keeping the little ones occupied and entertained to their heart’s content.  With qualified childcare professionals, parents can relax and enjoy themselves in the knowledge that their children are being well taken care of in a fun-filled environment.
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A fabulous organiser is an absaloute must-have for any bride-to-be and I have completely fallen in love with this gorgeous leather Deco organiser from Filofax!

This month Filofax is celebrating its heritage with one of the most glamorous organisers ever made – the Deco.  Filofax was founded in 1921 – just as the Art Deco movement was starting – and the opulent organiser echoes the precise qualities that made the movement so successful – elegance, glamour and function.

This organise is crafted from the finest Italian leather in micro crocodile print, with a decadent diamond-cut clasp and soft suede lining, the Deco is available in two sizes and comes in ivory, ebony or ruby. It is perfect for keeping all your contacts in one place, your to-do-lists, budget and everything else you need to keep things running smoothly!

It can be pruchased for £191 from www.filofax.co.uk

Weddings By Ryan as of today has launched a brand new ‘budget buster’ wedding photography package aimed at couples who are getting married on a restricted budget.

With the news emerging last week that George of Asda has launched a new bridal collection that will kit out your entire wedding party for under 200GBP and Vera Wang to sell gowns at under £1000 it seems that despite the financial doom and gloom couples are still falling in love and vow to have their wedding of their dreams….just on a tighter budget!
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I was very excited to hear that between the 1st of May and 31 of October 2010 couples getting married in Bermuda, who stay on the island a minimum of four nights can then receive a refund on their return flights from London to Bermuda. By registering your interest between the 15th of April – 15th of June, British couples can take advantage of this fantastic offer, worth over £1,000.

To qualify, weddings have to take place on the island between the 1st of May – 31st of October 2010.  The bride and groom to be must email ‘I can’t wait to get married in Bermuda’ to ukweddings@bermudatourism.com to be eligible. The cost of two return economy flights with British Airways will be refunded upon their return to the UK.

With its world class facilities, sumptuous scenery and elegant colonial charm, Bermuda is the ideal backdrop for your special day! For more information visit www.gotobermuda.co.uk. Terms and conditions apply.

Once a month I will be sitting down with some of the countries top wedding planners to pick their brains, asking them to spill the beans on all their tips and secrets. This week I interviewed the lovely Isabel Smith of Isabel Smith Wedding Designs.

What are the first things a bride should think about when starting to plan her wedding?
When right at the beginning of the planning process, where do you start? With the Theme? The Date? The Venue? The Budget?

The truth is that all these factors are tied together. You can’t really set a budget without knowing roughly what things cost, so you start to see some venues but their prices vary depending on the date, but the date can influence the theme as your favourite flower might not be available at certain times of year– its no wonder that couples get completely overwhelmed!

At this point, it is vital to take a step back.

Make a list of your absolute top priorities for the day, trying to keep it to no more than 5. You may well find that this gives you an obvious place to start from which everything else follows.

For example, if you want to get married in a church, you should start in your own parish since you are entitled to marry there. If you decide to book that church, your search area for a reception venue can then be limited to no more than about 30 minutes from the church. Venues you look at can first be narrowed by size depending on your guest list, then by style depending on your taste, and finally by budget.
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As a big Beatles fan I was really excited when I heard about the Hard Day’s Night hotel in Liverpool, it is is the world’s first and only Beatles-inspired boutique hotel and it totally rocks!

The four-star, Grade II listed hotel is situated in Liverpool City Centre, right at the heart of the historic Cavern Quarter.  All 110 rooms are individually designed around the contours of the original building and elegantly furnished with specially commissioned Beatles artwork including photography by renowned Fleet Street photographer Bill Zygmant.

This Spring, wedding and events planner Marian Cotter will have helped over one hundred brides celebrate their special day at the Hard Days Night Hotel. With a dedicated team of professionals on hand to cater for every want and need, and three specially designed suites, including the Two of Us ceremony suite and the Hard Days Night suite which can hold up to 180 guests, the hotel is becoming increasingly popular with couples wanting something a bit different for their wedding.

Marian Cotter says: “We are such a unique venue that we are finding that a lot more couples are choosing for us to host their weddings rather than the more traditional venues.  However, although we are a Beatles inspired hotel, the Beatles “theme” is reflected with subtlety throughout the décor of the four-star, grade II listed building. There are no in-your-face gimmicks here, just a chic, modern city centre venue with a twist.”
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Very exciting news from John Lewis! They have just announced that from this week they will be offering an exclusive range of budget-friendly wedding dresses.

The range consists of elegant floor length dresses, retro cocktail dresses and modern day wraps, with prices starting from £45

I adore this Phase Eight gown for just £250. Many of the styles are lightweight so would suit brides marrying abroad.

Louise Salt, Online Fashion Buyer at John Lewis, says, “John Lewis is the essential destination for couples planning their big day, but until now been we’ve been unable to secure space in our stores to do a bridal dress range real justice. Our expanded online presence gave us the opportunity to finally offer our customers this new range and put the icing on the cake for our wedding offer.”

To view the John Lewis wedding dress collection visit www.johnlewis.com

I really hope you can help me wedding girl, I am about to go wedding dress shopping next week with my bridesmaids but I have a bit of a problem, I am really large busted and am worried that I won’t be able to find suitable underwear to go with the dress I pick that won’t look frumpy . Do you know a good company who makes ‘pretty/sexy’ underwear for us bigger busted ladies?

Sarah – Brighton

Sarah, I know how hard it can be for bigger busted women to find suitable underwear for their big day that doesn’t make them feel like a frumpy grandma. I am a huge fan of Bravissimo as they stock a fabulous range of bridal underwear for bra sizes D-KK and the range is far from frumpy!! I have asked the lovely ‘Bravissimo bra expert’ Anna Prince for her tips on picking out the right underwear to go with all different dress types. Hopefully with these tips in mind you will feel more confident when picking your dress.
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Hi wedding girl, I am hoping you can help me, I am the maid of honor at my best friends wedding next month and I want to buy her something special as a wedding present, something for both her and her husband that they can really treasure for years to come, do you have any ideas?

Thanks, Carly

Hi Carly, finding something really special for a wedding gift is not always easy but I have recently come across something that I think might be perfect. Motivation expert Lizzi Vandorpe has just launched a stunning book called The Blessings Book of Marriage.  The Blessings Book of Marriage was written by Lizzi Vandorpe a motivational public speaker, blogger and author. The book was created for anyone experiencing the joys of being in love, the pages within The Blessings Book of Marriage contain beautiful photography by Celia Mannings, Jason Harris and Martin Wilson, and quotations giving voice to the excitement of romance.
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For brides on a tight budget the news of Asda’s new budget range of wedding attire that has just launched will be a huge relief. The new collection which is available online, includes two wedding dresses for £60 each and a groom’s suit for £40 plus a £30 bridesmaid dress

The George wedding collection has been developed in response to the growing number of couples telling them they’ve had to put their plans to get married on hold because they can’t afford all of the costs associated with the big day.

The average cost of a wedding in the UK has reached an astonishing £20,000, with the wedding dress one of the biggest expenses, costing on average more than £1000.

You can view the new collection on their website www.asda.com