Prince William and Kate Middleton have finally tied the knot today at the beautiful Westminster Abbey.

Kate Middleton looked stunning in her ivory and lace gown designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen and a diamond Cartier tiara belonging to Queen Elizabeth. Prince William looked dashing wearing the red military uniform and blue sash of the Irish Guards.

This weekend is the show that brides from the South East have been waiting for! The Wedding Experience conclude their season of regional shows with a spectacular day at The Kent Showground, Detling. on Sunday 1st May.

Wedding shows are an ideal place to meet wedding professionals, gather information and discuss ideas. So, whether you are newly engaged and just starting your wedding preparations, or fast approaching the big day, this major event in the heart of Kent is well worth a visit.

It’s a great opportunity to see and hear bands and entertainers performing live – and you’ll find a fabulous selection of bridal gowns, shoes, jewellery, cakes, rings, stationery, floristry, menswear, balloon décor, chocolate fountains… along with many wow factor ideas to surprise your weddings day guests.

There’s an outstanding fashion show and entertainment programme throughout the day – and with over 200 wedding specialists exhibiting, it’s just like a ‘national’ show but FREE. Arrive early and stay all day to make sure you pick up all the ideas and inspiration to make your own wedding day unique and truly special.

The show is ADMISSION FREE and is open from 10.30am to 4.00pm.

Every other month I test out a variety of product to bring you the very best hair and beauty buys for your Big Day! I only write about the products that I love so that you don’t have to spend lots of time and money testing things out before your all important day. I hope you love these products as much as I do…

La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream
This is one of the most fabulous face creams. The richly textured cream is not only the ultimate in luxurious pampering; it provides the utmost concentration, utmost hydration and firming action ever achieved in a La Prairie cosmetic moisturizer. It dramatically improves your skin’s elasticity and tone. Protein-rich Caviar Extract helps nourish and energize your skin, resulting in refined texture and a silken smoothness. From the moment you put it on your skin, your complexion noticeably looks radiant, alive and feels softer and firmer. Simply fantastic!
£258
www.houseoffraser.co.uk

Bobbi Brown Extra Repair Serum
I really noticed over the last few weeks that after a long winter my skin was feeling a bit dry and tight (not the best base for applying make-up). The new Extra Repair Serum from Bobbi Brown is perfect for getting your skin ready for Summer and more importantly ready for your big day. The luxurious and milky concentrated repair serum comforts skin as it firms and moisturises. Anti-ageing ingredients help reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles both instantly and over time. This is perfect for putting underneath your moisturizer before applying your make-up.
£60
www.bobbibrown.co.uk
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Every other month I search high and low to bring you the best products for your Honeymoon! I have spent the last 8 weeks trying out all the best hair and beauty products so I can report back to you on which are the must-have, can’t-live-without products for you to take on your honeymoon!

Dr Nick Lowe The Secret is Out SPF15 Anti Age Lifting Cream
As we all know the sun is extremely damaging to your skin and also causes premature ageing, so it is super important to have a moisturiser with sun protection in. Well a fantastic option is Dr Nick Lowe’s The Secret is Out SPF15 Anti Age Lifting Cream, this multi-benefit, sumptuously rich day cream targets several signs of skin ageing. New generation peptides and powerful hydrators work with the Anti Age Cranley Complex to help deliver vital hydration, firming, toning and UVA / UVB protection. Fantastic!
£20.48
www.boots.com

Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil ‘Dehydrated Skin’
I find after a long day in the sun my skin is parched and screaming out for extra moisture! I was relived to discover this fabulous treatment oil from Clarins, it contains 100% essential oils that revitalise and tone plus helps prevent moisture loss and the signs of ageing. Once back to your hotel at the end of the day apply to a clean face before bed and let it work its magic.
£32.17
uk.clarins.com Read on…

With our wedding day being one of the most important days of our lives, when all eyes are on us and hundreds of photographs are being taken, it is understandable that we want to look our best!

Teeth whitening is a fairly common cosmetic procedure that many brides consider in the run up to their weddings. With so many places offering this service from private dental practices to stands in shopping malls and with so many different treatments on the market, it can be hard to decide what the most sensible choice is.

Although I am terrible with dentists teeth whitening is something I had been considering for a long time and I was very excited to have the opportunity to visit UltraSmile* Dentistry, the award-winning dental practice in London and a recent winner of “Private Practice of the Year”, to experience the latest in ZOOM tooth whitening technology,

On arrival the first thing I noticed about the UltraSmile* practice is that it looks fantastic. Situated in Limehouse, a stone’s throw from Canary Wharf and the City and overlooking the river Thames, the UltraSmile* clinic is ultra-cool and chic with modern, minimalistic furnishing throughout and stylish, attentive staff waiting to greet you at the door. Having been warmly welcomed and offered a nice cool drink to enjoy whilst admiring the reception’s fish tank, I was introduced to my hygienist for the procedure, Benjamin Blum (Benji). I was very nervous when I first arrived but Benji quickly put me at ease with some light-hearted humour whilst he talked me through the procedure. Now, that I was feeling completely happy with what was about to happen we made our way through to an attractive treatment room which reminded me more of being in a relaxing spa than at the dentist.
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With wedding fever spreading throughout the UK and indeed the world, Disney has released a beautiful new collection of bridal gowns, inspired by their iconic Princess characters.

Disney’s Fairy Tales Weddings by Alfred Angelo collection of seven wedding dresses is now available in over 65 bridal boutiques across the UK and Ireland. Gowns from the collection are priced from £599 to £1199 and available in sizes 6 upwards.

The collection is inspired by the style and personality of seven iconic Disney Princess characters: Ariel, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Snow White and Tiana. With each gown, brides can showcase their personal style, with the collection including grand ball gowns in layers of tulle and sparkle net, updated fit and flare styles to highlight curves and movement, and pleated and wrapped bodices to flatter the bride’s figure.

In Autumn/Winter 2011, the collection will be extended to include two special edition gowns available in the UK, one inspired by Cinderella and one by Rapunzel. The Cinderella gown is a classic silhouette that reflects the character’s beauty and grace from the film. It took six weeks to create the dress from the original design, with the 1000 beads, rhinestones, crystals and sequins on the bodice sewn by hand, taking over two days alone to complete. The other new gown is inspired by Rapunzel which is a unique design, representing the confident, outgoing and fun nature of Rapunzel. The gown is one shouldered with a flattering dropped waist and pleated bodice, also incorporating three-dimensional satin petals on the skirt, adorned with light-catching crystals and twinkling sequins.

View all seven dresses at www.alfredangelo.com/disney

Bride by Suzannah is a romantic new collection of charming vintage-inspired wedding dresses with a whimsical twist for wedding belles everywhere. Fairytale dresses with a sprinkling of magic for beautiful breathtaking brides. The Suzannah label is already well known in the industry for fashion to fall in love with. Designer Suzannah Crabb’s amazing quirky couture party and cocktail dresses (that she designs from her boutique in Little Venice, London) have already been worn by Jasmine Guinness, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Hollywood actress Julie Christie.

Bride by Suzannah also includes vintage pieces from the 1920’s through to the 1970’s to accessorise with the dresses specifically sourced bty Suzannah to be worn with the collection. Millinery and hair accessories have also been designed to be worn with the collection

Designer Suzannah says ‘I created my new bridal collection inspired by the current shift in trend that we are seeing. Brides are moving away from wanting a traditional wedding dress and are choosing instead to invest in more of a unique ‘special’ dress to take them from the ceremony to the last dance. A dress they can also wear again to a party or special event. They dream of a luxurious statement dress which is charming and playful and makes them feel like them! A dress to treasure for years to come and a fantasy to make hearts melt’.

Bride by Suzannah has been designed to bring out the inner black and white screen siren combined with the whimsical humour and magic of Alice. The collection includes a range of stunning signature dresses that take their inspiration from the flirty flappers of the 1920′s through to the swirling romance of the 70′s. Each dress has its own heritage with every element of the gown carefully produced and designed to be its ultimate. The pieces are made from luxurious couture fabrics which have a “ready couture sentiment”. Bride by Suzannah dresses are designed to be bought off the peg, or if fittings are needed the process is designed efficiently so that the dress is ready to be collected within two months. Deliciously warm inspired neutrals of rose quartz tinted ivory, clotted cream and warm white fill the colour palette on premium silks and lace from Italy and France. The print has been designed exclusively for the label and is produced on the finest Italian chiffon from Lake Como.

Prices start from £650

View the collection at www.suzannah.com

Floris Wedding Bouquet
I adore this new fragrance from Floris! Created exclusively to celebrate the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Wedding Bouquet draws inspiration from the most acclaimed Floris wedding fragrances of the past whilst introducing a modern twist using a white flower theme.
The delicate accord of lily of the valley with a fresh citrus twist introduces the heart of this pretty white floral bouquet of jasmine, orange blossom and stephanotis and is sustained by a soft base of sandalwood and musk. Simply gorgeous!
Perfectly timed for the Royal wedding it will be on counters this month.
100ml £90
www.florislondon.com

Jeanne Lanvin La Plume
I really like this new fragrance from Jeanne Lanvin La Plume, it is a young and sexy creation. With top notes of apricot and pear nectar and middle notes of freesia, crystallised rose petals and juicy sparkling notes of orange. The musk and sandalwood offer a voluptuous, milky base, which defines this velvety fragrance. It is a really sweet, light and feminine fragrance that is perfect for Summer. The bottle is also super-cute!
100ml £49
www.escentual.com
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Dior Eau Sauvage
A fantastic, classic scent. Dior’s Eau Sauvage, their first men’s perfume, is an elegant manly scent with a light lemony, herbal aroma combined with a rustic, mossy, woody undertone. The effect is very balanced and masculine which has led to this product being a staple favourite in the bathrooms of men all over the world for decades.
50ml £43, 100ml £59
www.boots.com

Tommy Hilfiger Loud
Loud, by Tommy Hilfiger, despite its name and rock ‘n’ roll styled packaging is actually a rather clean and understated scent. Featuring patchouli, rose and tobacco, the combination is fresh, cool, sweet and even a little bit smokey. It’s an ideal day-to-day Summer fragrance to accompany the casual jeans and t-shirt style that it has been aimed at and the edgy packaging will appear to any music fan.
40ml £27.58 , 75ml £39.50
www.boots.com
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The times they are a-changing, so they say, and so, too, is our choice of wedding cake. According to the UK’s foremost supplier of celebration cheese cakes, The Teddington Cheese, sales of wedding cheese cakes are nearly treble what they were two years ago. The traditional wedding fruit cake appears to be on its way out, as we tire of chocolate cake and ‘croque en bouche’ which were popular in the 90′s and ‘Noughties’. Instead we are opting for a tower of different cheeses to celebrate our nuptials.

A cheese wedding cake comprises a selection of cheeses, arranged in a tower and decorated as a centre piece for a wedding reception, in much the same way as a traditional cake would be. The cheeses are usually stacked one of top of one another, starting with the widest at the bottom and the smallest on top, although some people prefer to present them on cake stands. Smaller cheeses can be used to separate the larger tiers of cheese, and the cake can be decorated with flowers, fruit or foliage.
Read on…

Freya Rose is launching a new embellished Butterfly and blossom collection this month and to celebrate is offering 20%  off all shoes on thursday 14th April.

The New collection incorporates exquisitely embellished butterflies and duchess silk roses with parisian lace and encrusted with swarovski and fresh water pearls.

The couture shoemakers can also custom your sale purchases – with a choice of hand made trims that incorporate crystals, feathers; even snippets of your wedding dress.

Freya Rose shoe event, 14th April 11 am-8pm

The Business Design Centre, 52 Upper St, Islington, London N1 0QH.

Book your appointment on 020 7288 6311 or info@freyarose.co.uk

What better excuse is there to over indulge in chocolate than Easter! Well over the last few weeks I have been checking out all the Easter goodies on offer (all in the name of research of course) so I could report back on what’s HOT this Easter.

Chococo Chocolate Union Jack Egg
I like finding an Easter Egg that is a little bit different and this one from The award winning Dorest based artisan chocolate company, Chococo was a real gem of a find! They have created this wonderful Union Jack Easter made from the finest Venezuelan milk chocolate. The outside of the egg is a layer of white chocolate decorated with a British flag of red and blue coloured chocolate and this inside layer of the chocolate egg is laced with dried strawberries and raspberries. Absolutely divine, I was so disappointed when I looked down to find I had finished it all!
£12.95
www.harveynichols.com
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Brides who have dreamt of wearing a Caroline Castigliano creation, but never thought they could own one of her coveted dresses, have had their dreams come true! Caroline Castigliano has launched a stunning capsule collection starting at £2,000. This is truly a fantastic opportunity for brides to own one of Caroline Castigliano’s wedding gowns.

The collection includes Sachi – a silk organza A line dress with sweetheart neckline, 100% silk duchess satin cummerbund and long trailing tails; and Sapphire – a Chantilly lace v-neck gown with stunning beaded detail under bust.

The collection is available at the following Caroline Castigliano boutiques:
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