Tacking Bridesmaids...

That would be tacking not tacky... That is, tacking the dresses together.

Silk arrived in all its glory.

Pattern got ordered.

Toile in black linen was tried on by bridesmaid No 1. Strap issues noted, along with note to self to not photograph a dark dress against a dark stairway...

First mock-up made in the actual sapphire silk to take to Bridesmaid No 2 (also Sis No 1) in the US next week. As she's a smidgen smaller than me, I was able to try hers on me while clenching everything possible. Note the ruckles around the posterior where it just would not budge an inch lower... Hmmmmm....

Had slight issue with the shoulder pieces as the sharpness of the angle seems to be much exagerrated on the pattern envelope. Have recut the straps a few times and pinning managed to achieve this look.

I think it's getting there, don't you?

NB 1: You should note the wedding planning timeline on the door in the background. Wedding planners aren't just 9-5 dontcha know?

NB 2: Excuse the Sunday Chic. Gardening + walk in the country + photographs on world wide web = not a great look.

Highlights of the 'List'

Gotta love Wrapit. Such a brilliant setup and such pretty things!

Mugs from Burleigh

Dinner service in Filets Bleu from Gien

With serving pieces in a more floral pattern called Hortensia

White linen napkins with blue embroidered edge...

And William Bounds 'Love' pepper and salt set to accent the scheme.

Fascinating...

A wonderful day with my Mum today in fair Warwick. We came across a little boutique which stocked Victoria Ann fascinators. Sadly it seems that this is a wholesale only milliners: I'm going to do some legwork and see if I can't beg borrow or something from their West End store.

In the meantime, I'm looking around to see if we can recreate the fandango below in colours more approaching her dress fabric which is Olive Green and Navy Blue.

Laura Cutler Millinery

A Touch of Class

I'm getting quite excited that this may be eminently possible...

Does anyone have any experience of making or commissioning a fascinator that could advise?

Commissions...

Work is underway on my beautiful hair adornments. I've just received this gorgeous update photo from the wonderfully accommodating Betsy of The Foundling and can't wait to get my hot little hands on them!!

In line with my sapphire and pearl theme, we've replaced the black beads in the centre for 'found' pearls and I'm loving the variety that she's managed to track down. Betsy reckons we may even get these in the post by the end of the week.

Can hardly contain my excitement!!

Pimp my pumps

After the sensible shoe moment, I came across these heels on the inspirational boards of The Bride's Cafe. I tell you what, if that website produced actual coffee and cake from the screen, I would never get an ounce of work done...It occurs to me that I could pimp my heels in a similar fashion to the above, where the bride glued her own bow adornment to the toe to add a bit of jzuzj. Wouldn't that just be the touch that the below sensible plain heels need to move them into the next zone of pretty away from functional and sensible? I'm off at lunch to try them on... for only £40, what's not to like?

On skirts that pouff

If anyone tells you that it's worth the time and effort to make yourself a petticoat to save you the £60 retail cost with £8 worth of net and a steady hand, take my word for it.

It's not.

Not in a million years of pins in thumbs and acres and acres and acres and acres of gathers, seams, pins and starching.

It's really not.

Sensible shoes

I'm going to stop being silly. I'm going to stick within my budget and find something that may actually be purchased for my feet.

Moira Mary Janes - cream leather - £40

They ain't gonna set the world on fire, but they may just do the trick...

Bows and Frocks

I'm partial to a good bow. Always have been, being a child of the eighties in lace and ruffles and pink. Always pink.

I've been pondering outfits for around the wedding itself: a dinner in the hotel with friends of the family the night before requires a party frock that is easy and comfortable but glamorous. The breakfast in hotel the morning after requires sedate and measured, and I can't decide if it needs the flounce of the recently undone (!) or to remain virginal and ivory. It could go either way really.


Regardless, this rather fabulous number, posted recently by Kate McKenzie, is exactly the style for the morning after the day before...

Retro style? Check

Subtle bow? Check

Comfortable shape and high neckline for coyness? Check

On budget?

Ah.

Handmade to Order

I do love a good Etsy. Abby of Style Me Pretty has selected a beautiful range of handmade wedding products and led me down the garden path to vintage remaker Betsy of The Foundling.

Speedy answerer of emails, Betsy has given me a very reasonable quote to make a range of these gorgeous poppies for the hair adornment of me, my bridesmaids and flowergirls, replacing the black beads with found vintage pearl beads to continue my pearl and navy theme.

The Sis bridesmaid is to be convinced by the Mum this week and hopefully we can get the order in shortly.

Vintage, economical, handmade and bespoke. What more does a girl want?

Frills and spills

I think my wedding dress' skirt will be big enough to wallow in big-bottomed pants with no concern for the dreaded VPL...


I love the vintage nod that these have:


What do you reckon - cheeky or cheesy?

Well, I *thank* you...

I have stumbled upon this delicious set of missives by the stationer to the royals... Smythson

At £35 for a set of 10 notelets (with hand-lined enveloples), they perhaps may be best saved for the particularly large present givers.

Is there any possibility that I may be allowed this...?

• Gold fabric with tonal dot motif.
• Gathered vamp with topaz rhinestone brooch.
• Open toe.
• 50% silk, 30% polyacrylic, 20% Lurex®.
• 3 1/2" covered heel.
• Guaranteed to improve your life*

Manolo Blahnik Brooch D'Orsay Pump.
$665 which in today's climate comes to a bargainous £334.85**

*Ok, I added that last one myself.
** And no, I'm not going to define bargainous.

A note on how to deal with Registrars...

  Went to the registry office this week to publish the banns of marriage with the Boy. After providing all his details about himself, he was asked by the Registrar to give my full name and age.

I got the giggles that I was not allowed to answer.

A swift look from the Boy and I controlled myself.

Due to a long-unremedied error on my passport, the exchange then went as follows:

Registrar: And the bride's date of birth?

Me: 12 September

Registrar: Oh...it says 2 September on your passport...?

Me: Oh... um... whichever suits you.*

Registrar: Well, which is it?

Me: Tedious explanation which I won't bore you with.

The Registrar sighs, accepts my explanation and fills in my correct date of birth. After reading out the legal ramifications of the forms and the need for care, attention and avoiding prison sentences for incest and treason, she asks me to check the licence.

At which point, the Boy realises that I am not the age that he stated. I am, in fact, a year older.

I never could do maths.

The two marriage licences are destroyed and we have to start all over again.

My giggles have now reached a critical level.

Ten minutes and much glaring from the Boy later, we narrowly escape from the registry office with our licence and £60 worse off.

We are awaiting postal confirmation that all is well.

I am not holding my breath.

*Note to others. If you find yourself in a similar situation in the future, provide detailed corroboration of your birthday. Do not think it will be helpful to allow the Registrar to choose for you. They will think you are illegal. Or lying. Or stupid. Or all three.

** If this isn't an excuse for another showing off of the bling, I don't know what is...

Honeymooning by the Sea?

 

This gorgeous little number is from my new favourite place, Oli, and is a bargainous £30. Thank goodness I don't suit yellow even an inch or else my bank card would be getting something of a bashing right now.

I am the MOG

Fantastically successful weekend with the mummy finding fabric for her outfit. Will share when it is able to be laid out and puffed up suitably but it certainly has crystalised the style of the day. Mum's going for olive green long silk crepe with a beaded silk chiffon empire-line bodice (backed with the crepe, of course, to protect her modesty).

Which means: long, beaded, silky.... eveningwear without doubt.

The search for the Mother of the Groom outfit continues in earnest and I have been dismayed to find so many outlets specialising in strapless... or black... or black... or strapless... or both.

Rampant googling has unearthed the wonder that is Oli. This website was launched with rather a lot of fanfare as I recall but then rather fell off the radar. What I have found, however, is that, although most of the fibres are polyester (no good for snobby-skinned me, but perfectly fine for most) the styles vary enormously and the prices stay under £100.

Any of the following lovelies would do a mature yet sexy and slim-figured MOB/MOG very well...

In order of appearance, the dresses are:

Aubergine Purple Ruched £89

Eau de Nil Frill £40

Brown & Black mesh £55

Buttermilk Mesh £75

Copper Taffeta £30

Purple High-necked £50

Petrol Taffeta £30

Navy blue lace £40 down from £89

Gold embroidery £65

Purple bow detail £65

Bottle green beaded £99

Lilac flapper style £69

Well shod

Shoe searching...

Idra by Marc by Marc Jacobs (£230)

Lala Glitter by Marc by Marc Jacobs (£215)

Kelis by Dune (£95)

Night Attire (to wear by the light of the (Honey)moon)

After the underwire, thong and what have you has come off you may want to slip into something more comfortable...

My selection would be thus...

What bridal round up would be complete without a spot of good ol' Vera Wang? This silk ballet gown (£58) hits all the right buttons, just as we would expect from the queen of the wedding industry.

Hush's silk nightie (right) at £50 is bang on and the smokey plum shade is a variation on seas of ivory.

 

Mary Green Silk Knit camisole (left) (£25) and shorts (£18) are demure without being reduced to large t-shirts involving cartoon characters.

Anusha cotton pyjamas (right) have a crochet trim and a gorgeous retro print and at £59 are pretty bargainous too.

Other places to have a browse are The White Company and some of the stockists at Not On The High Street.

xx

Under where?

My puns are getting worse. They really are. I can only apologise.

The lovely Angelica noted my last blog post on underwear that only skimmed the surface and asked me for recommendations of stockists and pretty styles...

I do as I am asked and have had a hunt on. You should know that, with underwear, as with all things, I have requirements:

• I am ample of boob. I require support. And when I say support, I mean small scale scaffolding (32e... yeah baby)
• That does not mean that I think 4" wide straps are attractive
• Or necessary
• That does also not mean that I want to suppress or hide my bosom. I like my boobs. They just need to be convinced to stay upright. That means I need padding, not to add to their volume, but to support and cup them.
• I hate man-made fibres. So I'm looking for silk bras.
• I like sexy but not trampy. I like provocative without being obvious. I like pretty.

On to the pictures...

Elle Macpherson Intimates is gorgeous and the colours are often sweet without being vapid and have some really delicious retro styling:

Dentelle bra (32B - 38DD) £30 and shorts at £18

Notorious Bra (32A - 36D) £35

 

 

 

Rigby & Peller is an industry standard and well worth going to a branch to have an official fitting done. They maintain that a basque or corset is never necessary for strapless lift: that should all come from the under bust measurement fitting you securely.

This Giselle style has body to it without diminishing its delicacy and I really like the latte colourway: (32B - 40E) £66

 

 

 

 

 

Myla is always a favourite, if only in my mind. Though I've not stretched to anything from here yet, the following are very high up my list of possible splurges:

    

Ella Silk Chiffon babydoll £139 and bra (32A - 36DD) £109

The Nicole range is so pretty and lacey and comes in an eye-popping shade of coral pink that I have throughout my wardrobe. The basque, though, is probably the most bridal.

Basque (SML) £129

Bras (32A - 36DD) £89.00