About Me

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Hello and welcome. I'm a bride in Belfast who grew up on Father of the Bride and dreams of a wedding at the Plaza or an outdoor ceremony in a private home in Nantucket. I've big dreams and a little budget. So with this blog I hope to share with you how I'm trying to get a very personal, bespoke, luxurious wedding in Northern Ireland with a little budget squeezing and creativity. Or as I have come to see it a Vera Wang wedding on a Walmart budget.

Thursday 31 March 2011

Rattle & Hum...what ever happened to this tradition?

I remember we were driving driving in your car
The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged

Going to the Chapel & We're Gonna Get Married!

Not sure if any of you out there have or are going to do any kind of pre-marriage course, but having completed part A of ours last night I would definitely say it is something worth doing, even if you just decided to have some drinks and chat through some thoughts you have yourself. I was actually amazed at what a nervous wreck I became just as we sat down at the table. My heart started to pound and I went a wee bit lightheaded...but that all passed once we got into it. Think it was just the proximity to the chapel and the reality of ticking the 5mths to wedding box! We were lucky that our course is a just a questionnaire that is then sent off, analysed and the results presented back. But I have to say that I can see the positives. It does a few things, reaffirms all of the things that are strong and great about your relationship, but it also highlights the things you maybe haven't discussed in final detail. Like for example, have you discussed and agreed your approach to savings and debt, or would you be able to accept if your partner couldn't have children. Our evening afterwards was spent discussing and chatting how we each approached answers, and I have to say (without any of you throwing up please) those kind of chats can only bring you closer to the wedding and each other. As one very forceful bridal boutique owner said (when I mentioned that a dress I was trying on felt very serious)...'it doesn't get much more serious than this honey' (gulp)! So it's at least worth a chat about how you feel about some of the big things that life brings.

Fresh & Classic Bridal Hair Thoughts

I 'm posting this as a meander through my own bridal hair thoughts. Not to give the game away at this stage, some of these are just looks I love, others are on the shortlist. All are takes on bridal hair that I think are fresh, pretty, and ultimately attractive & sexy...least we not forget it might be nice to get an approving nod from the groom as well. No over spraying, helmets or crystal spirals in sight! I know I mentioned Vintage Rocks before; another lovely girl worth checking out is Kelly at Ashby Girls (part of Ashby Gents). Very pleasant and helpful on the phone 07841144601.

Friday 25 March 2011

I get by with a little help from my friends...

Just a quick post today (went a bit post crazy yesterday). I'm trying to keep this wedding as stress free, personal and well straight forward as possible, and to this end it is always worth sitting back and taking stock of what you need and what is the best way to meet this need. For example, my lovely friend Sandy who is a graphic designer in New York has offered to design our invite suite as our gift. I've asked another friend who is a beautiful illustrator to illustrate the maps for the invites that will guide guests from the chapel to the reception, and I have my lovely cousin Emily Rose Conlon singing in the chapel and doing my bridal makeup. So, sit back, sip some wine and take stock of all the lovely friends and family who I know will love to help out and take part...Mmm, I get high with a little help from my friends,
Mmm, I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends. P.S Recently married friends can also be a great source of recommendations, stockists and time and money savers to help you weed out the bad experiences. Learn from their mistakes or their successes! (NB: Image from Google Images)

Thursday 24 March 2011

Elizabeth Taylor, one heck of a bride!






Local Flower Fairy

A bit late posting this as the appointment was Saturday a week ago. But anyway on that Saturday we went to see the lovely Siobhan at Flower in Dunmurry. Siobhan had done the flowers for a few friends’ weddings, and they were all beautiful and bespoke to each bride's wedding style and themes. So with eager anticipation we visited her and were not disappointed in terms of her service and knowledge. Siobhan spent a good hour/hour and half discussing themes, colours, seasonal flowers ways to save money and ways to get a similar look to say peonies without the hefty price tag. She also had local knowledge of the chapel we are marrying in which was helpful and created a lovely experience for us. Siobhan's background is in art and I think this helps to sidestep some bouquet disasters. She was delighted to discuss all my likes and dislikes and I felt very comfortable leaving that she would come back with suggestions we would like. (NB: Flower Pic not actually Siobhan's) To see some of her work visit her on Facebook.

Happy Hen Party Banner









More Invite Leftover Activity. Using nvite leftovers from a 'Lilac & Mink' wedding  I made this pretty homespun 'Happy Hen' banner for the brides shower/ bachelorette party.

Bridal Trousseau...

I had never heard of this until flicking through a recent American bridal magazine, and well any excuse to gather more clothing is always welcome. So, what is a Trousseau. Traditionally, it was a kind of dowry or 'the clothes, linen, etc., collected by a bride for her marriage'. Now, dowry I think of Mary Kate Danaher wrestling John Wayne in the Parlour, but that's not it. Young girls would sew away in the years before their marriage to gather together the clothing & linens they would take with them to their new marital home. The word Trousseau comes from the French (you know they have to be involved when there is something chic mentioned) 'a little bundle'. Now...girls if you had to up and pack and over to the grooms house would it be a little bundle…eh no! So, I had seen a beautiful photo of a Trousseau (now...if I could find it) and it was made up of mostly silk lingerie, night slips and nightwear...that I could see as a 'little bundle'. So I think you could consider your bridal underwear and honey-a-moon (as Nanny Sally likes to call it) your Trousseau. And here we begin. A lot of thought is put into bridal underwear, luxury, attractiveness, fit, comfort and of course invisible under wedding gown. So far I don't know of too many modern brides whose grooms have actually seen all of this effort. I know of one bride who had to sleep in her dress because she cried too much thinking of taking it off, and one bride who's groom was too tipsy to undo the tiny buttons (I recommend going for buttons with a concealed zip!) and she had to knock a few hotel rooms to get a wedding guest to help her. One item I would recommend is the Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless, available in nude and nude lace, it has metal hands inside that literally support you as if you were holding them up and in yourself. Available at House of Fraser, Next and Online. Recommended by a bride who married last year,  I have since tried and tested it on a few dance floors and it doesn't move...it is hands ‘up’ the best strapless bra I've tried. Then, for sheer luxury there is the Agent Provocateur Bridal Range....just beautiful! If you can’t stretch to the whole range, even just the garter is stunning (be careful though with any slimmer silhouettes as it will probably show through).

Wednesday 23 March 2011

For a Lovely Lace Bride...




Under the brief of classic, lace, pearls and twinkle here are a few (there were a good few more) of the invites I drafted up for a recent bride. Every brief yields a bespoke approach, so if anyone is interested in discussing handmade stationary, classic, quirky or personal, just email me at gracecatherinecousins@gmail.com .

Tuesday 22 March 2011

Martha Stewart Weddings Spring 2011


Having been out off action sick I needed to make sure I got my copy of this first before telling all of you that it's in stock :).  Get your copy now at Eason's Royal Avenue. P.s Eason's Lisburn don't stock it.

Diamonds on the soles of her shoes...

She's a rich girl, and she don't try to hide it...Waiting in the car the other week Paul Simon, Diamonds on the soles of her shoes came on and all alone in the dark I started to really dance to it. Later last week, off sick (which explains the silence) with a stack of wedding magazines and some left over supplies I wonder where I got this idea. Cute if I have to kneel at the alter...x

Wednesday 9 March 2011

Pretty Placenames

Whether pebbles from weekends in Donegal or paper doilies from Makro here's a couple of lovely alternatives to placecards.

Tuesday 8 March 2011

Hipstamatic Bride


If you're reading this (and I hope there are some of you out there) you might already know about the Hipstamatic App for your iphone. I recently bought it and although I LOVE the effect hadn't totally worked out nice opportunities to use it, but in the meantime I just love poking around it and having fun with the different effects. It basically turns you iphone into not just one but several old school cameras, giving your snaps a lovely tattered, old effect. I think it could be cool for some of your more off the cuff wedding and engagement photos. I'm a big believer in gathering up guest photos etc and compiling a second casual wedding album (the one you will probably really enjoy looking through). I think I will definitely be putting it to use this weekend at our engagement party. x

Monday 7 March 2011

Groom's Cake? The Cigar Bar.

The first time I ever heard of a groom's cake was watching Steel Magnolia's when they made the Armadillo cake with the grey icing. Groom's cakes aren't typically something we have here, but I suppose the sentiment is to have something at the wedding that signifies that the wedding isn't all about you :).  I read about the idea of having a cigar bar at the reception for the groom and quite liked it. Basically, at the bar or somewhere at the reception set up a little counter of cigars & matches and invite the gentlemen (or ladies) at the wedding to enjoy. And hey its a nice way to introduce those diner matches I'm collecting.

Friday 4 March 2011

Tablescapes

Our wedding reception is in a white room...so with a white dress, white walls and white tableclothes our guests could begin to feel like they were inside a cloud...not to mention the dreaded chair covers if I had opted for them. With this in mind I am thinking of buying into a trend that you see much more in America, coloured or patterned tableclothes. In the spirit of this blog I am thinking of aquiring some 'once loved' ;) tableclothes and dying them to tie in with my (our) colour palette. Dylon dies for example are not what they used to be, they are really easy to use and don't (and I have tried it) wreck your washing machine. Also I've shopped around a bit and I think that Dunelm Mill on Boucer Road have by far the biggest and cheapest selection, and don't forget to buy the salt (I thought the supermarket would have it cheaper, but to be honest it's not and also the Dunelm packets are perfectly measured for what you need). x

With a Perfectly Raised Eyebrow...

...you will probably try and veto the 5 day stag party! But in the meantime...you could take your bridal lead from the ever classic bride Grace Kelly and make sure you have her classic Hollywood brows for W-day. I haven't touched my eyebrows since November and instead I've been visiting lovely Lucy in her brow and lash salon, The Lulu Lounge . Lucy has trained with Infamous Anastasia (of Beverly Hills...famed for grooming J.Lo, Naomi Campbell, Penelope Cruz, featured in Vogue, yada yada yada) and is an eyebrow master. Apart from the fact she greats you with bubbly and wraps you in blanket if you like, she is also a master at what she does. She is a big fan of the stronger Hollywood brow and her eyelashes are feather light! You can get the 1 day lashes or semi permanent ones that should see you through the honey-a-moon as well. Little antidote...I arrived one day just after a slightly 'tired and emotional' customer had been treated to a blanket and Berocca while having her brows tweezed! x

Thursday 3 March 2011

Hollywood Hair

In th spirit of the week with the passing of Jane Russell, I thought I'd take the chance to tell you about a brilliant group of lovely girls at the Vintage Rocks hair salon in Belfast. I first went to these girls when the really lovely Claire Asfer offered to style our hairs for the Living Vintage shows for free all in the name of charity. The salon is great fun to be in and their styles are 100% Old Hollywood!

Tuesday 1 March 2011

Something Old!

The tradition of wedding favours...was something I was going to cut out in favour of saving some money! BUT then I (a) had a cheap and chic idea that I really like and (b) really actually liked the meaning behind the original tradition of wedding favours. Wedding Favours used to be sugar cubes (as it was an expensive commodity), then sugar became sugared almonds, then the 80’s happened and we all eventually hated sugared bloody almonds as wedding favours. Well, the thing is that the 5 sugared almonds you traditionally got represented fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness and the bitterness of the almond and the sweetness of the sugar represent the bitter sweetness of a marriage. So back to modern day wedding favours. Here’s my idea...it’s a trend, particularly in America to have branded matchbooks to give out to guests with names and date of the wedding, well I’ve a different idea. On any trip to America I like to seek out old school diners and as a little souvenir usually try and nab a book of matches. Long story short, ebay (your best bridal department store) is full of bulk lots of vintage matchbooks from all the cities we visited on our trip, Las Vegas, LA, San Francisco and all the diners in between. So I think I’m going to pick up someof these, customise them a little and put them in bowls at the wedding as little ‘Hollywood’ style takeaways.  Also, most of them will be from our very lovely engagement trip, including Chateau Marmont where we celebrated our engagement.