Black Swan Bride

flowers

2011-08-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

As ever, these beautiful photos are copyright to Filip Welna.

We did something a little unusual when it came to wedding flowers, and it worked out so well for us that I thought I'd share it. When we met with the florist, I had a few black and white printouts of the kind of bouquet shape I liked. I liked things with lots of texture and variation. But I didn't know what flowers I wanted. I felt like Willetton Wedding Flowers really got the feel I was going for anyway, so we booked them.

Later, I sent them a fabric swatch and some paint chips of the kinds of colours I liked, and I sent them a long, long list of Flowers I Like and Flowers I Don't Like. I sent these massive long lists because I figured it would give them more to choose from depending on what was in season. And beyond that, the bouquets were up to the florist.

To my surprise, they used nearly every flower on my 'like' list. I had kangaroo paw, geraldton wax and succulents. Roses, orchids and anthirriums. Rosemary, ferns and ranunculas. Dusty miller and cherry blossoms. Every time I looked at my bouquet I found something new. They were the most beautiful bouquets ever. And no two buttonholes/ corsages were the same.I strongly recommend giving your florist some creative freedom.

The only thing I would do differently, if I were to do it again, would be more aware of the cheap white plastic holders that are used on cascading bouquets. Had I been aware that they were going to use one, I would have hit up etsy for a vintage silver bouquet holder (such things exist), or provided some really nice velvet ribbon to hot-glue around the handle. Just a thought. If cascading is what you're thinking.

Oh, and another tip? If you use succulents in your bouquet, you can plant them afterwards and they'll grow! Pretty cool huh?

Gimme some hair

2011-08-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

All images copyright Filip Welna.

To follow on from the makeup person I used, I thought I'd mention my hairdresser in case anyone was interested. I left hair until far too close, and all the mobile hairdressers I could find (that I liked) were booked out. In desperation I called Peggy Sue's. Not only did she agree to do it, she didn't freak out at the sentence "By the way, the Best Woman has an undercut." Now, mobile wedding hair is not her usual thing, so I don't want to promise that she'll do yours or anything. But she did mine, and the Maid of Honour's and the Best (wo)Man's and I was pretty stoked.

Also, she texted me the morning of the wedding to ask if there was any last-minute errands she could run for me (how nice is that?), and was an all-round fun person to have with us on the day.

This isn't the best photo of the Best (wo)Man's hair, but the only I could find that didn't show her face. BwM has, as mentioned above, a pretty severe undercut. On the left side of her face is a beautiful 1940s victory roll, and all her hair was swept round to trail down on the right-hand side, showing off the undercut at the back on the left. It was gorgeous.

For the Maid of Honour I gave Bee this picture for inspiration. Bee likes nothing more than big hair. Oh, so big.

This doesn't even begin to show it. Well, kind of. Look at where her shoulders are, and where her hair ends. Her hair was as tall as her face was long. It was Elvira-esque. It was a beehive. It cracked me up every time I looked at it. People came up to me after the wedding and said "You look great and all, but her hair - my god! That's a feat of architecture!" Was it exactly what she or I would have chosen? No, but I didn't ask for a redo because it was wild and silly and it looked amazing. Once in a lifetime hair.

Mine? She just made mine as big as was humanly possible, given I have thin, fine limp hair. She did a great job. C'mon, you've seen it in the other photos.

Makeup

2011-08-11T19:29:00.000-07:00

Image copyright to Filip Welna. Do not use or copy.

I had a commenter ask who did my makeup, and, embarrassingly, it took me a really long time to remember! I think after the wedding was over I did my best to block everything out. I mean, it was fun and all, but it was nice not to have to think about it anymore.

Anyway, I remembered (whew!) It was Nicole Forde. I chose her because she did my friend's wedding, and all the girls had the most amazing, giant doe-eyes.

The other thing I loved was that when I rang her and said I didn't want to wear foundation, and would that be okay, she was completely fine with that. Even told me that she thought most people didn't really need foundation. I just hate the sensation of something coating my skin, so I was happy to have finishing powder, but didn't want a base. By the time Nicole was done with me, you couldn't even tell.

just a little note...

2011-03-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

All photos copyright and by Filip Welna, our fab photographer

I'm looking to sell my wedding gown. I love it to pieces, but don't have the space to keep it. Knowing that Priscilla of Boston dresses are rare as hen's teeth in Australia, I'm hoping to find someone else who loves it and will give it a second outing. You can find it listed here or here, or leave me a message on this post with an e-mail address at which I can reach you. I'm open to offers, willing to post anywhere (not just within Australia), and more than happy to answer any questions! Perth people are also welcome to see it in person, of course.

The boning creates some killer curves, if I say so myself. This is me giggling madly while my poor bridesmaid tried to do up the top hook and eye.

the wedding singer

2010-10-26T03:08:00.000-07:00

I was so excited I just had to share. BCB and I felt so, so fortunate that an old friend of his (who I actually thought he was dating when we first met!) agreed to be our all-round wedding singer. To boot, she was an absolute champ who submitted to playing covers,* along with some freestylin' ukele work. Her new single was launched today. Enjoy it, and enjoy the divine Ms Abbe May!

* Barry Louis Polisar's All I Want Is You; Nick Cave's Into My Arms, and The Darkness' I Believe In A Thing Called Love.

paper good(s).

2010-10-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

A lovely commenter pointed out that I hadn't shown off my invites yet, which was a kuh-raaaazy oversight on my part. I think that I took some snaps, decided they were pretty terrible quality, and never got round to blogging them. But I should. So y'all can come crash the reception, non? (um, no. Please).

The invites were by HeatherJeany on etsy, based on one of her other designs (with the colours changed and a bee motif removed). They don't look so great through the plastic wrapper they're in. You can't tell that the brown-ish text is actually metallic copper (yay!) I would totally and utterly recommend Heather if you're looking for invites. Her work is reasonably priced, she is very organised and professional and her invitation design skills are just awesome.

The hand-screenprinting comes out flat, maybe a little raised where the ink is thick. There is the odd tiny imperfection which I like. Reminds you that they're handmade. As well as invites and rsvps, we got her to do thankyou cards and order of service booklet covers for us.

The 'bells' references on the rsvp ('borrowed' from this wedding here) was well worth it. We have had one guest terribly confused and concluding it means 'bring a partner' (wha? Ah well!) Someone that couldn't attend explained that 'they're allergic to bells - what are the odds?' Another guest is 'with bells' while her partner ticked 'undecided' and added 'apprehensive about bells since that incident in 2007.' And our darling MC indicated that he would be there with bells on 'and only bells on.'

$8k wedding: Food

2010-10-15T06:21:00.000-07:00

The trickiest part of the $8k budget is definitely feeding everyone. With $4000 (according to my budget breakdown) that comes to $40 per head, including drinks. One certainly can cater one's own wedding, but I know it would do my head in. Plus it feels like cheating given that I'm trying to prove how far the money can stretch.
So I pretty much just googled caterers in WA for a bit and found that, for my town hall wedding, one can get a catered spit-roast with two kinds of meat and loads of different salad and veges for $18 per person. This was certainly down at the cheaper end of the range of prices I found, but there were a few caterers playing with this number, and it certainly wasn't the lowest price I found. Sure, it isn't the most glam option, but it's good hearty food that will fill everyone up, and it certainly has a homey, retro feel.

For the backyard wedding? What's more casual and Italian (and delicious) than woodfired pizza?

Cicciobella are a Perth-based mobile pizza oven company that offer three courses (calzone, all you can eat pizza, and dessert pizza) for a smidge over $20 per person. Brilliant!

Either options leaves you with $10 - 20 per person for drinks (depending on how much wiggle room you want to leave for contingencies). Counting one bottle of wine per person (go see the Dan Murphy's drinks calculator for a better estimate), and assuming you buy at LiquorLand or Vintage Cellars and get 30% off by buying by the dozen, you will be serving up some not shabby drinks!

Tip: Got rellies flying in from overseas for the wedding? Ask them to bring in their duty-free allowance in vodka and make up a big fruit punch for your town hall wedding, or mix it up with some red wine for sangria for your backyard (Spanish-)Italian do.

$8k wedding: Invitations

2010-10-13T04:33:00.000-07:00

Now that we have a venue to inform the feel of the wedding, it's time for invites! Print-at-home is your friend. Failing that (or in preference to that, if you want to print on thicker card, or want the colours to look really lush) you take your stuff to a printing centre like KwikCopy. To be honest, I can only make an educated guess about the cost of printing colour papergoods at a print centre, but I am guessing you'd be looking at a couple of hundred dollars to do your invites plus a little more (rsvps, menus or thankyou cards, maybe?).

And etsy is so very much the place to look for your invitations. There are loads of simply stunning options for pdf-downloads to print at home. I think this would be perfect for the retro town hall dance wedding:

Country Fair printable invites by SugarFlowerDesign

And maybe this one for the casual-elegant Italian do?

Monogram printable wedding set by EmPaper

If either of these are busting the budget, I even found this lovely monogrammed, flourished printable set for $15!

$8K wedding: the venue

2010-10-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

When you're playing with a tight budget, your choices of venue drop right down. You might need to be a little more flexible about the vibe of your wedding, and because you're going to have limited choices, I think the venue should inform the theming, rather than choosing the other way around. So, what options are there?

First, and most obviously: the backyard. Maybe yours, maybe your folks, maybe your extended family, maybe even friends (my mum's friend was so very eager to have our wedding reception in her backyard). Ask around, you never know who might be willing to put their hand up. And a backyard can be a fairly blank slate, so I'm going to run with a sort of elegant-casual Italian kind of vibe for my imaginary backyard wedding.

Sometimes, though, there just isn't the option of a backyard. Lord knows most of the people I know have nothing larger than a courtyard, if that, these days. And that is where the local hall comes in. Scout around and look at lots of local government websites. They can be a complete bargain. Like this:

Image from the Art Deco Buildings blog.

The Guildford Town Hall. A late-deco beauty that will set you back the grand sum of $256 to hire for your wedding reception. Seriously. And that includes tables and chairs. And yes, it is as pretty inside as out. The feel? A retro village dance, yes? Yes.

(for the record, I think the Gidgegannup Town Hall is also terribly, terribly cute).

(another) dress with bows

2010-10-11T03:30:00.000-07:00

Zomg. If it wasn't like, five days until my wedding and I didn't already have a dress, I would totally get that one. It has bows. I think it's a well-known fact I love dresses with bows. Plus it's a bridal label called Princess Lasertron. Plus it's only $550. Triple-threat.

One week to go

2010-10-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

This time seven days from now I'll invariably be rushing about trying to grab everything I need to take to the apartment where I'm getting ready to Be Married.

For both BCB and I the enormity of what we're doing has really only hit in the past week or so. It's really quite terrifying. I'm quite sure I'm going to sob my way down the aisle and through the entire ceremony.

Imaginary $8k wedding

2010-10-07T04:25:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday I was lucky enough to catch my first ever episode of Four Weddings (the Australian version). And while all the weddings had their goods bits and their not-so-good, the one that really stuck with me was the afternoon tea reception wedding, with a cash bar. The entire wedding was done on an $8000 budget. Now I am certainly not out to lay in to that wedding - it was a lovely idea, and the bride and groom really enjoyed themselves. But I couldn't help but think that $8k could have gone a lot further than party pies in the mid-afternoon.*

So, I'm using my Mad Wedding Planning Skillz to plan two imaginary weddings with different feels, each being for 100 guests, for $8000 (AUD). I started with a budget breakdown I found here:

Wedding Expense	%
Reception (venue & catering)	40
Attire & Accessories	10
Photography / Video	10
Flowers	10
Ceremony	5
Rings	5
Entertainment	4
Cake	2
Invitations	2
Transportation	2
Miscellaneous	10
Total %	100

but it needs tweaking. I think 50% on the reception is more like it. Nothing will be spent on transport, or 'entertainment' (what is that, and why is it so pricey?), giving me a little more wiggle room on attire and invitations. Flowers will be scaled right back, but that 10% will probably go towards decorating the reception venue more generally. I think realistically you won't get a celebrant or a church for under $500, so let's call the ceremony 10% of the budget, shall we?

So, let the games begin!

* Of course, I am assuming that one wants something other than party pies in the mid-afternoon. If that's your idea of the perfect shindig, please don't let my posts be interpreted as rain on your parade!

Napkins

2010-10-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so my bridezilla moment of madness was deciding to make all the napkins from scratch, in all different fabrics. I ordered eleventy billion Kaffe Fassett fabrics and set to. I did start out trying to manage some kind of colour scheme, but it got too hard, so I just chucked anything I fancied in the shopping basket and waited to see what would be delivered to my doorstep. Pretty, huh? Planning to roll them into rectangles, tied with a luggage label and a few brass bells, as place settings.

Urastarhouse is a star.

2010-09-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

My little cake toppers have arrived! Man they are the coolest things ever! I've had them out on the mantlepiece to admire (next to my collection of plaster moulds of my teeth, if you're wondering what thing to the left is).

2010-09-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

Voila. Practice veil. Made with patterned broadcloth instead of silk. The actual veil will be fuller, but I kind of messed up all the cutting on the practice version (this is why we make a practice version, people).

After much messing around, I discovered/ decided:
i) blusher + bow + veil is too much. So long, blusher.
ii) the best bubble veil is 20 inches long, with the folded edge cut to a curved corner.

Excuse my slightly blotchy skin and damp hair. That photo was actually taken the morning after my hen's night, so frankly I think I'm looking pretty damn fine, circumstances considered.

Cake Stands

2010-09-26T19:24:00.001-07:00

Can't remember if I talked about this yet or not? Anyway, I was moderately horrified at the cost of Wedding Cake (that is, cake made by someone who professes to make wedding cakes). Not to mention it was important to me that only free range eggs, and actual real food (not the anhydrous doozamewhatsits of packet mix) be used. So we're running with three cakes from Sherbet Bake Shop instead. I asked Sherbet if they could stack their cakes, and they said (quite reasonably, with an explanation) 'no.' So I figured tiered cake stands would work well enough.

I initially enquired with local cake shops about buying a stand, only be quoted 'about $400' for what I wanted.... So then I bought a three-tier model off ebay. It was advertised with the image above. Just allow yourself a moment to fully appreciate the ghastliness of that image.

Add $40 worth of hobby store spray-lacquer in Pearlescent Red (thanks to the lovely guys at Stanbridges who not only helped me pick the right kind of paint, but kept a fairly straight face when I came back in red-handed, asking exactly what product would get the stray paint off my palms...).

Et voila. Not bad, hey? Imagine them laden with lusciously frosted white layer-cakes. Excuse any wobbliness in the stands - I couldn't be bothered to properly straighten them for their glamour-shot. So, $120 of cake, about $100 of cake stand and spraypaint. About half the price of the Wedding Cake quotes I got. I win.

Mini-me!

2010-09-04T17:48:00.000-07:00

So... did I post about the cake palaver? I don't think so. Suffice to say, I was horrified at the price of wedding cakes, and decided to just get some 'regular' iced white cakes from a fabulous bakery (at a quarter of the price, no joke). But then I decided to spend part of the money saved on the coolest cake toppers in the entire world. Mm-hm. From Urastarhouse. And here they are! Ta-da! Don't we look grand? I love the idea of having these little mini-us figurines to keep. And yes, those are our fur-kids sitting on our heads (it's okay, they'll just sit next to us on the cake).

The most beautiful bridal accessories ever.

2010-07-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

I'm just in love with the stunning butterfly jewellery by etsy seller Jewelera. It's made by transferring images of actual butterflies onto organza fabric... so delicate and ethereal. She has a video showing how the wings flutter in a breeze.

I would snap up the headband in an instant if I could at all get away with it. Unfortunately, my style is much more bold and structured, and I just don't think this would go. But someone else should get it, wear it, and send me the pictures! Let me live vicariously!

Maybe it's not too late for bon-favs?

2010-07-23T05:40:00.000-07:00

I just stumbled across an American site called Beau-Coup which stocks all kinds of little party favour bits (wedding and otherwise). Unique ones (no, like actually stuff I haven't seen elsewhere, not 'unique' in the way it gets thrown about these days). Classy ones. That picture above? That's herbal cocktail infusers (add your own liquor and fruit juice). Yum!

And, most importantly, they actually ship to Australia! Well, everything except those gorgeous custom fortune cookies. Which is probably just as well. Because I don't think I could help myself. My other favourite is the personalised biscuit mix.

Excellent Underthings

2010-07-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

Right. Trying to keep this SFW. Yesterday my goal was to find a torsolette thing that was strapless and low-backed and comfortable, to go under my dress. Myer and DJs do not stock such things, it turns out. So I had to try find a speciality store.

Problem with googling 'bridal lingerie' (or even searching the yellow pages), is that the same term is used for the formidable, structural, suck-you-in, lift-you-up, invisible-under-your-dress stuff and also for the (usually really naff) racy honeymoon sets. Eek. Cue memories of Kath & Kim and the episode with the snap-crotch teddies.

To top it off, I hate underwear shopping. I really, really do. Such a hassle.

Anyway, I made a list of potentially suitable places. First on the list was Silk Elegance Lingerie in Leederville. My mama (coming along for moral support) was sceptical. She had seen the storefront before, and thought it looked a little dingy and weird.

Oh man was she wrong. I adore this place. They had a whole wall of bridally undergarments that were both pretty and sculpting. They had a massive range of brands (they import some labels especially). They keep all their white and cream nundies in the same section, so it's easy to pick out a set.

And the staff are extraordinary. They are kind, helpful, patient and make getting your kit off in front of them seem completely normal. They are so careful when it comes to fitting. And they do alterations! Yes! Lingerie alterations! Because they want stuff to fit you perfectly. I cannot recommend them highly enough. We didn't even end up hitting any of the other places on my list. Silk Elegance Lingerie in Leederville. Checkit.

Struggling to find a hair person

2010-07-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

While makeup people abound, it seems like it's really hard to find a hair stylist to come out and fix us up all pretty like.

What's with that?

Statement necklace with a strapless gown.

2010-01-31T16:29:00.000-08:00

This post is serving double duty: first, I adore Jess' big necklace with her strapless gown. I've been pondering wearing a big ol' vintage neckpiece, but wasn't quite sure it would work. Evidently, it does. Though I am still thinking that veil + statement necklace might be a bit much.

Secondly, I adore Jess' photos. Jess is a very popular knit-blogger, which is how I stumbled on her photos. I love, love, love how happy everyone looks in all of them, and how natural. No forced, cheesy 'we're quirky and having fun!' shots here. The photographer was Jenny Jiminez (based in Brooklyn), and you can see a few more shots over here. I'm definitely showing these to our photographer for 'inspiration'.

Surprise! It's my birthday.

2010-01-30T16:38:00.000-08:00

I've been showing off a lot of inspiration, recently, rather than talking about my own nuptials. So I figured, now that everyone important to me has seen The Dress (yes, BCB, my family, all my girlfriends, the in-laws... I'm no good with secrets) I'd show it off here. It's my birthday gift to you, dear readers!

When I started gown-shopping I wanted modern, unusual, maybe some lace or beading, and most importantly - not strapless. My, how things change! I did, however, get the thing I secretly wanted but refused to admit to anyone. Bows on my butt. You'll have to go here to see the awesome back.

Everyone that's seen the dress has appropriately gushed, and agreed that it's very 'me'.

Edwardian wedding dresses - for a garden wedding?

2010-01-29T22:26:00.000-08:00

One thing I noticed while wedding dress shopping is that most dresses today have beaded lace, and also have cut-out lace applique, rather than being all-over lace.

Beautiful Edwardian gown, from MyFavouriteVintage.

One of the beautiful things about Edwardian gowns is that they feature lace all over, incorporated into the structure of the dress. Like the one above. Being mostly made of light cotton they're beautiful and feminine and lacy, but still quite casual. The casual nature of these dresses on a modern bride would (unless you're fairly petite) be enhanced by the fact that most Edwardian dresses would only hit mid-calf on a modern girl. So no muddy train to stumble about with.

A blouse and skirt combo, from DakotaVintage.

Edwardian silhouettes tended to have a loose, blousey top, a cinched waist and free-flowing, fairly narrow skirt (compared to the wire-hooped, horse-hair bustled confections of the Victorian period). So an Edwardian gown would be perfect if you want to show off your tiny waist, or if you wanted a more modest bodice.

Okay, this one needs a slip - imagine a powder blue slip! Pretty! From TimelessVintageVixen.

Best of all, these white cotton lace gowns are in relative abundance on ebay and etsy. Unlike other eras, white was an everyday staple for the Edwardian lady, meaning that there are more bridal-coloured gowns floating about. Or, of course, if you wanted something really different, you could dye one of those white gowns whatever hue your heart desires.

Mad Men Marriage: Christina Hendricks has style

2010-01-27T05:28:00.000-08:00

How fab is the train on Christina Hendricks' gown? Love it. Just love it.

Plus big earrings, pale skin and red hair? Hello, wedding inspiration. Okay, except I don't have Ms Hendricks'... endowments. Also completely digging her groom's outfit.

By the way, if you fancy Ms Hendricks' gown, it's by Carolina Herrara, and you can buy it second-hand for the paltry sum of $1500 (US) over at Pre Owned Wedding Dresses.

Etsy finds: vintage wedding veils

2010-01-25T22:21:00.000-08:00

Cute little 50s cage veil, from 13 Bees Vintage. There seems to be a tear in the netting, but you could use your mad DIY skillz to replace the net. I like how flat this sits on the head, and the fact it doesn't rely on a comb to keep it in place.

A beautiful Victorian-era bridal veil with a little pair of lovebirds on the back. Modern veils are so sheer and diaphanous that the weight (and consequent drape) of this lace veil make it a really unique choice. Considering its age the colour has held up well, too. No overt yellowing. At the aptly named Antique Lace Place.

Surprisingly modern looking, this little vintage floral headpiece is made (in part) of pipecleaners! How rad! Totally mouldable to the shape of your head (or hairstyle). Available at Dakota Vintage.

Wedding Day Jewellery: the statement ring

2010-01-23T22:15:00.000-08:00

A cocktail ring on the right hand is a nice piece of wedding bling, I think. A friend wore her mama's sapphire cocktail ring on the right hand, as her something blue. For something a little more modern (and not blue), I love these coupley rings by DonMoti. The one above is a couple in conversation.

And this gorgeous one is an elderly couple looking back on their younger selves. Aaaaw. Nice symbolism, non?

Choosing the bridal accessories that go round your face.

2010-01-21T17:10:00.000-08:00

Volume or length? Volume or length? Hmmm...
From the fabulous Okinawa_Soba's photostream. Seriously, go check it out. There's some awesome non-wedding stuff in there.

You know, veil, earrings, hairstyle, that kinda thing.

I'm not 100% necessarily convinced by all this 'how to dress to suit your proportions and colours' stuff, but these blog posts do seem remarkably thorough (and explain what to do when, like me, your features are squashed into the middle of your face, leaving vast deserty expanses of chin and forehead. Seriously, my forehead is outright Elizabethan*).

First, you wanna work out what your basic face shape is.
But, it's not that simple. 'Cause you got to work out whether your features are actually where they should be, or if you would have been a natural beauty in Elizabeth I's court. So, facial proportions need to be considered.

Now you can consider an appropriately flattering hairstyle, and earrings to suit your face shape.

And, my personal favourite, how to choose a hat to flatter your face. I'm taking a wild guess and saying that the same principles can probable be adapted to choosing a veil?

* What? What is she on about? In the Elizabethan period a high forehead was considered aesthetically pleasing. So much so that women used to pluck their hairline, to create an even higher forehead.

Wearing a hat: Channeling Bianca Jagger's Wedding

2010-01-15T17:03:00.000-08:00

Someone really should get this hat for their wedding. Someone wearing a rock'n'roll pantsuit. It's available at AudraJean's etsy shop.

Pretty nature-jewels

2010-01-13T02:27:00.000-08:00

Strong yet organic earrings. I'd like something like these for the wedding day.

Isn't this delicate and alive? I love the assymetry. Maybe if not for the bride, pretty on the bridesmaids/ groomsmaids. Oo, actually, I think the artist does a few variations on the hydrangea petal necklace - you could get a different one for each lady in the wedding?

All from Patrick Irla Jewellery on etsy (of course).

Never mind the veil, try a headband

2010-01-11T02:15:00.000-08:00

A pretty sequinned number from CarononCaro's etsy shop.

Etsy find of the Day - vintage bridal shower games

2010-01-09T01:59:00.000-08:00

While on the search for the perfect bedside lamps I found these, and couldn't help dropping them in my cart too. Cute, huh? They're like little popsticks with a charade topic on them. The one photographed was 'Song Title - Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining'. Kind of hilarious in the context of a marriage, non? I figure they should get a laugh, then I'll pass them on to some other lucky gal for her hen's night.

Anyway, my point is, don't neglect the 'vintage' search on Etsy. Just as good as the 'handmade' search function.

Wedding Gown fabrics in Australia (Recherche)

2010-01-05T16:27:00.000-08:00

If you know what you want by way of a dress, getting your gown made is a tres awesome idea. You can get some amazing beaded lace to rival Collette Dinnigan, but have exactly what you want. I always imagined I'd get my gown made, as most times when I try on readymade clothes my thoughts are along the line of "Nice, but I wish *insert change to garment here*"

Recherche Fabrics are an online supplier of really fabulous lace and beaded fabric for dance costumes and weddings. They're based in Australia. The beaded tulle above is from them. I just adore the way it looks like feathers, or water flowing, or flames. I think it would make a stunning overlay on a sort of hippie, drapey, Grecian-style gown. Worn with loose hair and bare feet to get married in the bush. You'd look like some ethereal woodnymph.

Ugh. Enough flowery language already! Go check out Recherche!

Last New Year as a Sort-of Single Gal

2010-01-03T16:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year and all that!

I have three resolutions for 2010, none wedding-related. They are, as follows:
i) Eat leafy greens every day;
ii) Always have fabulously painted toenails; and
iii) Wear in the work shoes I keep buying because I need new ones, then not wearing them because they're not as comfortable as the beat-up ones I already have.

Tell me, do you have resolutions? I want to know what they are.

I realised that the New Year just gone (and the Christmas, for that matter) are the last I'll spend as an unwedded lass. In fact, the Christmas was the only Christmas I'll spend as an unwedded lass! Didn't feel any different, to be honest.

Design your own (bridal) shoes: Shoes of Prey

2009-12-27T17:05:00.000-08:00

The only downside to buying my wedding dress as a sample is that it is already hemmed unusually short (for a wedding dress). Being a rather tall kinda lady, I can only have heels of 1.5" (about 4cm) max. It's actually very difficult to find nice evening shoes that are flat, or have a very low heel. So it was with great joy that I welcomed the news that Shoes of Prey have added ballet flats and 1.5" heels to their range!

Screengrabs of some shoes I designed on the Shoes of Prey site. I really love the blue, teal and silver combo.

Shoes of Prey are an Australian company (with worldwide shipping) who let you design your own shoe - toe shape, heel height and shape, decorations, colour and fabric (snakeskin, fishskin, patent, suede, hair and regular leather). If the size you order isn't correct, you can send them back and they'll replace them - for free! Pretty amazing, huh?

A nod to the bridal white, with a good splash of red drama

The company seems to be constantly expanding its range and design choices. One thing I'd like to see in the future is the addition of satin fabric to the range. While I adore leather, there aren't any vegan material choices currently.

Chic black and silver flats

Aside from gals like me that want a glam wedding shoe with a very low heel, I think Shoes of Prey would also be really fab if:
- you have terribly small or terribly large feet. They offer shoe sizes 4 to 12 as standard.
- you want all your bridesmaids in the same colour shoe, but they want different styles. Or, you could put them all in the same style, with different colours. That would look awesome with plain black dresses, I think.

What shoes are you planning to wear? What would your dream shoes look like?

Merry Christmas, and an illustrated proposal

2009-12-24T16:04:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas would-be grooms and brides and other peoples! I tried to find a sweet vintage Christmassy image, but this astonishing comic strip proposal trumps it. Melbourne illustrator Guy Shield proposed to his girlfriend with a tricky, fold-up, eight foot long illustrated panel. Go and read the full story, then go and remind your loved ones that they are just that.

Wedding Planners; or A Little Rant

2009-12-23T01:12:00.000-08:00

BCB suggested the other day, that as we start signing contracts and collecting Pieces of Paper That Really Shouldn't Be Lost that we might want to start a file for wedding stuff. Excellent, says I. I'll go looking for a wedding planner today. Here is what I discovered:

i) Many planners have a picture of a bride, holding a bouquet, with her head and feet chopped off. The groom does not get a look-in;
ii) Some refer to to the unattainable 'perfect day';
iii) They only use the singular - 'your day', or 'my wedding';
iv) Even the allegedly 'progressive' planners refer only to the bride;
v) occasionally you will accidentally pick up something you think is a planner, only to discover that it is in fact a bride's 'journal', with places for photos and personal reflection. Something like a baby book, except the focus is a single day of celebration, rather than a living, growing thing;
vi) Those planners that have non-offensive covers and that do not imply only a bride's involvement are invariably far larger than an ordinary ringbinder. They are simply huge portfolios to be lugged from appointment to appointment.

Conclusion? I splashed on a nice blue ringbinder from Kikki K, wrote 'Gettin' Hitched' down the spine, and chucked some rainbow file dividers inside. Done.

All I want for (my last pre-wedding) Christmas

2009-12-21T22:54:00.000-08:00

is Judith Martin's newest tome. Unfortunately, it isn't out until the end of March. I have pre-ordered mine, though. I was introduced to Miss Manners via A Practical Wedding. If you haven't yet experienced the dry, cutting, yet eminently (and, sadly, refreshingly) sensible advice of this ettiquette doyenne, you can read a little piece on her opinion of weddings here at Utah Bride, some reassuring words over here at A Practical Wedding, and a fairly droll recounting of her own wedding here.

Affordable, unique, locally-designed...

2009-12-19T00:57:00.000-08:00

Yes please.

All images are from Hustle's Facebook page, taken at the 2009 Perth Fashion Festival

So I was in Fremantle for a meeting with The Reception Venue Guy,* when I wandered past Hustle, in Fremantle. Hustle is a kind of co-op store, where several local labels sell their wares. One of the labels, LinPin, does bridal and formal stuff, and damn is it gorgeous! It's kept at the back of the store (in a well-lit spot!) Sure, the changeroom ain't flash, but the dresses sure are! It's all very definitely got a bridal feel, but it is a little more unique (and, dare I say it, Fremantley) than other stuff I've seen. Many of the gowns had a slight Japanese influence, using floral motifs, Japanese-style brocades, and obi-like sashes.

I'm pretty sure the dresses on the rack are samples, and that your dress would be made to order. There was, at a guess, maybe ten or twelve bridal gowns, plus some colourful long dresses, if white ain't your thang. Again, while I'm not certain, it looked and felt like many of the fabrics are silk. Only thing I noticed is that many of them were unlined - fine for a Summer wedding, but if I were getting a dress I'd ask about the possibility of putting in a lining. The dress above is the most stunning silver and white brocade. Pricewise, the dresses I picked up were between $500 and $1500. Yep, seriously. A couple of the most elaborate gowns were on models rather than hangers, and I imagine they'd be a little more again. But seriously, why would you go with a nasty synthetic number when you could have a pretty like this for the same price?

This was my favourite dress. The detail round the bust is little fabric yo-yos.

As well as dresses, they had loads of cute little boleros and capes and cover-ups. In brocade and sequins and faux fur. Really, really cute. I think I might look into getting one. Because I might get chilly at the reception, right?

Two thumbs up, and completely recommended. Hustle's website is sort of under construction, but you can visit them at 68 High St, Fremantle.

* Sorry for being so mysterious, but I want to keep the location under wraps until we've paid a deposit and all that jazz.

Bridesmaid dresses

2009-12-17T16:57:00.000-08:00

Both images from the Colette Patterns website

Sure, you could go for a godawful polyester number from a big ol' bridal store... or you could get the dresses made. Colette Patterns is a one-woman business working to create vintage-inspired dress patterns that you'd actually want to wear. As well as looking good, if you took this route you'd be supporting an independent craftsperson when buying the pattern, then (likely) another small businesswoman who makes your dresses; instead of a faceless corporation exploiting cheap labour. I think the dress above would be beautiful in raw silk. Or the dress below would be lovely for a casual outdoor wedding in lightweight cotton. Either way, unqiue, whimsical and sure as heck something I'd be likely to wear again.

More sophisticated colour palettes

2009-12-15T16:30:00.000-08:00

Colour palettes from Pantone via Apartment Therapy

(This post is to be read in a tongue-in-cheek posh accent. Because really, all this fuss over colour is a little bridezilla, non?)

Okay, I guess one of the issues I had with a colourscheme is that I like a lot of colours. All colours are fab! I'm more interested in the play between a lot of different colours than the use of two or three distinct hues.

Pantone creates big sets of colours - palettes, rather than schemes. Unfortunately, you usually need to buy the actual guides to access all their palette forecasts. But I did find a few shown on this Apartment Therapy post. Also, if you go to the Pantone Product page, each of the Colour Planners has a preview of one selected colourscheme. Not a bad start, huh?

Store review: HobNob

2009-12-14T00:45:00.000-08:00

I have visited two big-name (as far as Perth goes) bridal stores since I bought my dress. In search of a veil, see. I was planning to review my experience at both. Given that I struggle to think of anything positive about one of them (and mama always said "If you don't have something nice to say...") I'll give a mixed review of the other. HobNob.

The range of dresses at HobNob is probably amongst the most fashion forward of the non-couture wedding places in Perth. There was a lovely Pronovia's gown with ruching and giant appliqued chiffon flowers that rather caught my eye. Unfortunately, most of the dresses looked pretty, but felt tres polyester.

As far as veils/ headpieces go, they certainly have a more interesting range. Veils of many kinds, loads of feathery-flowery headpieces, and a few hats too! Note that not all of it is on display - there are all kinds of flowers and combs kept in drawers behind the counter. You don't need an appointment if you're just going in to look at accessories, and in my experience at times I had someone helping me and suggesting things, then they'd wander off and leave me alone for a little. Which was nice.

It may have been because I was there on a particularly overcast day, but I couldn't help but notice that the back of the store was very dimly lit. This low-lighting was a feature shared with The Namesless Store, so I can't work out if it's a coincidence, or the stores are choosing 'mood lighting' on purpose. Either way, I'm not a fan. I want to be able to see myself, and the dress, properly. Most people are married in daylight, so I want to be able to see how everything will look as it will on the day.

Conveniently, if you have an entourage in tow, they have a bridesmaids dress shop right next door (I forget what it's called). A friend recently got her bridesmaid gowns there and they were really lovely. Elegant and well-fitting.

Have you been to HobNob? Did you get a dress there? What was your experience like?

Colour schemes

2009-12-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

The announcement of Pantone Colour of the Year (yes, seriously) reminded me about our lack of colour scheme thus far... I can't decide if I should be worried or not... I just figured I'd let The Only Bridesmaid choose her dress, and work a colourscheme around that and the reception venue (mostly white, concrete, and dark wood). There's so many fabbity-fab colourschemes I want to choose from! Rust and grass green; or magenta and yellow are favourites right now. I mean really, aside from TOB's dress, the only things to colour coordinate are flowers, table runners and papergoods. Not exactly a massive stress, right?

Getting shirty: options for the menfolk

2009-12-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

Image from the blank-label site

So I featured Duchess Clothier a while ago, but they don't have an online custom-shirt-ordering function. I have seen a couple of other such sites, but they didn't have much choice when it came to fit. A concern when you have a six-foot beanpole with a taste for the 60s and 70s (when shirts were slim).

Blank-Label seems a bit funkier, however. There is the option to customise body fit, neck size and sleeve length all independently. And their monogramming option is totally, gorgeously fab - imagine ordering these for the groomsmen, and getting their name, or some silly in-joke, embroidered on the inside collar?

The detailing options are pretty good - you can play with a lot of different shapes and contrast-colouring options (different coloured plackets and collar linings for each groomsman?). Get to choose your buttons (each groomsman in the same shirt with different buttons?). The only thing lacking, I think, is the option to add cowboy-shirt-styled back and front panels. You know, the pointy kinda panels, instead of straight across? And some plaid fabric options would be nice. Just sayin'.

Breakthrough!

2009-12-10T20:32:00.000-08:00

Awesome, serious, hardcore bubble from Pearls Events, photographed by Amy Carroll

The modern name for those 60s style veils I like is a 'bubble veil', or, occasionally 'fountain veil'. Which made searching etsy a whoooole lot easier.

Only problem being I want a wee blusher to go over my face to start with, that can be pushed back over my already-huge veil afterwards. I haven't seen anything like this, and I can't tell if it's because noone's thought of it, it's gosh-darn ugly, or it's impossible engineering-wise. But I'm pretty tempted to find out by making my own veil. There's an excellent 'how to' here. My only additional tips are:
i) make one out of cheapy tulle first to get a feel for what you're doing and how it will look; and
ii) hairspray holds more than just hair in place. Use for maintaining super-volume on the day.

Honeymooning?

2009-12-08T19:10:00.000-08:00

All images from Burnside Bungalows

Not sure what we're doing by way of honeymoon yet. I rather want to go to Bali, where spa treatments and cocktails are cheap, but BCB is not so sure. Poking around today I found Burnside Bungalows in Margaret River which sounds pretty damn nice.

They have three chalets on their organic and biodynamic farm in Margaret River. One of the big thrills for me is that guests are invited to pick their own farm produce to cook dinner. Yep, even on my honeymoon I'd be interested in hunting/ gathering and cooking.

Veils

2009-12-04T15:59:00.001-08:00

Image from Collylogic, of his or her fabulous parents. Note also the bride has short hair!

I haven't, I must admit, had much joy searching for a veil so far. HobNob do have some more unique things (including a rather fab thing that is sort of a cross between a small hat and a large headband), but everything is either too short and too flat, or too long and too flat. I have decided that what I want... is a sixties style veil. In the sixties veils were all about volume, and tended to be just past the shoulders. The veil was often attached to a pillbox hat for extra volume, but I don't think I'll go that far.

This site here has some simply gorgeous images showing off wedding dress, bouquet and veil styles for each decade of the 20th century. I highly recommend it if you want some ideas on how to get away from the same-old same-old (or if you're planning a vintage-y wedding). Simply dreamy.

Indulge me - strawberry lemonade

2009-11-17T16:06:00.000-08:00

Image from Star5112

So I have a thing for Southern food (no idea why). While in San Francisco we ate at the fabulous Famer Brown's, where BCB and I had candied sweet potato and grits and succotash and hush puppies and fried catfish for the first time ever. Fabulous. So from the nearby Borders I purchased The Glory of Southern Cooking (even the title is wonderful) to recreate those wonders at home. Last night we had mac'n'cheese for the first time in my life.

But before that, I used up some slightly squishy strawberries and excess lemons making strawberry lemonade. It was delicious and easy (and not too sweet), and might be something to consider for a summer kitchen tea, or to serve straight after the ceremony. So here's the recipe:

1.5 cups water
1 cup of sugar
1.5 cups fresh lemon juice (6 - 8 lemons)
1 cup of ripe fresh strawberries, stems cut off and cut into quarters
1L club soda water

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir until sugar dissolves (about 2 minutes).

Let the sugar syrup cool a little, then stick it in a blender with the lemon juice and strawberries. Blitz until smooth. Chill.

To serve, stir the club soda into the lemonade base.

Awesome proposal

2009-11-16T17:08:00.000-08:00

So I'm a fan of proposals involving livestock. But I think anyone would be in awe of this awesome feat - spelling out 'Marry Me Jenna' with thousands of live sheep in a paddock! Find the whole story at Studio Home Creative.

Priscilla of Boston

2009-11-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

So Glamour Closet was supposed to be my only bridal shopping. But wandering around downtown SF I couldn't help but notice the giant, giant Priscilla of Boston sign. And online window shopping meant I knew I really liked some of their lines (Melissa Sweet especially). And they sell their own samples in store, rather than on-selling to places like Glamour Closet. So I found myself heading in, without an appointment, just for a little peek. Ha.

Image from SF Yelp

I was sold. The salon looked so glam. There were so many beautiful gowns. They keep all their samples for sale in a room out the back, and were only too happy to show me through. They were all arranged by size, and I was only 'allowed' to look at those within two sizes of myself so that alterations would be realistically possible. I was shown each gown in turn, and said yay or nay. That done, they made an appointment for me to come back later in the day and try on the gowns I picked out. When I came back there was a whole new rack of sample gowns for sale. Because the new collections have been released, just that afternoon the salons had been told which dresses were being discontinued and thus to be pulled from the racks. So I picked out a few more! Yay!

Condition varied from 'Has anyone ever even tried this on?' to 'Oo... okay... gonna need a clean and some new buttons.' I tried on one gown, and my sales assistant told me (I couldn't see) that there were a lot of snags in the back where the train had caught on some beading, and that she wouldn't let me buy it, because the damage was too bad and irreparable. The majority would need a dry-clean (no stains, just dust/ grime), and lost buttons seemed to be the most common problem. Really close examination revealed the tiniest runs on some gowns, one had a pleat that had been untacked. Gowns at 40 - 50% off.

Glamour Closet/ A not-quite-new dress

2009-11-13T21:40:00.000-08:00

So, I'm sure a review of a second-hand gown store in the USA isn't terribly relevant to most of my readership, but I'm going to give it anyway. Well, the focus will be more on the pros and cons of the second-hand gown market. It's not something that's terribly common in Australia, but given my exposure to US blogs, I'd already been poring over OnceWed and PreOwnedWeddingDress.

I'd first considered a vintage dress, but I own a few frocks from the 1940s onwards, and vintage invariably does mean some imperfections and greater delicacy. Well, a second-hand or sample gown isn't much different from vintage, aside from the age. It would give me the opportunity to wear a gown I couldn't otherwise afford (how great is this Vera Wang at about 75% off?). And re-using is definitely an environmentally friendly option.

So, Glamour Closet. The gowns varied, from really very, very lightly worn, to 'Oh my god, you're trying to sell this?!' (I picked out a beautiful crochet lace gown, only to find out it had gaping holes down the front). The variety was nice. I found the prices to be high compared to the online sites, but I quickly worked out that often what you can't tell from a picture, or the gown on the rack, how it will look on you. So I really appreciated to chance to shop other than online.

I did find a very pretty dress, at $2700 from around $8000, I believe. But it made me feel like an ice princess - beautiful, serene, shy. To be honest, on my wedding day, I want to feel sassy. I want to saunter down that aisle, not tiptoe. Also $2700 (+ sales tax + currency conversion) was more than I wanted to pay. So it was not the gown.

Wedding stuff while on holiday

2009-11-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

So. BCB and I are in San Franscisco right now. We went to Borders last night and I reveled in the fact that Martha Stewart Weddings magazine is $6, instead of $15. It feels a little odd looking at the ads and knowing I could actually go to the stores they advertise, if I wanted. There was also a magazine called New York Bride (or possible New York Weddings, I forget). Obviously much of it is location-specific, but the style/ feel was very much me. In fact, their invitations spread featured my second favourite invitation choice.

Sadly, the bridal departments of Saks and Nieman Marcus both closed late last year (a result of the GFC, I guess?) I am intending to check out Glamour Closet, which sells ex-sample gowns. But that's the full extent of intended bridal shopping.

We have, however, stumbled on some amazing art galleries in the area. Just before we left Perth, BCB and I booked our wedding photographer, who turned out to be about half the price we budgeted. "Hoorah for under-budget us!" we foolishly thought to ourselves... now we're trying to decide if we can blow the extent of that saving on some art for us. Like, a wedding present to ourselves, right?

nice stinky stuff

2009-11-02T05:31:00.000-08:00

Image by Lisa

I've read a bit about choosing a special Bridal Perfume, and this always struck me as being one of the stupid things marketed to women getting married to encourage them to buy more Stuff. But maybe that's because I've never been that in to perfume.

In my adult life I've only ever regularly worn one perfume - Clarins Eau Dynamisante. But recently I've been wanting to change it up a little. I wanted, to be honest, something in a prettier bottle. But where to start? Well, Sephora have a neat fragrance finder, where you can enter your favourite perfume and it'll suggest what else you might like. Or, you might go to Fragrantica and look up your favourite, then search for other perfumes with similar notes. Or check out the reviews at Base Notes.

But you can't buy a perfume without smelling it first. Which is where The Perfumed Court comes in. They sell sample-sized vials of just about every perfume you can imagine - including discontinued and vintage ones. My first order was whittled down to, uh, eleven samples. All arrived within a fortnight, safely packaged. And it's been so much fun trying them all out. I definitely recommend the site.

And the winners out of my chosen samples? Miller Harris' Fleurs de Sel, L'eau Diptyque and Eau D'Italie's Sienne L'Hiver.

Pets at the party?

2009-10-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

So. Maybe this is just an excuse to show off our gorgeous little puppy, Lola. But I've encountered some interesting reactions since we got her. Some friends are completely horrified that we might even consider not having her at the wedding. One offered to smuggle her into the chapel in an oversize orange tote bag (until I explained that at the time of our wedding, Lola will be about 12 kilos)! On the other hand, there are people saying 'Um, why would you have your dog at your wedding. It's a dog.' And I have to admit I lean towards the latter. She's likely to jump up on guests, get my dress dirty, and pee somewhere inappropriate... but then puppies do make a cute ringbearer! But then, where will she stay at the reception? Who will feed her?

So tell me, are you involving your furry family in your nuptials at all? When? How?

Celestial Tenille

2009-10-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

Both images from Celestial Tenille's facebook page

So. I rang our ceremony venue last week, to ask what I should do to get around to booking them. And, to my surprise, was told that certain dates for October 2010 were already booked! My! This put the fear of god in me, and I've promptly been rushing about sorting out Wedding Things. Now bear in mind we're going overseas for a holiday in a fortnight, we have a new little puppy needing vaccines and love and chew toys, and it looks like we might finally be settling on the property we've been trying to buy for a year, BCB just got back from a fortnight overseas for work... and you start to imagine how cuh-razy life is seeming.

But. Anyway. The fear of god thing. My GP (!) asked if I'd started dress shopping yet, and I said 'Nah, figure I'll do it middle of next year,' only to be told that many dressmakers require a six month turnaround! Argh! So I rushed into the nearest bridal salon, one that I walk past every day for work, Celestial Tenille.

Very, very impressed. Their sales assistant was lovely and friendly, and showed me swatches, and dresses going to other girls, and samples, and sketches. She explained that they don't need six months lead time because everything is made in Australia (nice for anyone with garment labour concerns). She explained the different kinds of fabrics, and how they prefer plainer dress cuts so that you can choose lots of different embellishment. I told her about my fear of god, and she joked that one's parents have to book the reception venue as soon as you're born these days. While they like appointments because then they can show you sketches of dresses that aren't on the rack, you're welcome any time to just drop by and try on a gown. Very relaxing.

That said, nothing there made me gasp (just not quite my style, and at around the $4k mark for made to measure/ semi-couture (you can mix and match dress parts, and change some bits slightly) it's more than I want to spend. But if you're after non-frothy and lovely service and a bit of a say in your gown, I definitely recommend them.

Gifty thingies

2009-10-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

So, it seems traditional to give gifts to your wedding party. Why, I've yet to quite work out, and I must admit I'm not quite sold on it (yet?) Nonetheless, I do think a nice little piece of art is a good gift. Something from Sugarloop won't break the bank (I have two of her pretty silkscreens already hanging up in my office), and it goes without saying that you'll find something to suit any taste by doing a good'n'proper etsy search.

But if you want something (a) local; and (b) free your best bet would be to enter Bespoke Press'** awesome competition to win a set of free prints (am I just blogging this to get my five extra entries? You betcha!) Unless you have some super-sized bridal-brigade if you won you could pick out the prints that most suit your people,* then keep the rest for yourself. And if you don't win, well, I reckon they're still awesome gifts.

* Or, if you're killer selfish, the ones that least suit your own style.
** Do I need to point out that Bespoke Press are a letterpress printing business located in Australia? Awes, no?

It's been a while.

2009-10-04T01:17:00.001-07:00

Image from EatDrinkChic.

Oops. Sorry. Life Got In The Way, as it is wont to do. Part of it involved a new little puppy called Lola, most of it didn't.

But I'm back to say: Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, look at this awesome blog. EatDrinkChic.

Amy Moss is a graphic designer/ stylist in Melbourne, who blogs about Nice Things (not wedding exclusive), but has put a whole lot of really cool, really free templates up on her site. Wicked stuff like origami flower instructions to give your bridesmaids, and vintage-style soda labels and favour boxes shaped like milk cartons. Tres, tres cool. Why did I not know about her before?

I'm totally trying to work out how to fit the Thankyou Flashcards into the wedding palaver. Just flat at the table settings? Write people's names and table number on the reverse? Enlarge and use as our thankyou cards?

Vintage wedding gowns

2009-06-27T17:29:00.000-07:00

I'm adoring some of the gowns available at Timeless Vintage Vixen on etsy. The one above is my absolute, absolute favourite. That chiffon around the neckline turns into these great sweeping drapes at the back that imply 'train' without actually dragging on the ground. Tres cool. Unfortunately, it's miles too huge for me, to the point where I'm not sure it could be taken in without reconstructing the whole dress.

I also think there's a sweet charm about this dress, and I don't normally go for flapper-style dresses. I think it's bold metallic floral.

Another lead?

2009-06-20T18:56:00.000-07:00

Chatting to the Best (wo)Man and her Man last night at a party. About wedding stuff, in part ("I don't want to wear a suit anymore," "Okay, don't. Wear what you want," "But you have to tell me what to wear!" "But I don't really care very much," "Should I wear the same dress as the bridesmaid?" "NO! That would be awful!"* "Can I wear an inversion of the bridesmaid's dress then?" "Um... what? Okay. Sure. Whatever.")

Anyway, just as we left, I had a sudden brainwave. Best (wo)Man and her Man both have fine arts degrees.
"Best (wo)Man, you don't own a gocco press, do you?"
"A what?"
"For silkscreening."
"I can silkscreen, but I don't have the stuff to do it."
"Okay. But ohmygod - you could design the invites, right?!"
"Nuh. But Man can. It's like, what he does. He's done invites before."
"Man? You can do invites? Without big floofy roses on them? Because if I see another invite with nineteenth century floral illustrations I'm going to throw up.** What I'm really into is good typography. Can you do good typography?"
*Man smiles*
"Yes. That is my thing. I love typography. I could totally do your invites."
Thus followed a discussion of whether the typewriter font was 'over' (all agreed yes) and the merits of turning our own handwriting into a font.

Now just hope Best (wo)Man and Man stay together for another year or so, when we'll actually need the invites.

* I have nothing against matchy-matchy bridal party in general, except that the bridesmaid is very girly, very buxom, very feminine. The Best (wo)Man is not so girly, unco, and built like a teenage boy. There is no dress on the planet that will suit them both.
** Again, just a personal preference. I have nothing serious against floral invites.

Reception Venues with Decent Chairs and Wooden Floors

2009-06-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

While I've heard many a person claim that they will not have their reception at a venue where the chairs need covering, my needs are more pedestrian (in the walking-on-the-ground sense). I completely and utterly refuse to celebrate my wedding at a place with carpet on the floor. Hate the stuff. Tiles are also out. It's just an easy way to quickly vet venues - if the place has carpet or tiles, it just isn't going to have the feel I want. While floorboards are the ideal, the venue we're ultimately going with is part floorboards, part concrete, part pavers (yes, inside). I don't mean to be mysterious, but I'll reveal our too-awesome venue when we actually make a deposit on it.

In the meantime, here is another non-80s, be-boarded place to party: Maria's on the Terrace. The food is pretty simple, and I can't vouch for it, but I can point out that the place is in Freo and owned by Italians. And I can't think of an Italian place in Freo where I haven't had a good - albeit not nouvelle cuisine - meal.

The place looks awesome, and they do some nice packages that mean you don't need to worry your pretty head about centrepieces and linen. It's on the first floor of a place on South Terrace, so your guests can hang out on the balcony and watch the crowd at Gino's and the Saturday night boglappers (I say this with all affection for Freo and my own wasted youth). An excellent choice if your guests are likely to party on once the official festivities are over.

I've found the perfect florist

2009-06-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

Pity I'm not living in Scotland.

Snapdragon seems to specialise in growing the things that aren't terribly popular or common in bouquets (wedding or otherwise). I love how the bouquet above is such a wild mix of colour and texture. And I love the inclusion of mint. I think it's pretty clear I'm keen on herbs in my floral arrangements.

This one has herbs in it too - rosemary. And eucalypt leaves, which would be perfect for an Australian wedding. And I like the size and shape of the arrangement generally. It looks nice and manageable. It could work with flannel flowers instead of the narcissusesesesses (oo, that word is hard to spell) maybe... but where will the big, blowzy roccoco tulips that I'm currently adoring fit in?

If I were in the Scottish Perth, rather than the Antipodean one, Snapdragon would most certainly be my florist of choice. As it is, I'll just have to continue to slavishly follow her blog, and use it as inspiration.

Tsunami Sushi

2009-06-17T18:50:00.000-07:00

Images from Tsunami Sushi

One of the nicest looking restaurant venues I've found in Perth is Tsunami Sushi. No dated '80s interiors - it's all sleek and magical. Their food is pretty awesome too (expert tip: squid ink risotto makes your lips black. Use napkin often). The wedding packages are kind of French-Japanese fusion (as is much of their menu), so it shouldn't be too weird for Aunt Beryl and her strictly anglo taste buds. An ex-wedding photographer acquaintance rated it as one of the best metro reception locations she'd been to.

They're in Mosman Park, in a small strip of shops, so plenty of free parking about and not too far for your guests to travel from a ceremony in Freo or King's Park.

I heart kraft paper

2009-06-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

From Twig&Fig, via RitzyBee

These invites were apparently inspired by the film Juno. While I query letting a comedy about teen pregnancy dictate your wedding styling, I adore the results. Like, loads. I'm all about the kraft paper and hand-lettering right now.

I haven't really noticed an Australian letterpresses doing much in the way of really interesting typography - they seem to concentrate mostly on graphic elements. I wonder if this is a customer-driven thing, or a personal thing?

I want this wedding

2009-06-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

It's not actually a real wedding, it's a photo shoot. Boo.

Sans the cigarettes, and the kids (cute, but I don't know any kids).

I've always detested wedding photos of the groomsmen all wearing (invariably) wraparound mirrored sunnies, but this 'groom' (and his 'bride') are rockin' their shades. I've also been dying to get BCB some totally awesome pointy boots, mostly because his friend has some and they look rad, and so do Nick Cave's (the Nick Cave exhibition on at the WA Museum right now has fostered a bit of extra lust for the handlebar 'tache and the pointy boots).

From Cory Kennedy, via East Side Bride.

We might have a lead...

2009-05-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

On a venue. I'm still waiting for their function package (I think they might have forgotten, and need a reminder call. I was a teeny bit concerned when they just scrawled my e-mail address across a blank notepad and stuck it next to... something in the kitchen). All we know is they can seat up to 120, serve full sit-down meals, charge $4 a head corkage (!), we can use the courtyard till 9pm, we have to have soundproofing batts in the windows, and last weekend they had a 60s-jazz-club themed reception. And we have no choice as to the art on the walls, but can find out ahead of time what it will be...

Put on your beret and your best po-mo stare - we're lookin' at galleries, people. Galleries.

2009-05-24T03:12:00.000-07:00

Although all the dress posts might have you thinking otherwise, the thing I'm most excited about wedding-wise is the food (the phrase 'micromanage' has come up in conversation with BCB in reference to my 'excitement'). Like a Greek mother, I'm living in eternal fear of people not being fed enough. Nothing will convince me that three courses is enough. I've been thinking recently that it might be more cost effective to put out cheese platters after dessert, rather than have canapes before the entree. Those that are full from three courses can abstain, but cheese and crackers is quite the hearty snack for those that need more.

This is the most stunning cheese platter I think I've ever seen. Whoever ends up doing the food (restaurant or caterer) is going to be shown this picture as a reference. I love how wild and rustic it looks. And abundant, with the food piling up. Just gorgeous. It's from the same wedding as the bride with the fantastic butterfly dress too.

Colleen Quen couture

2009-05-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

I adore this butterfly print dress. I'd forgotten until I saw it that I'd always thought that a print on a white background would be a lovely way to be bridal without being Bridal. The dress is from a spread-thing on Brides.com, and the food looks pretty damn fine too. It might get its own post, I think.

The gown is by Colleen Quen, who does some amazingly beautiful stuff. I love this big obi-like sash-train. Unfortunately, it seems Ms Quen only sells through her salon in San Francisco. Such a pity. I could really get excited about a gown by her.

Akira Bridal

2009-04-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

Seems Akira Isogawa is formally moving into bridal wear. I love the idea - I like the minimalism and beautiful use of fabric print and pattern of Akira's stuff, but I'm not quite positive about how it will translate to bridal wear. Mind, if the the tiny photo accompanying this article is anything to go by, his bridal wear may well be more traditional.

Here's hoping Elle (being the only stockist of Akira in Perth) decide to add his stuff to their little bridal alcove.

Cakes with wild flowers

2009-04-02T02:58:00.000-07:00

Both cakes are made and photographed by the amazing QuintanaRoo.

I mean wild in the 'awesome' sense, as well as the not-formally-arranged and not-formally-cultivated sense too. Aren't these (vegan) cakes just the most beautiful things you've ever seen? I think I'll be showing these to the Caker.

There's some other nice, bright fresh flower numbers here and here, and a rocking sugared fruit cake (and rocking groom) here.

More on cake

2009-03-31T02:20:00.000-07:00

You know how I was talking about cake that looks like food? I think this cake, covered in toasted coconut thread, achieves that. I like to think that the top of the cake is dead flat white icing though. It'd be even better in tiers, mind.

And I'm liking the almost-smooth-but-not-quite-perfect icing on this poppyseed number. And those cute little blobbets. Meringues? Biscotti kind of thingies?

These both come from the Sweetness website, which is under construction. If you live in NSW, however, the sweets themselves are available already. I'd be looking into them as my caker, if I were not on the isolated side of Australia.

Vendors aren't as scary as you think

2009-03-29T00:13:00.000-07:00

One option we are considering for the Best (wo)Man's suit is seeing how a hire suit might work out. The girl is fairly straight-up-and-down, and I'm thinking she could probably get away with a teen boy's suit (with a woman's shirt). I was a little concerned about how suit hire places might react to the idea.

Well, one decent thing to come out of the Bridal Lair was a chat with a lady at Spurling. She said quite bluntly that they don't have women's suits. Then cheerfully added that they do do some men's jackets that are very tapered at the waist that might work out, and to come by sometime and try them on. "The worst that can happen is that you work out that you can't put her in one of our suits, and you go look for something else."

That's the worst? Seriously? Awes. With an attitude like that, we're definitely testing the waters.

The Awesome Caker

2009-03-26T01:46:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure where this is from now... possibly Martha Stewart?

I realised I nearly forgot to blog about The Awesome Caker* I met at the Bridal Lair. Kaylee was dressed in a polka dot New Look dress, with lace gloves and a bouffant. She had tasty, tasty cakey samples. Nothing was too hard (not even choc-mint flavoured red velvet cake).** She was friendly and bubbly and enthusiastic. Without being pushy. When I admitted that I found it hard to get excited about cake she looked at me agape and said "But cake is the best part of a wedding!"

Kaylee is the Wedding Cake Lady at the Cake Box, and she has her own blog here.

Neither I nor BCB are sure what we want in a cake yet, but my growing thought is that I want it to look like food. Seriously, most wedding cakes don't really look like something that could or should be eaten. So I'm thinking maybe something a little bit home-made and organic by way of icing, and fresh fruit... or else embrace the fake and just have loads and loads of huge icing flowers.

* I've decided Caker is the verb for someone that makes/ decorates wedding cakes.
** "Well, Red Velvet is really more a colour than a flavour. It's just a whole lotta food colouring. So if you really want choc mint red velvet it can be done." I loved the honesty.

Dresses at the Grand Social

2009-03-22T01:29:00.000-07:00

I just found the Grand Social the other day. It's a site where designers can list their wares for sale directly to the public - a little like an Australian etsy only for fashion. It has some pretty big names, and it has a couple of dresses that would do nicely for a walk down the aisle.

This, the Petal Dress (deeper links not possible), from Nicola Finetti, is advertised as being suitable for a wedding (I'm starting to secretly suspect that all designers that make a long-ish white dress are shooting for brides, without having to announce themselves as a 'bridal designer').

I really like this Principessa gown by Jayson Brunsdon. Tres chic. There's lots of shorter white dresses in the range (see 'em peeking out behind?), in really interesting shapes too. But this was my favourite.

Dressing the Best (wo)Man Part II

2009-03-19T00:05:00.000-07:00

Sophia Coppola rocks a suit hard

Some vintage menswear from Circa Vintage (I'm only a little bit obssessed...) is modelled over here. I'm digging the ruffled pussy-bow blouses.

Hell has chair covers and ice sculptures, or The Value of Bridal Fairs

2009-03-12T00:21:00.000-07:00

I went to a Bridal Lair-I-mean-Fair last weekend. I went because my mother was dying to go, and I was mildly curious. On the whole, it was fairly depressing. I came out particularly uninspired with bridal fashion and invitations. I dodged flyers from forceful videographers.

BUT it was not an entire loss. I discovered that wedding cars are much, much cheaper than I thought they'd be, and that if BCB wanted, we probably could get a couplea vintage Mustangs or Cadillacs (turns out BCB doesn't want).

I had an awesome chat with a cake-maker (baker? Cake vendor? I dunno). Frankly, within reason, I don't care what her prices are. She's fun (everyone in her booth had bouffant hair, New Look dresses and lace gloves), she's friendly, she's young, she gave me cake samples, and you'll hear more about her later.

If you needed a celebrant, it would be a great place to quickly meet and greet a whole bunch.

So, in all, better than I thought, (but I don't think I need to do another).

2009-03-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

I had lunch with a friend on the weekend, and tentatively (mostly because I don't know for sure exactly what we want by way of ceremony yet) whether she might want to sing a Shaker hymn at the wedding. The other 'tentatively' is that she is a trained opera singer, and sometimes has an understandable reluctance to force herself into another style.

"Sure," she said. "I'll find a nice one, if that's what you want. Otherwise, I know a really nice opera piece from [insert name of opera I've not heard of and promptly forgot] that's for a cello and two voices. M* can do the cello part, and my friend V will do the other vocals. She'll do them for free because she's my friend and I'll make her."

"Oh," said I, pushing my luck, "I'm also thinking of doing the flowers myself, but I'll need someone to drive them, and probably other stuff, to the reception venue on the day.
"Done," said my friend.
"Seriously dude, I meant to tell you, whatever you need me to do, I'll do it."**

I love my friends.

* M is another of my oldest friends, and a performance cellist and performance artist. Why, yes, I am the least creative one in my circle, since you ask.
** The only concession my friend asked for was that she not be made to wear black and white performance clothes, and instead be allowed to wear her own choice. Um, not even a concession. So a requirement.

Dressing the Best (wo)Man

2009-03-09T16:07:00.000-07:00

I don't know that I've mentioned yet, but our Best Man is in fact not a man. It's not exactly clear what your inner bridezilla makes 'em wear, when your best man's a woman. The polite, safe choice seems to be a black dress (to match with the groom's suit). We are planning on dressing the lovely wee thing in a suit.

East Side Bride helped me out something awesome with my concerns that we'd be making the B(w)M look like she was in drag (not our intention). Check out her rather awesome advice here and here.

Given our gal is pint-sized, I'm thinking way skinny trousers are a nice way to keep the suit feminine. And way cool. Given that we are picking up the tab for this outfit,* I'm thinking of taking her into Myer Miss Shop and checking out the work/ evening wear stuff.

* The Best (wo)Man is a waitress by day, and an artist by night.

Papel Picado

2009-03-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

From one of my favourite 'stories' at Brides.com

I've been so tickled by pictures of American weddings that feature papel picado (something I'd not heard of until I entered the Wedding Arena). They're cute and fun and simple but they make you go "Oo! Skilled!" too.

I love the customised ones the best - the idea of having my and BCB's names surrounding kitschy sacred hearts and startled looking doves really, really does it for me. I've found a few places that will do customised papel picado, in differing quantities. Here, or here, say. Or here (an etsy site).

But if you don't need 'em customised, you can get them in Australia! The Lark is now selling papel picado. She has 'love' (red and white) and 'wedding' (all white) papel picado. I'm loving the red and white best... Since most venues in Perth forbid you in no uncertain terms from attaching anything to wall or ceiling (and few have beams that you could tie the string around) I'm thinking these could be strung in front of the bridal table in place of ruched tulle. So long as the tablecloth wasn't white. Pink, maybe?

Another pretty hat-thing - this time Edwardian

2009-03-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

I think it's so, so beautiful, but a little too soft and romantic for what I think I'll eventually wear. Someone go grab it now!

Men in Vests

2009-03-06T15:54:00.000-08:00

BCB picked up a vest from Circa Vintage in Melbourne last year. He was hoping for a full three-piece suit, but nothin' doin', so he bought a complimentary vest (powdery blue-grey suit; commodore blue vest). And he's been wearing it a bit on its own, too.

This post over at GreenShoesBride shows off the vest-without-a-jacket thing quite nicely. I like it. I think it could work well with a short dress, non?

Also, there is a gorgeously intellectual thread on appropriate wedding attire over here, at the London Lounge.

PS: Sorry for the lack of pictures. You have no idea how many *uncool* grooms in red or gold rental tux vests there are out there.

Okay, screw the short dress

2009-03-03T04:29:00.000-08:00

That's the back view, duh.

I am in love with this dress. It's a little bit big, but that could be altered. Sadly, it's also a little out of budget (that heartwrenching amount where you go "Maybe I could just stretch to it? No... no, really I can't"). If someone feels like making my day, it's available at The Frock (bridal, page 2).

I seriously hope

2009-02-27T16:54:00.000-08:00

that when it's actually close enough in time for me to seriously consider the hat-thing I will wear on my head, that I can find something this fabulous. I don't really want to share where it is... but since I'm generous I did. Maybe it'll still be around in a year's time? (ha!)

You know how you get two-dress brides? I think I might be a multiple-hat bride. I'm going to work my way up from 'significant' headbands to hats for everyday wear, just to get used to them. At least, that's my justification for the navy straw pancake number that's sort of a hat attached to a headband that I'm about to buy on etsy.

Blooms

2009-02-27T04:07:00.000-08:00

I love the idea of mint and basil - so fresh with cornflowers!

Okay, I clicked on this link by mistake, thinking it was something else. This florist (sorry, I can't get on board with the term 'floral designer') is the USA (SF & bay area). But oh. my. god. I thought I didn't care about flowers. I thought I'd just wholesale a whole bunch and stick them in op-shopped pint glasses (and hell, when I look at the budget I probably still will*). But for dreamy, dreamy inspiration, go check out Rose Now Floral.

(I'm dreaming of a rainbow bouquet now)

* But maybe I'll add some mint, and maybe some pansies or sweetpeas, to those glasses now.

Fabulous shoes

2009-02-25T04:05:00.000-08:00

I'm a tall gal, and while I do genuinely love teetering about on 4 inch heels, I don't have the back or the balls (of my feet!) to do it for very long. Especially not standing on a stone floor for the ceremony. So I had always intended to wear ballet flats beneath my dress. But if I'm going to wear a short dress, I'm going to need heels. The legs will need to be to their best advantage.

And that's where Hey Lady shoes come in. Mmmm... they're cute and chic and sometimes a little bit vintage, and they're especially designed to be comfortable. Padded linings, carefully thought out heel angles, choice of heel heights... and did I mention cute and chic? I can actually barely choose between them all. And I don't even normally go for strappy styles.

If a had a $5000 dress budget...

2009-02-22T17:27:00.000-08:00

This dress, by Chloe, available at Net-A-Porter, would certainly be on the short-list.

The Gifted Ham & The Engagement Party Plan

2009-02-22T14:31:00.000-08:00

Image from Sunday Driver under a creative commons licence.

So we haven't actually had an engagement party yet. I'm partly indifferent, partly embarrassed (at the thought that we will have one literally months after we got engaged). We're in the process of buying a wee house, and it would be just so perfect to be able to have a combined housewarming/ engagement party* in our own place. Not to mention our current rental is really quite revolting and not suited to guests. So.

Just prior to Christmas my mother got a gift voucher for a ham (long story). She decided not to use it at Christmas, as there's enough ham then for everyone plus some, and has instead told us that we may have the ham for our engagement party. It's very generous, and also kind of hilarious. I am left trying to plan a menu around a ham-on-the-bone.

I initially wanted Southern-inspired food. Ham in coke, baked "fried" chicken, potato salad, green bean salad, cajun spiced sweet potato,** sweet iced tea and mint julep punch. I thought it was a gorgeous idea. BCB said no. "I just think it's a weird theme. We're not Southern, our new house isn't Southern... why would you do it?" Because we have a ham to work with darling. Because of the ham.

But just this very weekend I found a ridiculously cheap source of quince paste (don't I sound like a crack dealer?). Like, $12 a kilo cheap. So now I'm thinking mustard glazed ham, lots of cheese, quince paste, bread rolls... and what? I need more vegetable suggestions to go with this kind-of-European-rustic-picnic-thing... but I can work on it. And what vodka-based cocktail to go with this hearty fare? (We have a stockpile. BCB and my mother have made a point of bringing back their full duty free allowance every time they travel).

* because it's combined, and because the party will still be eighteen months before the wedding, and because the wedding will be small I am going to invite people that won't be invited to the wedding. I want everyone to see our new house! Is that just too rude?

** the vegetables take a certain priority, as I won't be eating the animals.

2009-02-22T02:58:00.000-08:00

AWESOME! And so suited to a summer wedding in Australia, no? From New York Weddings.

More suit options for the Lank of Build and Retro of Style

2009-02-21T17:41:00.000-08:00

To be honest, we haven't looked into the cost yet. But with the tanking Australian dollar it might end up costing no more than a made-to-measure suit from Duchess Clothier.

Fullin Tailoring, on Beaufort St in Mt Lawley, are third generation Italian tailors, willing and able to make "period style suits". I guessed this before I checked out their site. Because their window display has two chipped mannequins in lime green and rust red 70s safari suits. Those outfits mightn't match our "wedding theme", but they'd sure match BCB's sideburns.

Duds for my love

2009-02-20T17:29:00.000-08:00

To be honest, I haven't done much searching within Perth for an outfit for BCB. It's kind of his job, no? But I'm not holding out a whole lot of hope right now. He's a skinny, lanky thing, and regular cut dress pants look just a bit silly on him. Most of his suits are vintage. 70s cuts, with their slim fit, fitted waists and flared pants look rather dashing on him.

So maybe he'll just wear his lovely powdery-blue-grey suit from Circa Vintage.

Else, ordering online from Duchess Clothier is looking like a distinct possibility. Made to measure retro suits for $500 US? Hell yeah.

Rose & Ruby

2009-02-19T17:15:00.000-08:00

I am loving this lace shift dress from Rose & Ruby right now (via Polka Dot Bride). If you check out the site, you'll see it ends above the knee.

Boring Sidney

2009-02-19T03:31:00.000-08:00

Is it bad that I kind of adore this hat? It reminds me of the Sex & The City movie, where something like this goes on:

Carrie: How can he do this to me?! I wore a dead bird on my head for him!
Charlotte: Oh, is that a whole bird? I thought it was just kind of feathers...
Carrie: Mm-mm. Whole bird.

If Siamese doves aren't your thing, Boring Sidney do have other amazing fascinators. I particularly love the Lanvin.

Here's a Real Life Bride wearing the Lanvin and looking to die for! The rest of her photos are here. I particularly love what she's done with her hair. I reckon I could pull it off.

Dressing to impress

2009-02-18T16:47:00.000-08:00

I've had a few people ask me, since I've gotten engaged, whether I will be wearing white. I'm not quite sure whether they are asking if I'm wearing white as opposed to ivory or latte or champagne or ecru, out of concern that white mightn't be the best shade against my skin (that kind of stark pale normally reserved for redheads and Christina Ricci). They also might be asking on the basis that as they see me as a Wild and Crazy Individual, it is entirely likely that I will buck this tradition and wear purple or something. I kind of hope their question is not motivated by the thought that BCB and I have been living in sin for a couple of years now, and thus I have no claim to white.

Because I do want to wear white (or ivory or latte or champagne or ecru). It's not a colour I wear in my everyday life (excepting one white blouse, and one cream t-shirt with a skull on it). So to me it feels like a special shade, reserved for weddings.

When it comes to style, however, I'm not so sure. While I haven't tried any on yet, long wedding dresses have kind of been leaving me cold. Right now, I'm kind of attached to the idea of a short dress. Like, a really short dress. A mini-dress, like the Jamie at A Desert Fete wore. I love mini-dresses, and I wear them a lot. But so rarely does a gal get to wear an ankle-length gown these days that I'm worried I'll regret passing up the opportunity.

I mentioned to my mother than I was thinking of getting a short dress. "That's wonderful!" she said (to my surprise), "I wore a short dress to my wedding!" That's sort of true. She wore a tea-length gown that my grandmother had made in the 1950s.* I decided not to tell her yet that my definition of short involves visible knees, and a fair chunk of visible thigh too...

* My mum, rockin' vintage before it was fashionable, in 1984. It was a white cotton gown with puffy sleeves and a zig-zagging hem.

A barn in the Perth metro area

2009-02-17T07:26:00.000-08:00

Barns seem to be quite fashionable for weddings right now, at least in the US. I can understand why. Rustic, casual, photogenic, no parking problems, no noise complaints from the neighbours and a big boxy space where everyone gets a decent view of the bridal table and some room to dance.

But barns are in short supply in Australia. So how would you feel if I told there was a barn. Set in the middle of a herb garden and bushland. In the Perth metro area. That caters for weddings. That looks like this:

Pretty sweet, huh? You'll never guess where it is. The Zoo. Yup. Perth Zoo. As if having your wedding at the Zoo wasn't cool enough, you can have a barn too. It's in the Australian Homestead area, next to the solar powered house and the native animals. It came out at a little over our price range, but in the scheme of Wedding Things, it's not unreasonable in price. You can find out more from Mustard Catering, who are the contracted caterers for the Zoo.

Wedding headbands

2009-02-16T16:03:00.001-08:00

There's been quite a few posts recently on non-veil wedding headgear. I have to admit, I'm undecided on the whole veil thing. I think I'll wait to see what dress I get, and how I feel in one. But one thing I've noticed is that most veils, and most alternatives, are on combs. Being Short and Fine of hair, keeping a comb in will require painful styling. Which isn't really my bag. So I've been looking about for wedding head-stuff on a headband. And have been pleasantly surprised!

My absolute favourite of them all, from Belcanto

A stunning kind of astral spray, from Lulu Splendor

A pricier option, but it has a veil and some preppy charm, from Castle Bride (a non-etsy site).

A beautiful, minimalist, silver-dipped oak-leaf, from ThreeBirdsDesigns.

A pretty flapper-style bandeau, from HemsandBustles.

Bleached peacock feathers, very chic, from BethanyLorelle.

And some other options:

Vintage diamantes in a floral spray, from LaurelLime.
Big! And fluffy! With feathers! From HairFascinators.
A little bit of lace and a little bit of netting, from HemsandBustles again.

Oh Happy Day!

2009-02-14T21:03:00.000-08:00

In the mail the other day we got an invite to BCB's cousin's engagement party. Quite the surprise, as BCB's cousin and his partner have been together for, well, ages, and neither of us expected them to be the marrying kind, after all that time.

A quick call to BCB's mother established that, in fact, the cousin proposed on 27 December - the same day BCB proposed to me! Which also explains why the cousin and his fiancee were absent from the family shindig that went hand-in-hand with my proposal! (I had wondered why they weren't there, and no-one was able to explain it to us).

How really, really lovely.

Ditch all previous plans

2009-02-14T17:23:00.000-08:00

I need to have this wedding. Need.* (I suspect finding grass that lush in Western Australia is the least of my troubles should I attempt to recreate this wedding in its entirety).

* I am strangely addicted to the idea of Southern-style food. One day soon I will blog about the Gifted Ham & The Engagement Party Plan, in which my love of Southern cuisine is pitted against BCB's opinion that "It's just kind of a weird thing to want."

ring ring - part 2

2009-02-13T18:25:00.000-08:00

BCB was insistent, from the moment engagement was mentioned, that he would also like an engagement ring. He has, apparently, always though it a little unfair that the girl gets to show she's taken but the guy does not. But BCB is not a very blingy guy. A masculine ring with diamonds was never going to suit. I suggested two rings that sort of fit together, like Georg Jensen fusion rings. Nup, he didn't like the swirly shapes. He did know that he wanted one white gold and one yellow gold ring. Our jeweller brainstormed like a mad man - welding, clips, neoprene, rivets - all were suggested in search of a wedding ring set for a man. And then the jeweller suggested magnets. And BCB was sold. Nothing other than magnetic rings would do.

You can see the magnet in the wedder.

In the end, it took months. The jeweller had massive problems sourcing small enough magnets (despite assuring us they had done such rings before). Apparently they had some problems getting the magnets into the rings. The rings had to be chunky to accomodate the magnets. So chunky initially that they were sent back to the workshop for the ring equivalent of lipo - convex sides (so BCB's fingers weren't so spread), comfort fitting, edge softening. And we still don't know if he'll interfere with credit cards and what will happen if (when?) the magnets rust... but they sure are are beautiful.

One ring can support the other. And there's an invisible attraction between them. BCB loved the symbolism.

Our jeweller, as is obvious from the box, was Koro. We chose them because I found a few online recommendations, we wanted someone in the city so it was easy to drop by for appointments, and Linney's won't make something with a stone they haven't supplied themselves.

They were a great choice for us, albeit with a few stresses. If you want control over the whole process, if you want to see the little wax cast of your ring and all that jazz, forget it. With my ring I gave them a rough illustration of what I wanted, and we concluded some finer points would be decided once they had 'something to show me'. Then a fortnight later they rang BCB to say my ring was finished and ready. That said, it was just beautiful, with wonderful workmanship and design. They were willing to make any changes I wanted, but I didn't want or need any.

BCB's ring took months. They weren't terribly good at keeping us updated with what was happening, or exactly what his rings were going to look like. That said, they were very creative and helped him come up with a really unique idea; and they kept working on making it possible even when I strongly suspect they would have liked to have given up. They made cosmetic changes willingly; and while not dirt dirt cheap, for what they do I think their prices are extremely reasonable.

And my favourite part about the store is the sales assistants. Unlike another jeweller we went to, the sales assistants were really, really knowledgeable about jewellery design and stones. They were friendly and patient and had great communication with the workshop.

Ring ring - Part 1

2009-02-13T17:57:00.000-08:00

Most (though far from all) engagements start with a ring on the finger of one party to the nuptials. Ours was no different. I thought I knew what I wanted. I wanted something modern and organic with few or no diamonds, preferably diamonds from the Argyle mine in WA.

Turns out modern and organic looked like rubbish on my finger, and something a little princessy was the better-looking option. But bigger (as in, larger than pave size) diamonds felt wrong on my hand. Should have seen the face of one jewellery salesperson when I asked if they had anything smaller than 1/3 of a carat. I decided I wanted a weeny little diamond with sapphires solid all around. Except it turns out that to do that, you have to custom cut the sapphires into little wedge-shapes so they sit flush against each other properly. Which was a teeny bit pricier than we expected. So I reversed the idea. Sapphire in the middle, diamonds round the outside.

I then went on a three-month hunt for a sapphire. A colour-change sapphire, to be fancy about it. Ended up buying one online from the US and taking it to the jeweller to be set. It was larger than I intended, but I figured after three months I wasn't going to turn down a stone because it was too big. So I ditched the idea of diamonds round the outside. And, that, ladies and gentlemen, is how I ended up with a sapphire solitaire.

And for the record, I love it. For a review of the jeweller we used, and the saga of BCB's engagement ring (yes, he got one too), stay tuned.

Why here? Why now?

2009-02-13T16:54:00.000-08:00

I'm not a bridezilla. I swear I'm not. I asked my bridesmaid to slap me if I showed a hint of bridezilla.* So why the wedding blog? Well, there's some freakin' awesome wedding blogs floating about on the Interwebs. A Practical Wedding. East Side Bride. Snippet & Ink. Peonies & Polaroids. They showed me that a wedding needn't be a paint-by-numbers, or a pick'n'mix of bog-standard wedding vendor offerings.

But all these fabulous brides are halfway round the world from me. From where I live, and will be getting hitched. In the most isolated capital city in the world. Perth, Western Australia. It is a proven fact, that quaint barns and organic farms willing to host a wedding are in short supply here.** I've been finding it hard to find vendors and ideas that would translate to the South-West corner of WA. The fabulous Emmiebe at West Aussie Wedding (being not only of a person of excellent taste, but also the only Perth person I can find with a wedding blog aimed at people beyond the ceremony guestlist) has had some great finds and tips. And I thought that if she could share, so could I.

So here's to a year or so inspiring the fiances and fiancees of Dullsville to something a little different.***

PS: And the blog name? Black Swans are the State Bird of Western Australia. Nice, huh?

* My bridesmaid (The Only Bridesmaid) said "Nah, man. You go crazy. Because one day I will hopefully be a bride too, and I know that I will go power-crazy and demand complete and utter obedience from you. So you might as well take advantage of me in the same way."

** Though to be honest I haven't actually asked Highvale Biodynamic Orchard. Maybe they could sort something out for a really keen couple.

*** I do still reserve my right to stress over napkin colours, hire a limo and buy a dress from HobNob if, after looking at all my options, that's what I really want to do.