The perfect accessory

Accessories can make or break a wedding outfit. Whether it's a great necklace, hair piece or earrings, it's important to get them balanced just right with your dress, hair, veil and overall look. I tend to think that a large statement necklace dictates small stud type earrings and minimal hair accessories, whereas with big, blingy earrings I would skip a necklace altogether. 

This also goes for bridesmaid accessories - although I would tend to pick out slightly subtler pieces for them. 

These are some of my favourite pieces I have come across on Etsy. 

This is a really sweet headband if you are going for an ethereal, garden party type of wedding. 

This would be a lovely 'something blue' if you don't mind wearing a bright colour so obviously. Otherwise, perfect for bridesmaids. 

Another gorgeous bridesmaid necklace. The colours would allow it to work with a variety of dresses. 

This necklace would be amazing with a slinky, silky number. Remember, during the ceremony the guests mostly see your back. Make it interesting! 

A gorgeous cocktail ring makes a great accessory for bridesmaids in lieu of the standard bracelet, and it's something they can definately wear again! 

These resin and gold bangles would be perfect for a less formal bride.

These are gorgeous statement earrings and champagne works with any colour, so these could be for bride or bridesmaids. 

These slightly retro looking earrings would brighten up black bridesmaid dresses a treat. 

These stunning cushion cut studs would be beautiful on their own or with a necklace. 

And my absolute favourite bridal jewellery, from The Crystal Rose... I would be teaming this with a dress that had little or no bling on it, but a big silhouette. Gorgeous! 

Willow Wedding

Just for something a bit different, I have always loved the old Willow Pattern bone china and wondered if you could turn it into inspiration for a wedding.

Turns out you can!

I love this dress - its got a modern cut and not too over the top, with a lovely nod to the willow ware:

Another gorgeous example, which would be perfect for a garden setting:

Brides, after your 'something blue'? How about these stunning earrings:

This mix of black, white, willow and roses makes a beautiful table setting:

 Or add a pop of red for a more Oriental feel. I also love the Chinese Takout boxes for bonbonnierre!

As much as I love the traditional blue willow pattern, you can also get some amazing pink and red china. This set I found on pinterest.com is stunning - maybe for a kitchen tea? I love the styling with the pink peonies, too.

And as a final touch, how about this gorgeous blue and white bouquet?

The DIY Veil

One of the wedding costs that left me flabbergasted was the cost of a veil. For a couple of metres of tulle, some ribbon and maybe a few crystals, I couldnt find one for less than $150!

So I decided (like a lot of things) to try it myself, and I figured hey, if I really screw it up, I can always go and buy one.

I started by going to Spotlight and buying about 3m of white tulle, a roll of white satin ribbon, a clear hair comb and a couple of crystal drops.

I then determined the length I wanted each section of the veil (shorter at the front, longer at the back) and marked the point where I wanted to attach to the clip by running a needle and thread (white, of course) through that line, leaving it loose.

I then folded the veil in quarters, and rounded the bottoms so that the front and back would come to a point - this is optional depending on what look you are going for!

Once happy with the shape, I took my ribbon and started to sew it over the edge of the tulle. This is the time consuming bit! You might find it helpful to fold the ribbon in half first and iron in a crease.

After that I gathered the veil at the midpoint by pulling on the thread I had sewn in before, like a drawstring, and tying it off, then stitched the veil to my clear hair comb.

The final touch was adding the crystal drops - I mostly did this for weight but it was also a nice little sparkle on the day!

Voila! This veil cost me about $30 (including a decent pair of scissors) and a few hours of my time. I think it looks just as nice as a store bought one - with more sentimental value to boot!

Why not give it a try?

Pale Teal - Thanks to Etsy...

Ok, I swear this post didn't start out as an Etsy feature. However, as the first three or four things I wanted to include turned out to be from Etsy, I didn't really have a choice now, did I?

Etsy is a great place for the DIY bride. Not only for unique pieces, but for ideas an materials if you want to attempt something yourself.

I love pale teal as a colour for a wedding. It's bright and cheerful, but choosing the paler option is perfect for those brides who want something a bit more subtle.

I love these invitations. So clean and simple!

These invites are a little bit more crafty and have that handmade look. Perfect for a vintage style wedding.

How adorable is this cake topper?

These hair clips are perfect for bridesmaids and flower girls. I had something similar in gold, and they add just a beautiful touch of colour!

I am in love with these cushions - while you could incorporate them somewhere into your reception setting, I also think they would make an adorable wedding gift!

As you may have guessed, I'm a huge fan of artificial bouquets. This beauty is no exception. I particularly love all the different textured fabrics used, and the ivory sets off the teal beautifully.

This standout piece is perfect for a bold statement. I love the combination of cool colours with gold, and I think that silver is way overused as a bridesmaid accessory!

Ditto for these earrings. I'm also quite partial to the wire wrapping, and Etsy is chock full of elegant pieces like this.

My favourite part - dresses. This colour is stunning in chiffon and I love all these options that are available (although my favourite is D).

And I've saved the best for last. I don't even have words for this dress. It just takes my breath away!

Tulip Bouquet

When most people think of tulips, you wouldnt expect they would make a great bouquet because they are too open. The unopened buds however, make a stunning bridal bouquet.

Tulips would have been my second choice of flowers (I actually had calla lillies) just because they make such a beautiful ball of flowers, and come in such an amazing variety of colours.

You of course can get your classic creamy white, like these:

And then these pure white tulips make a beautiful bridal bouquet when teamed with colourful bridesmaids bouquets.

Red tulips are kind of expected which initially would make me want to stay away from them. However, red is indubitably the colour of romance, and these sweet little posies are so adorable I think I could be persuaded otherwise.

I love these partially open, streaky tulips in various colours. The slight opening of the petals adds a whole other dimension to the arrangement.

Lovely pastel purples and pinks look great, single colours or all mixed in together. I also think these would make a great centrepiece!

Vibrant yellow tulips add a pop of colour to a summer wedding. I also love how the florist has added a few crystals for an extra something!

I love the beautiful peach and pink tones in this sweet little posie. I'm also a fan of the simple way this has been arranged, without the greenery.

There is virtually no limit to the combination of colours, only your imagination. I love this pastel combo of orange, pink, purple and white.

These stunning deep purple tulips are actually silk. You can see that they are a pretty accurate representation of the flower compared to the fresh bouquets above!

A Very Etsy Wedding

I just love Etsy.com. For those of you who don't know, its an online marketplace for vintage and handmade items. Its a great place to find unique, quirky pieces that will really make your wedding special! Also, you can find some real bargains. Check out these awesome finds.

These  Mr. and Mrs. forks are adorable and a bargain at $22.

 

It's a great place to get a unique wedding band, too. This 14k solid gold wedding band is dainty and pretty.

This bouquet is just stunning. These are hand made and can be customised to your colours. I actually really love having artificial flowers for your wedding - not only do you get exactly what you want, they wont wilt or die and you can also keep them forever!

I love these champagne crystal earrings. I think they would be perfect for bridesmaids!

Check out these invitations. These are simple, but elegant. I love!

You can even get a wedding dress on there, if you want something custom, unusual, vintage or unique. This one's under $400!

Happy hunting x

On-Trend Wedding Dress - A Hint of Gold

I think this stunning white dress worn by Rose Byrne would make an amazing on-trend bridal gown!

The hint of gold at the waist and shoulders is gloriously fashionable and the unique cut out style is flattering and classy.

A copy of the dress can be bought from Ali Express