Welcome back...

....to another monday.

I trust you had a fabulous weekend?
I spent the majority of mine sourcing goodies for my wedding. Exciting!

However, back to the blog, which has been neglected slightly as of late. I think the both of us are just getting caught up in life. However.

I thought I would give you a selection of inspirational loveliness to get you through the week;

Lets begin with Priscilla Ahn. I love this woman. I love her perfect voice, and just how darn cute she is. Dream is definitely one of my favourites, and gives me chills every time. This would be such a gorgeous song to have at a wedding, don't you think?

I know I am a little slow, since Autumn is here and winter is just around the corner... but I have been going all gaga over picnics.
How about an awesome picnic basket?

Maybe an autumn picnic with a heap of blankets isn't such a bad idea....

Green Wedding Shoes have moved here! But don't worry, it is still as beautiful as always, and full of inspiration!

Have a great week!

We will be back with more very soon!

Five delicious and different gowns

Hello Lovely Ladies. Just for some eye candy, here are five gowns available in New Zealand that I just love. Hope you like them!

Brides Corner

Tutta Bella Bridal Store. Karen Willis Holmes design

Available at To Cherish

By Louise Anderson Bridal Design LTD

Robyn Cliffe Couturiere

Wedding Ceremony Woes

I never realised how stressful wedding planning can be - especially for the bride - until I began to plan my own.

We have decided on a date in late 2011, yet I am determined to be super organised and begin planning things out, gathering ideas and thinking over my options in advance.

One of the biggest worries for me, is the ceremony.

I am atheist, though I was raised CofE, and the Mister is [non practicing] Hindu.

All I grew up knowing was white weddings, marrying in the presence of god etc etc.

But since I don't believe in "God" as such, and Vish is Hindu by faith... how do I go about the ceremony?

Having a non-religious ceremony? Celebrants.co.nz is your one stop shop for celebrants.

Our plan is having to go to India after the wedding, and have a Hindu ceremony in a temple with his family. Which I am very much looking forward to. =]

But the actual location for the ceremony in New Zealand is more the problem.

We are thinking of having the reception in a marquee at my parents house - they have a large garden - but I am not sure the garden is large enough for the ceremony as well, without subjecting the guests to staring at the back of a marquee.

So I have had a search around, and hope that this collection of some the favourite locations I have found, helps local brides with any similar ceremony problems they may be having.

Wilson's Mill Gardens 4.8 hectares of well-established garden, in Ohoka [near Kaiapoi, Christchurch] With a fairly reasonable selection of prices for hire of the venue; $250 for wedding photos, to $2000 for garden Wedding hire.

Information on facilities available for weddings via Christchurch City Council.

Any of the parks, beaches and wharves on the Banks Peninsula are free of charge for Weddings! [Though the council does prefer to be notified of any event scheduled] However, exclusive use is not guaranteed... they are public parks after all.

No fee applies at any of the CCC covered parks and reserves for Photographs only, yet again, booking is preferred [so the council feels involved!]

Other facilities available through the council include Mona Vale Homestead and The Botanical Gardens, which can be booked, but a fee applies for the exclusivity and three hours is the maximum booking in these two locations.

Vineyards [for example Darjon, Rosebank, Tram Road Vineyard] are another popular location for non-religious ceremonies, however I have found alot of them offer packages [which suit some brides] but not a lot of flexibility for people who have reception venues sorted, and just want a beautiful ceremony location.

With that said, it never hurts to talk to the vendor and come to some agreement. You only want to use the venue for a 30 minute ceremony and an hour of photos? They might offer you a discounted rate.

I hope this helps to inspire you for your wedding. Any other ideas or links are welcome! Just comment below, don't be shy!

And here's some inspiration from design sponge to get your creative juices flowing!

Cost saving tips for your wedding

Sorry guys,this one is more words than pictures. I guess you could say it is an article. Its packed with useful advice for brides on a budget.

These days it has become increasingly important to keep to a budget. The last thing you want is to begin a new marriage with a debt hangover. Its important to be reasonable about how much you can afford. HOWEVER, there is absolutely now way that low budget = low class!! All you need to do is use initiative and be creative... which is the most fun part of wedding planning anyway right??
A few friends have queried me about this so here is my advice!

The three most integral elements of your wedding will be
1-your venue
2-your food (and drinks)
3-your photographer

To save on your venue the most obvious way is to think about who you know that might have a location you can use, from a lovely sprawling garden to a beautiful old barn. Think outside of the box when you consider this. Old theaters, schools, parks, rural rivers and forests all make glorious locations for weddings.

You need not pay thousands for traditional venues. Remember that specialized wedding venues will charge 'through the roof' prices because... well, they can. They know brides will pay almost anything to get what they want! Also note that marquee weddings are NOT an inexpensive option. You have hidden costs like hiring all your tables, tableware, chairs, even flooring etc, which all adds up.

-backyard wedding pictures here and here -farm building wedding pictures here

Your food is a very important aspect of your wedding. People will talk about it for weeks, wether good or bad.
An idea to keep your catering costs down is to have a tea party or champagne and canape style reception. Think about having your ceremony just after lunch and hosting the reception in the afternoon. That way you can avoid serving a full meal. The general rule is serve nine or more different types of canapes for every four hours of party.
For cakes, the easiest way to save is to have a relative who is a great baker do it for you. No doubt they would love to be involved. But, if you don't know anyone with the skills required, go for someone who decorates from home. They are far cheaper that commercial cake specialists.

Here are some small local(NZ) cake decorators. creative cakes, Ali's celebration cakes, funky cookies and cakes

The photographer. OK so this one is a little more difficult. Your photographs are so important as they are your permanent visual link to your day. It will go by so fast that you wont remember a lot of it until you have seen your pictures. TRUST ME you do not want to skimp in this area. If you have a friend who can fill this position thats great! Be sure to meet with as many photographers as possible until you find a balance between the style you want and what you can afford.

Other ways to save.

DIY is obviously a good way to keep some money in your pocket, just be aware of how much you are taking on.
Some ideas are:

-Use garden flowers loosely bunched in vintage teapots or glass vases. Alternatives to flowers include succulents, feathers, potted plants. Blooms can be a huge expense and florists charge the earth.

- The Warehouse sells fantastic "wedding candles". They are lightly scented and come in boxes of 12. They are cost effective and look lovely on the tables.

- Its obvious, but keeping your guest list to a minimum keeps costs low. Do you need that big wedding you wanted when you were eight? This can help in areas such as catering, favors, alcohol, tables, chairs and table wares, flowers... actually, in most areas.

- Borrow, borrow, borrow, ask, ask, ask. I found that after I had spent a lot of money on vintage silverware, some people I knew offered to lend me theirs for the day. Before spending, ask around. People are honored to help out in any way when it comes to weddings!

- Certain liquor outlets in NZ have a service where you can hire a trailer full of alcohol. You only pay for what is used, so leftovers aren't an expensive waste. This is a fantastic initiative.

Some pictures of chic, budget friendly ideas...

Mismatched bridesmaids. Its likely you can find some real bargains in vintage stores.

They may like to buy their own dress. If they choose it, chances are they will wear it again.

Garden flowers loosely arranged make a real impact.

Canapes make a good low cost alternative to a full meal.

Just make it clear on the invitations so guests can eat before hand.

These cute potted herbs would double as table decorations and favors.

What could be more cost effective than Twigs in vases! Get vases here.

Groupings of candles can be a very inexpensive way of making a statement. Even better when the sun sets!

Hope this has been inspirational!

Good ol' fashioned Romance

There's nothing quite like a day full of romance and beauty.

Inspirations inspired by the chandelier setting.

Enjoy!

images; here, here, here, shoes, here, here, here, and here

Atlas inspiration

Happy Easter weekend!!
My inspiration for this colour board was the lovely old atlas (3rd row). It conjoured up images of all the cool things you could do with old maps, for example, use strips as napkin rings, cut into triangles for bunting (flags), or wrap containers with them and fill with flowers or succulents. Travel also makes a fantastic theme for a wedding. Paper planes, vintage postcards, antique suitcases, old travel books...the decor and favor ideas are endless! Enjoy this board because I sure enjoyed researching it!

Vintage suitcases- ruffled blog, bunting/flowers/table setting- ritzy bee, vintage map, bicycle with flowers- martha stewart, ruffled dress- photo by stacy able, girl in daffodils- chicopia, diy bits and pieces- martha stewart.