Jenny Packham....

Jenny Packham is one of my very favourite dress designers. Her dresses are truly beautiful and the antithesis of the strapless white meringue. They were the first wedding dresses that made me go 'ooh, pretty' and the first wedding dresses that made me think that a long white dress might just be for me.

They range from the epitome of pretty to the epitome of sexy, evoking woodland fairies or 1930s Hollywood sirens. I desperately wanted to look like a Hollywood siren, to ooze glamour and sexiness and with the trepidation of someone who has found something that they think might just be perfect but who knows that they can't afford it I made an appointment at a terribly gorgeous and expensive dress boutique to try them on.

Unfortunately, or fortunately perhaps, if we are going to take into account my bank balance, my figure is a little more Twiggy than Rita Hayworth and looking in the mirror I felt like a stick insect draped in satin, horribly self conscious of my pointy hip bones and lack of curves. No matter how beautiful the dresses were on the hanger or how much The Boy and the shop assistant disagreed with me, I did not feel pretty. Or sexy.

Secretly I breathed a small sigh of relief. I was spared from spending the next 18 months chained to preloved.co.uk, hoping and praying that someone just the right size would be willing to give up just the right dress at just the right price, all the while pulling my hair out as the weeks and months ticked away.


I still love her dresses though and I still believe that they are the most gorgeous in the world. Even if they didn't live up to my dreams.


Some more images which aren't as pretty but show just how beautiful the dresses are. Just in case you need further convincing. I will however forgive you if you are not convinced by the orange lipstick. Why, in the name of all that is pretty, would you top off a dress like that with orange lipstick?.....



Paris, Berlin and Keira.

Tahlia, Papillion and Crystal.

All dresses by Jenny Packham and images from Brides Magazine

101 days...

Oh crap. One Hundred and One Days. That is like, 400 less than there were when we got engaged. Suddenly it feels so close, so real. And there's so much still to do. Crap. Did I say that already? I started writing a list, thinking that we only had three things still to sort out - music, ceremony and programs. But the list kept growing.....

We need to finish writing our ceremony. We've written a rough draft but it needs serious editing.We also need to write our vows. But it's too scary....

(image by Brent Deming)



I need to figure out what I'm going to do with my hair. I'm scared of this one too. I don't like my hair and practise a strict policy of ignoring it on a day to day basis.

(image by Gloria Fenaroli)


We need to decide who we're going to ask to do our readings. And ask them.


(image by Stephanie Secrest)


We need to find The Boy an outfit. We have shoes. And buttons. And maybe a shirt.


(image by Lina Jang)



I need to find underwear. I'm going to have to wear a horribly 'functional' bra (hopefully not a stick on one. I don't want to wear stick on boobs) and all of the knickers I have found that I like have been £50, minimum. I can not spend £50 on knickers. That would be obscene.


(image by Mark Earthy)



Organise some sort of musical accompaniment to the day...


(image by Scott Juarez)



And aisle decoration....

(image by Brian Tsai)


And confetti...


(image by Steve Krongard)



and programs and escort cards and a rabbit sitter and and and...

and I want to hide.

(Image by Cristobal Perez)



All images from the Wedding Photojournalist Association.

Gorgeous girl...

This post over at East Side Bride reminded me that I've been meaning to share these pictures from February's Marie Claire because they are just so gorgeous.


I love Lily Allen. She's articulate, talented and does her bit to bring celebrity back down to earth. Which is desperately needed in my opinion. Not to mention that the girl speaks her mind. Which I love....

Lily Allen in Dolce and Gabbana. This dress was everywhere after it appeared on the runway. Lily wears it better than anyone else I've seen though.



From the interview;

So, when you see magazines like Heat and Closer and First, and they've got arrows pointing towrads sweat patches and stuff like that...

"I refuse to put make-up on just beacuse the paparazzi are on my doorstep. I find it morally wrong. I'm just walking to the f*ing shop! I don't see myself as a role model; people should look to mothers and sisters for role models."




I love the contrast between her dark hair and this gorgeous, and yes slightly bridal, dress.


I think it's one of the problems with Kate Moss. Everybody keeps going on abour her being a very bad role model. She's a model, not a role model.

"She's a f*ing clothes horse. Deal with it."





I think she looks like a modern Audrey Hepburn.


Let me ask you about constantly being made the spokeswoman for girls of your generation, and all that size zero stuff....

"It's a weird one. Although it's not really my responsibility, I'm happy to speak out about different things because I think it's f*ing disgusting how women are represented in the media."


Images and words from Marie Claire magazine, February 2008.

A bird in the hand(made)...

Well seeing as it seems that you lovely ladies are a very sensible bunch, I will of course share our latest diy conquest. In the grand tradition of my diy projects, there were moments when I nearly through her out the window. But as she doesn't have wings that simply wouldn't have been a good idea.

Meet Norma Jean.....

(I thought she deserved a real name, she's too pretty to be to be without one)

She's a prototype so please forgive the fact that she is one legged and has no tail. The final version will be made in the silk dupion shown in the sneak peak and will be wrapped in the extra fabric from my dress, once it's been altered. She will have a tail of white dove feathers, from live free flying garden doves, if you please! And she will have a boy, a boy of the smartest black silk dupion with some very dapper tail feathers of his own.

Her mauve rose is made from the same ribbon that I will wear wrapped round my waist and the flower in her hair is the same colour as the one I'm going to wear in mine. She was going to have a little birdcage veil, but I couldn't resist leaving the rest of it billowing out behind her, it's just so pretty!

Despite the afore mentioned desire to jettison her from the fourth floor, she was surprisingly enjoyable to make. It turns out that I'm much better at DIY that doesn't involve printers, measurements or straight lines.

However the first version was awful. Truly dreadful, more Casper the Friendly Ghost than sweet chubby little bird. The second version was better, but wouldn't stand up. The third version, well you can judge for yourself. But she was the only one deserving of eyes, a dress and the all important beak.

I want to thank you all for your lovely words of support. It's wonderful to know that you are such a fantastically sane bunch of girlies! And extra points to Meg, who was foiled by the merry widow netting. Is it called that in the States? I have a funny feeling that it's not and that you will have no idea what I'm talking about. Hmmm. Here's a picture, just in case....

I think it's more commonly known as French or Russian netting, but Merry Widow is such a fun name that I can't think of it as anything else!

Anyway, I was going to use it on Norma Jean, but it was a bit overpowering on such a little lady. I think I will try and make myself some sort of a veil or fascinator with it. I don't really know where to begin though. But I'm sure I'll figure something out. It turns out I'm quite crafty when I get going!


So what do you think? I know bird cake toppers are getting a little passée, everyone and their grandmother has them these day, but they seemed so fitting to our outdoor garden party wedding that I couldn't resist having them sit watching over our piles of cupcakes. And what has become passée in the States usually hasn't even made it across the pond, so our guests will most likely have never seen anything like them before. I predict a few puzzled looks from our Grandparents - why are there birds on your cake? Where are the little plastic people?

Lusting after.....

Cold beverage jar from Crate and Barrel.

These would be perfect for our outdoor buffet and barbecue. Either for water with pretties floating in it or for homemade lemonade, if we manage to get round to making any.

I've got a feeling that postage to the UK would cost a small fortune though. Sigh.


Via enjoy : {the blog}

Bianca Jagger....

When I was 15 I knew I would never want to get married. I also knew that if I ever did want to get married I would want to do it in a superbly sexy white suit, à la fashion icon Bianca Jagger.

Funny how much you know when you're 15....


The iconic white suit was designed by Yves Saint Laurent and made famous by the fact that she wore the jacket with nothing underneath. This sexy wedding outfit has made Bianca Jagger a fashion icon. Albeit an accidental one. Apparently Yves designed a shirt to go with the outfit but by the time of the wedding Jagger was so pregnant with her daughter Jade that it didn't fit any more. So she decided to go sans shirt. And bra. As you do!

Thank god she did, because it looked stunning.

The floppy white sun hat with attached veil added an extra element of seventies chic. Although personally I think she looks completely timeless and proves that wearing something true to yourself is always the way to go.


(images from here and here)