Lover Of The Light…

Lighting for weddings and parties has to be one of my favourite things. What else could produce such an enchanting ambience, make a fabulous focal point and be inexpensive too. There are endless different ways lighting can be used – whether its twinkling fairy lights artfully strung from trees, candles dotted around in hurricane vases, flickering tea lights in jam jars, glowing lanterns hanging from beams – the sky really is the limit. Here are a few of my favourite ideas below:

So, as you can see – each effect created, however different, really is rather beautiful. I particularly love the coloured crepe paper used in mason jars to give off a colourful glow. I hope a few of these glittering ideas give you your own light bulb moment for your upcoming wedding or party!

Speak soon,
Becky ❤

"Love is the light to darkness" – unknown.

Shining, Shimmering, Splendid… Disney

You may or may not have noticed on my ‘About’ page that I mention my love of Disney films. Love might actually be an understatement. I am slightly obsessed with Disney. I could watch the films over and over again without boredom, recite most of the lines, provide pointless facts and trivia on Disney… and I spend far too much of my time singing Disney songs in the shower (much to my next door neighbours’ annoyance!)

So, that being said, it was always inevitable that I would do a post motivated by my love of Disney. I decided to create a few collections inspired by my three favourite films (trust me, it was hard to whittle it down to just three, but I didn’t want to bombard you completely): Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid. For me, these three capture the true essence of Disney: romance, adventure, music, friendship, and of course – love. So I hope these inspired photographs awaken your inner child and give you a few ideas for your own Wedding. If you have any suggestions – please do comment below!

For this ‘Aladdin’ inspired Wedding, a colour palette of jewel tones – purples, shades of aqua, red and gold – create an opulent and ethnic looking theme; whilst Moroccan style lanterns lit up at night create a beautiful ambience. Palm trees entwined by fairy lights would really enhance an ‘Arabian night’ (if your chosen venue does not have palm trees in the gardens, you could always buy or hire smaller potted palm trees to create a similar look.)

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1.wedding dress: Mori Lee by Madeleine Gardner, style 1815 2. Wedding invitation: http://www.invitationsbyajalon.com 3. Earrings: reminded designs via http://www.etsy.com

Western style bridal gowns with Eastern inspired details such as gold embroidery are the cherry on top of this ‘Aladdin’ theme – here are some other dresses that very much reminded me of Jasmine…

For the below ‘Beauty and the Beast’ inspired theme, I’ve used a colour palette of gold and midnight blue. A slight hint of red signifies the single red rose that is central to the love story in the film. The use of ornate gold candelabras and mirrors are not only a nod to the characters in the film, but represent the lavishness of the Beast’s castle and the magnificent ballroom that is so memorable for those who are a fan of the film.

1. Midnight blue bridesmaid dress: by Ellie Saab. 2. Teapot with cup and saucer necklace: http://www.notonthehighstreet.com 3. Gold Wedding cake: http://www.citysweets.com

Who says Brides have to wear white? I absolutely adore Anne Hathaway’s dress below – she reminds me very much of a real life Belle in these photos, and a dress like this stunning Valentino number would partner the theme perfectly…

Other Belle inspired golden gowns…

(click images to enlarge) 3. Georges Chakra gold and white couture wedding gown

And last but certainly not least is my ‘The Little Mermaid’ inspired set; which I think mostly speaks for itself! A colour palette of sea foam green, coral and hints of navy create a coastal vibe. Nautical touches and references to various sea creatures represent Ariel’s underwater world, however I’ve selected certain elements which cross-over between land and sea (such as the beautiful shimmering dress below which looks almost identical to the one in the film) signifying Ariel’s transformation from mermaid to human!

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1. nude sequined gown by Ellie Saab

And finally, here are some other Ariel inspired gowns…

I hope these themes give you some fairy-tale inspiration!

Speak soon,
Becky ❤

Natural inspiration…

I thought I would share with you a beautiful Wedding Reception setting, designed by the amazing Mindy Weiss, who is an incredibly successful Wedding and Party Planner based in Los Angeles. Mindy herself came from very humble beginnings – she simply loved organising parties for friends and created custom made invites for them. Encouraged by others who saw her creativity, she started up a party planning consultancy and is now one of the most sought after event planners in America.

What I particularly love about this setting is the use of several textures which really ‘lifts’ the neutral palette used. The light gauzy fabric draped on the back of the chairs (I particularly like the fabric flowers placed on the back of ladies’ chairs) and the pale tablecloths create a ‘blank canvas’ which really draws the eye towards the beautiful floral centrepieces on the tables and then up towards the draping of material and ornate lanterns hanging from the ceiling.

I love the idea of having beautiful greenery intertwined with fairy lights above the dance floor; it’s a real focal point and creates fluidity to the theme – the venue is very open to the outside, showing trees and foliage in the background. By bringing ‘the outside in’ to the inside of the venue, a natural outdoor-sy look is created.

If you would like to see more of Mindy’s work, her website is http://www.mindyweiss.com

Speak soon,
Becky ❤

Let’s start at the very beginning…

Firstly, I would like to welcome you to my page and to say thank you for visiting!

I have decided to start up a blog for two reasons. 1. For somewhere to channel the ideas and inspirations I so often see all around me and to keep them all in one place, and 2. To share with you my journey, (which at this stage is only at the very beginning) in hopefully fulfilling my dream of becoming a Wedding and Party Planner. As this is a hugely competitive industry I know the road will be a long and tricky one, but I have such a huge passion for all aspects of styling and planning, that even if I don’t ‘make it’ – this will still be a wonderful place for me to be creative, share ideas and discover more things that make me happy.

So, without sounding incredibly cliché…

…For as long as I can remember I’ve loved everything about Weddings! The romance, the drama, your loved ones all in one room, a place to show people what you are passionate about through the styling and theme, delicious food and drink, laughter with friends, dancing the night away, memorable photographs that will be shared for years to come – and so much more.

I’m known by most of my friends as a ‘hopeless romantic’, which I hope is mostly endearing, rather than annoying…! Like a lot of naïve young girls, I grew up watching Disney films and reading fairy-tale books believing that all relationships consisted of going to balls, dancing with a dreamy looking man, falling in love and living happily ever after. Of course, with time, we soon learn that this is not entirely true, however most women (and some men!) still like to imagine that elements of these romantic ideals will play a part in their lives at some point… and I for certain am one of these people. I do try and look at romance in more realistic terms now of course… A wedding to me is not so much ‘Happy Ever After’, but more a ‘Happy Beginning’ of what will be the fantastic start of a journey full of plenty of ‘ups’ and a few ‘downs’ and bumps in the road along the way. We all know that life isn’t perfect, but as the years go by, it’s heart-warming to know that a couple can always look back on their wedding day together with the fondest of memories and remember the day that celebrated their love for one another when things don’t feel so much like a fairy-tale.

I will be updating my blog as and when I can (which I hope will be quite often!) with photos, idea’s, quotes and anything else that takes my fancy!

Speak soon,
Becky ❤

"I love her and that's the beginning of everything." – F. Scott Fitzgerald