Friday, January 29, 2010

A Special Event

In our current issue we ran a story about destination wedding planning, featuring Alison Hotchkiss from Alison Events. Her new book, Destination Wedding Planner - The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Wedding from Afar is a fabulous resource for anyone considering holding their wedding away from home.

Destination Wedding Planner $39.95 available at all good bookstores nationally.




Our story from Issue 13.

So, it was with much anticipation I opened the lovely envelope on my desk this week from Alison. Inside the kraft envelope was this wonderful card wishing me the best for the new year.



Stitched onto cardboard is a canvas, screenprinted illustration by Jenny Pennywood depicting a log cabin, deers and a bear. Certainly not something I get to see everyday on my way to work, that's for sure. A touching sentiment about staying warm and cozy is printed on the back - now this is something I have no trouble doing in the middle of our summer! I love the tactile quality of the canvas and stitching - it makes this card really unique.

It may sound odd but my favourite part of the whole card is that the stamps coordinate beautifully with the address label and the kraft envelope.



The right stamp can really make the presentation of an envelope. Definitely something to consider when mailing out wedding invitations - a ghastly stamp will ruin all the hard work you've put into choosing the perfect envelope and typeface or calligraphy. Australia Post always have a variety of stamp designs available at different price points so ask to see what they have in store, then buy up in bulk. And if you can't find anything that is just right, ask about a 'postage paid' rubber stamp which most major branches are happy to do if you bring in bulk envelopes for mailing. A simple single coloured impression is often better than a multi-coloured paper stamp that clashes with everything else to ruin the overall effect.

Australia Post also offer their personalised stamp option. A word of caution here - choose your images wisely or your stamp may end up looking like something from a Barbara Cartland novel and perhaps not the stylish, sophisticated addition you had hoped. To my mind the designs they offer a too corny but you may be able to wing it if you couple them with a fantastic photo of your own.

Vintage stamps are one of my trusty standbys - if you look you'll see I often use them in stationery shoots. I have a fabulous stamp album full of samples from many eras. Some of the designs are so exquisite they add another dimension to the overall design of the envelope. Of course you can't mail them but you can photocopy them and use them as a design element, perhaps on an inner-envelope.


A stationery shot from our Lush Blush story in Issue 6.

The other alternative is to make your own. Use an illustration you've drawn, a photo you've taken or a favourite piece of copyright-free clipart and print out as many as you need. Again, you can't use them for mailing but you may be able to use them as decorative elements on your stationery items. I found a wonderful article on Something I Made about making your own stamps if you're interested in giving this a go for yourself.



I guess the message is consider every little detail when preparing your wedding stationery. It's worth the effort as the result will be wonderful.

Posted by Jane Cameron

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Cheese, Please

Dessert tables are all the rage right now. If you are wanting to do something a bit different then why not have a cheese table instead? The pics below found from the beautiful Sunday Suppers Blog look absolutely stunning. This is the way to do a cheese table - crusty breads and delectable cheeses will surely keep your guests happy!






All photos + styling by Karen Mordechai

Posted by Emma Henderson

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Monday, January 25, 2010

Red = Love

Every girl should have a pair of knockout red stilettos. On your wedding day, with a LBD or even with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt they'll attract attention. Red is the colour of fire, passion and love and what's not to love about these Jimmy Choo's? Visit www.jimmychoo.com or buy online at www.net-a-porter.com.


Jimmy Choo Quiet patent leather pumps £330

Posted by Emilie Harrison

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Friday, January 22, 2010

Daylesford Dreaming

I know this ad featuring the gorgeous Isabel Lucas is a bit old now but I love it. It really makes me want to go to Daylesford! Daylesford would be a fantastic place to honeymoon in with all of the beautiful spas there to really get you relaxed after the stresses that go into planning a wedding. It also has an amazing wine and foodie scene with lots of good restaurants to dine at like the multi award winning The Lakehouse.



The ad also show The Convent which is a beautiful place to have a wedding. The Convent has everything in the one location. Ceremony options include the original chapel, beautiful manicured gardens or glass conservatory. There are two function rooms to choose from with the altar bar available to guests who want to party on after the wedding.



Another part of the ad I like is the mix of lamps that line the road - it looks so pretty. You could easily replicate this on a smaller scale lining stairs leading to your venue with perhaps using candles instead of light bulbs (no need for lots of extension cords). Mis-matched lamps would also make for quirky centrepieces.


Pic found from Chasing Rainbows Kissing Frogs blog

Posted by Emma Henderson

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Thursday, January 21, 2010

A Rose by Any Other Name

Ok, so you're after the perfect bridesmaids shoes and are keen to spoil your favourite ladies with some envious footwear. I've found them! These Valentino numbers are the perfect neutral/metalic shade, perfect heel height, are a style that are comfortable and are adorned with the cutest rosette. Can it get any better? I think not! Will they be worn again? Most definitely. Will your ladies love you even more? Definitely! Visit www.valentino.com or www.net-a-porter.com to buy online.




Valentino Rosette metalic peep-toe pumps £422

Posted by Emilie Harrison

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Stitched Up

I'm a bit of a grandma when it comes to craft - the girls in the office often rib me for my vintage wanderings. So, I was very happy when they let me plan our Cross Stitch in Time story from Issue 11.







Imagine my delight when I found this fabulous site (via the wonderful Twig and Thistle blog) with over 100 antique and vintage cross stitch patterns - all free to download.





If you share my interest in skills from a different era, I hope you will enjoy this site too and be able to apply some of these wonderful designs to items for your own wedding.

Posted by Jane Cameron

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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Fun Photos

Earlier this week we received an email from Thomas Marlow introducing us to his fantastic photo booths. A new take on the old-style photo booths (which I love by the way), each one is set up to suit the couple's taste and wedding style. Guests are given a remote control to the camera meaning they can take photos as they please.







The results are really fun and the best part, the sets can be easily broken down and sent anywhere in the world. Custom designed photo booth commissions begin from $2500 USD if you're interested.







Posted by Jane Cameron


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Delightfully Shocked

Culture Shock - a name well known for beautiful bridal couture for the more creative and modern day Australian bride is rebranding! Now known as Culture Bridal Couture the re-branding mission involves the launch of a fab new logo that more accurately reflects the label’s direction, AND an exciting new website showcasing their current new designs, bridal photo galleries, the designer’s own blog and heaps more. Culture Bridal Couture is now focused solely on brides and beautifully made one-off gowns, and has extended their diverse range of looks to embrace not only multi-cultural references and colourful gowns, but also more retro and vintage-inspired looks. Brides looking for something a little different have long visited Culture Bridal Couture, with designer Lisa Merton designing exquisite one-off gowns to celebrate each bride’s personality, individuality and beauty, often with a splash of colour or a dash of the unexpected. Over the past 9 years, Culture Shock has offered a diverse range of looks, inspired by some of the world’s richest cultures. Grecian, Oriental and Indian inspired designs, featuring beautiful draping, a bold use of colour and exclusively sourced vintage Kimonos, Obis and Saris have all inspired Lisa to develop a much-loved collection of innovative and truly original bridal gowns. “Culture Shock developed a great reputation in the bridal business as the destination for confident, intelligent and creative brides looking for something really original and different” says Lisa Merton, designer & owner. “Cultural Heritage is still something that we love to embrace when designing our couture wedding gowns, but it’s not the only thing we consider when we talk to our clients. These days, many of our brides are turning to us to help them express their lifestyle, passions and personality as well as their culture, so we’d like to reflect these new concepts in our label name and branding. It’s about saying who the bride is, what she loves most, and perhaps what her groom loves about her, too! ” says Lisa. Visit www.culturebridal.com.au to find out more about the label and designs.







Posted by Emilie Harrison

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Under The Tuscan Sun

Ever dreamed of having your destination wedding in Tuscany but not sure how to organise everything? Weddings in Tuscany are an event planning business based in Tuscany that take care of everything - they assist with all the official documentation and paperwork needed to get married in Italy and help liaise with vendors to organise your ceremony and reception. They can also help with arranging accomodation and tours for your guests. So, for a stress free destination wedding be sure to check out their website and blog!











Posted by Emma Henderson

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Golden Globe Awards 2010

The 2010 Golden Globe Awards hail the start of the awards season. I'm a sucker for celebrities in gorgeous dresses and I must admit I can be a fairly harsh critic. I'm not into boring, nor am I keen on pieces that have been done to death in the past. There were some simply amazing gowns this year in an aray of divine colours and with spectacular details. Kate Hudson was my best dressed for the evening. Her Marchesa gown (yes, I'm biased because I'm obsessed with Marchesa) was, quite simply put, immaculate. The hair, the earrings, the shoes... ah-mazing. Penelope Cruz was the definition of refined, Hollywood glamour. Her exquisite Armani Prive gown suited her figure down to a tee. Drew Barrymore's Atelier Versace gown was touch and go for many but I was a fan. Gorgeous colour, interesting details but still classic. Bravo! Diane Kruger was a knockout. Good on her for supporting Christian Lacroix, a couture label who faced a tumultuous 2009. The gown was a ravishing shade of pink and the white accessories were absolutely perfect. She had fabulous arm candy too.. lucky girl! Now we must sit and wait impatiently for the Oscars!


Kate Hudson in Marchesa


Heidi Klum in Cavalli & Seal


Rose Byrne in Lanvin


Penelope Cruz in Armani Prive


Jamie Pressly in Kevan Hall


January Jones in Lanvin


Drew Barrymore in Atelier Versace


Fergie in Elie Saab & Josh Duhamel


Diane Kruger in Christian Lacroix & Joshua Jackson and Steven Moyer & Anna Paquin in Stella McCartney


Olivia Wilde in Gucci


Maggie Gyllenhaal in RM Roland Mouret
Photos courtesy of handbag.com

Posted by Emilie Harrison

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