Over the last two years I have been to a ridiculous number of weddings. I am at that age where everyone is getting married, which means I get to attend lots of amazing weddings (with delish food and plenty of free booze).
I am rubbish at controlling my emotions at weddings, I can’t help but get a little emosh when I see the bride. Don’t worry, I am not an ugly crier. Anyway, I have been meaning to share my wonderful wedding memories from the last few years with you. Not just because writing about them brings back lovely memories, but because I have been lucky enough to attend some particularly spectacular weddings.
I want to give you guys some wedding inspo for 2016. Each wedding is completely different, which means out of this selection there’s bound to be one dress or venue that tickles your fancy. I am not currently planning a wedding, but that doesn’t mean I can’t share some amazeballs ideas with you all. If you are planning a wedding this year, here are some wedding venue and dress ideas. Enjoy…
The English country garden wedding
My bestie’s wedding is still very fresh in my mind. It was simply perfect. It was recently featured in Love My Dress, click here to see the article.
The dress – The bride wore an Audrey Hepburn inspired Jesus Peiro gown from Miss Bush (a charming little wedding shop in Ripley which I would highly recommend, I was at the fitting). It was such a flattering, beautiful dress that’s different from anything I have seen before. The bride looked amazing.
It was really different to all the other dresses I had chosen and I would have never thought to try it on. I fell in love with it as soon as I put it on. I really liked its clean bright look, simple lines and flattering cut, plus it suited my hair and skin tone.
It looks flawless in the photos (as does the bride). Check out the bridesmaid dresses, they have been very popular on wedding blogs. They were from the Little Mistress collection (Dorothy Perkins).
The venue – The wedding was held in an English garden with a marque. They decorated the whole garden and surrounding area, and it looked spectacular.
We wanted to have a glamorous and romantic wedding with a garden party theme. We chose white, pale pink and gold for our colour scheme.
Her sister also had her wedding in the same place, but she wore a completely different vintage style Jenny Packham dress…
The French Chateau Wedding
I was lucky enough to attend a wedding at a breath taking French Chateau not far from Bordeaux (Chateaux La Gorce).
The dress – The bride looked absolutely beautiful in a delicate, fitted embroidered gown. It was absolutely perfect for her, and it really suited the chateaux setting. The dress is from Luellas in Wimbledon Village.
The venue – The wedding was held in a family owned 15th century French castle in the village of Haux. It’s about a 40 minute drive from Bordeaux. It was so wonderful spending the whole weekend at the chateaux and really being able to appreciate the grand setting.
The House of Commons wedding
This wedding was very special as it was my first family wedding. My cousin chose to have her wedding at an extremely impressive and prestigious venue, the House of Commons.
The dress – Words can’t describe how jaw-dropping this dress was. I was so proud of my beautiful cousin, she means the world to me. As you can see, she looked flawless. She wore a Jenny Packham dress, again from Miss Bush.
The venue – Not sure how you can top getting married at the House of Commons. It was quite exciting going through security and entering this historic building for a wedding. Inside it was quite simply stunning.
The seaside wedding
This was my first family wedding (with my boyfriend’s family), and I was so touched at how much I was made to feel a part of it. I am extremely lucky, my boyfriend’s family couldn’t be lovelier, and it felt wonderful to be a part of their celebration. It was at a hotel just off the seafront in Worthing, West Sussex.
The dress – The bride looked so pretty in this figure hugging dress with an adorable lace jacket. Her dress was from The Ozone in Brighton. I was blown away when she walked down the aisle in this gorgeous dress.
The venue – This wedding was held at a hotel which was metres from the Worthing seafront. We went outside to take pictures on the gardens behind the beach. There’s something wonderful about a wedding by the sea, I just love the photos on the beach with the waves in the background.
The 16th century mansion wedding
My first time as a bridesmaid was bound to be special. I got to see another bestie get married and I was honoured to be her bridesmaid. This wedding took place at, Great Fosters, a country house hotel in Egham, Surrey.
The Dress – The bride wore an adorable strapless dress with cute flowers on the top part of the dress. It suited her personality perfectly, and of course made her look absolutely gorgeous. The dress was from the Harrogate Wedding Lounge, and it was called Anastasia from the MiaMia collection by Alan Hannah.
The venue – Great Fosters is a Grade One listed building set amongst 50 acres of gardens and parkland. It’s a very prestigious wedding venue. The hotel has the most stunning gardens filled with colourful flowers, fountains and a cute bridge that was perfect for photos.
The cosy winter wedding
A very special close family friend opted for a winter wedding, marrying on the 28th of December. This was my first winter wedding and I loved it.
The dress – The bride wore a fun and sparkly strapless dress with a buttoned up back and pretty detailing. Her dress was regal and timeless and she looked flawless. It was from Elderberry brides in Basingstoke.
The venue – This wedding was held at a lovely church in Basingstoke and the reception was at Bartons Mill in Old Basing. It was a proper cosy, intimate venue with rustic wooden beams, a big log fire and unique features.
The Autumnal themed wedding
Next up we have an autumn themed wedding. Despite the wedding taking place in October, we were blessed with a beautiful sunny day.
The dress – The bride wore a traditional a line dress with a sprinkle of sparkle. It highlighted her curves in all the right places and she looked absolutely beautiful.
The venue – This wedding was held at the Beaumont estate in Old Windsor. The Beaumont has a 40 acres estate complete with a 14th century chapel. The thing I remember most about this venue is walking into the reception room and being in awe of the unique and rather grand features.
The Irish Wedding
Having never been to Ireland I was buzzing to witness a wedding in the picturesque Irish countryside.
The dress – What was so lovely and special about this dress is the bride’s mother made it. It had a slightly vintage feel about it and a really pretty back. This Irish bride looked fabulous, as you can see.
The venue – The couple got married in the local village Church, which was very meaningful for them. The venue was Berehaven Lodge, which was around a two hour drive from Cork. It was right on a lake with a break taking scenic backdrop.
The English Hotel Wedding
I think this was my first ever wedding, so obviously the whole thing made me totally emosh. It was super exciting witnessing a real wedding, so naturally I cried and nearly made the bride cry. Ooopsies.
The dress – The stunning bride wore a figure hugging fishtail style strapless dress, and boy did she look hot. It was a Maggie Sottero dress from Confetti Bridal in Wokingham.
The venue – This was a classic English hotel venue set amongst scenic grounds. The ceremony was in a charming room in the hotel. I remember the bride coming down a grand staircase looking amazing.
The Golf Club & Church Wedding
This was a spring wedding that was held in an adorable church in Windlesham.
The dress – The bride’s dress was beautifully elegant in every way. She also wore a lace jacket with it, which looked so pretty.
The venue – The reception was held at a nearby golf club, which mean the bride and groom got to go off on a golf buggy for a photo op. The venue was well laid out and opened out onto the picturesque golf course.
The Brighton wedding
Last but not least, the Brighton wedding. Having lived in Brighton for three years it was brilliant to see a wedding right in the city centre.
The dress – The bride wore a cream dress from Elliott Claire, which she purchased through the ASOS market place. As you can see, it suited her perfectly and she looked amazing.
The venue – The wedding took place at the Hotel Du Vin, a luxurious hotel just off the Brighton seafront. The bride and groom took some wonderful pictures along the famous Brighton seafront.
Really lovely piece – gained some inspo for my own wedding from this! I’ve been told to check out Rowton Castle as well as their venue is ideal for castle weddings. Here’s their link for anyone interested http://www.rowtoncastle.com/castle-wedding-venue