Etsy UK Brings A Little Magic To London

This weekend saw Etsy UK’s first ever wedding event in London – an interactive, vintage-themed weekend for those looking for creative ideas for their big day.

Held at Gallery Soho, the intimate setting boasted two floors of gorgeous fashion, stationery, jewellery, home furnishings and craft workshops. There was something for everyone, from Hollywood-siren oppulence in the form of a show-stopping, sequin-covered, gold, vintage gown to the endearing charm of handmade cushions, adorable wedding cake toppers and button-decorated, pastel-coloured bouquets.

For vintage lovers like myself, it was an intoxicating way to spend my Saturday morning, putting me in a joyful mood for the rest of the day.

The downstairs showed off a range of wears from Etsy sellers and there was a free hair consultation and styling session for any girl wanting to see which vintage look would be the most flattering at her pending nuptials. Like a magpie, I found myself drawn to the sparkly antique hair pins and rhinestone combs being used to create the beautiful styles. Art deco hair accessories are definitely the most impressive but, let’s face it, if it gleams and sparkles, you can’t go wrong!

The upper level of the gallery heaved with gushing future brides eager to try their hands at the craft workshops being offered by Parapluie Events. Armed with a fabulous free cocktail from St-Germain – a light, breezy concoction blending the French liqueur, Prosecco and club soda – I got to try my hand at making clay wedding favours and place settings as well as frilly, paper doily pom-poms to use as hanging decorations. The cackling heard from the photo booth provided by LookLook was testimony to how much fun was being had by all the guests.

The entire session was a blast and I walked away with not just a renewed love for vintage but also the uplifting sense of accomplishment; showing my creations to family and friends triggered a gush of compliments and admiration. Not bad for a mere £5 entry fee!

Parapluie Events are definitely worth booking for hen-dos and parties – get all your bridesmaids to help craft your wedding favours and you’re not only quids-in, you’ve also managed to involve your nearest and dearest to help create the most special day of your life!

Hopefully, Etsy UK will repeat the event next year, perhaps with a few tweaks to help drive more revenue sales. That said, everyone at the event received a fantastic goody bag – which included a special code for 15% off buys on Etsy. Given the wonderful stuff we saw on display, I imagine many will go on to use the generous discount. Etsy UK deserves to do well from this first foray into events – it was awesome fun and the quality of handmade and vintage goods on display were genuinely breathtaking.

To see more pictures and news from the event, social media users can search for #etsywed on Twitter or check out the Facebook page for EtsyUK.

More Bridal Shoes In TK Maxx

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again… Don’t spend full whack on bridal shoes you’ll only wear once when you can snap up a perfectly gorgeous pair from designer discount haven TK Maxx. Check out the gorgeous strappy heels from designer Pedro Garcia that have now arrived in store, featuring a sparkling diamante ring (pictured above right). These ivory heels are simply stunning – classy, understated and timeless glamour. Also in store are a luxuriously good-looking pair of gold stilleto heels from Dune (pictured above left). Embellished with golden rhinestones around the back, this stunning pair of shoes would be perfect for modern brides seeking heels that they can wear again and again. Perfect party wear, you can christen them at your wedding before rolling them out again for your work’s Christmas party!

Wedding Cakes of The Vintage Variety

Rosalind Miller certainly knows how to create a show-stopping cake; you’ll regularly find one of her designs gracing the pages of a magazine or showcased on a TV show. Her creativity and vision seem to know no bounds, using icing and sponge to create not just beautiful cakes but genuine works of art. My favourites are, as ever, the styles which draw upon the best of the past to create something current in the present. Nothing beats a vintage inspired wedding cake. I’m biased, of course, but it’s plainly obvious. Just look at the creations below and then you tell me… am I wrong?

Vintage Lace wedding cake designs by Rosalind Miller

Fairytale Wedding Cake by Rosalind Miller

Vintage Wedding Cakes – Ravishing Retro!

Oh my days, I think I’ve found the perfect webpage for vintage cakes! Cake designer Tracey Mann has a dedicated page on her website for vintage cake designs. Hallelujah!

Check out the pipework, lace detail and draping… heavenly!

 

Lips Gone Wild

I once tried those brightly coloured, elaborately patterned, lip tattoos and it got me thinking… If women could get the manufacturers, Violent Lips, to produce a delicate looking vintage lace or broderie selection, in pastels or nude, would any brides dare to wear them on their wedding day?

From a photographer’s perspective, the wedding pics would probably look like a high-end couture spread from a glossy fashion magazine. From a practical perspective, your future mother-in-law would probably run screaming from the wedding venue shouting “Stop the wedding!”. But I do like the idea of introducing vintage design into weddings in an unconventional way – just not necessarily with lip tattoos. I think my imagination needs to work harder. So… I’m thinking… Still thinking… And will let you know when I finally crack this!

TK Maxx – Latest Bridal Shoes

I was in TK Maxx again this week and spotted a few new bridal shoes adorning their shelves.

This vintage-styled pair from Rocket Dog look like they’re made from Silk and have a medium high heel:

The designer pair along the shelf – from Filippa Scott – weren’t half bad either, looking elegant and comfortable:

Too plain? Fear not. Check out these blinged out high heels that were also on the shelf:

With prices ranging from £19.99 to £29.99, these shoes won’t break the bank yet promise to add some style to your all-important walk down the aisle!

Ladies Aren’t What They Used To Be…

The thing I admire most about the Mad Men era of women is that they had not only style and grace, they also exuded sex appeal without having to flash their bits to all and sundry. Now, I’m all for empowerment and think women should wear whatever they feel fabulous in, but even I balked at this teenage girl’s ‘cheeky’ sight!

I spotted her on an escalator in a shopping mall. She was constantly pulling down her shorts to cover her modesty. The photos show her covered bottom… Before she pulled her shorts down, I was flashed most of her naked behind. If I was a heterosexual man, I would have cried with joy. Sadly, I am not. Most worryingly, the woman in front of this girl is her mother, who seemed to have no concern for the middle aged men who were ogling her under-aged daughter.

I burned with the desire to offer the teenager a free styling session and make-over. I wouldn’t have made her look too vintage, but as she was already rocking a slightly ’70s free love image, there was a lot I could have done to make her look less provocative while remaining faithful to the era.

When it comes to ‘batty riders’, teenagers should just say ‘No’!

Spotlight on Vintage Style Wedding Cakes

You’re planning your wedding and torn between choosing a modern-looking wedding cake or a vintage styled creation. It’s a case of contemporary style versus stylish chic. There’s no right or wrong; choosing your wedding cake is a personal choice. As long as it’s in keeping with the overall theme of your special day and tastes as good as it looks, you can’t go wrong.

Or can you?

Having been to many weddings where the cake has upstaged the bride (I KID YOU NOT), I’d recommend giving careful consideration to this seemingly simple task. The cake selected says as much about a bride’s personal style as her wedding dress does. An over-the-top dress paired with an over-the-top cake in an over-the-top venue with over-the-top decorations reeks of insecurity; the bride is desperate to impress everyone and her day is more about others rather than herself and the special commitment she is making to her partner.

Ask yourself, ‘who or what will be the showstopper at my wedding’? For me – and of course, you may disagree – it’s the bride who should be crowned as the undisputed showstopper. She is the pivot upon which everything rests; her dress (style, drape, shape, texture) influences the overall colour scheme – from the flower arrangements to the venue decorations. The bride should be the one thing that constantly draws the eye throughout the day; a beautiful vision no-one wants to look away from. Everything else should work to enhance this vision of beauty, not upstage it, and that includes the wedding cake. It’s one of the many wonderful finishing touches which should all work together to deliver a stunning, overall experience of the entire day. When the cake has more va-va-voom than the bride at a wedding, I always find myself feeling disappointed for her. As I sit within the crowd, listening to everyone’s endless comments about the “amazing cake” which “looks gorgeous” I think to myself: ‘Er, isn’t that what they should be saying about the bride?’. I rest my case.