New year, new dresses

I do hope you've all had a properly wonderful christmas. I certainly have, but this whole new year business has really made me realise that the wedding clock is well and truly ticking. Goodness. It's just over 6 months to the big day, so I'm starting to think bridesmaids dresses.

This may sound a tad oxymoronic and ridiculous, but my main aim is that my girls don't look too, well, bridesmaidy. So I'd love to find something on the high street. One of the best I've seen so far is this pretty Etienne dress from Monsoon. I'm loving the lace and scalloped hem. And I reckon it'd look suitably vintage country wedding with a string of pearls and a cute chignon.

I want

Good God. I love this up-do. A little bit hippy. A little bit Heidi. A whole lot feminine. It's relaxed without being too informal, big-day worthy without looking like a hairpin headache in the making. This is going on the W day list right now. Nicole Richie, I salute you.

The icing on the cake

Bunting is good. It is great. One cannot get enough of it. So why stop at the marquee ceiling? I'm thinking of dressing up our wedding cake with some teeny fabric triangles of loveliness. Take a peek at these cake bunting beauties, courtesy of Etsy, and fall in love a little bit. You could make your own too, of course. Scissors at the ready...

Company B at Etsy

Boo Bah Blue at Etsy

Vintage Green Limited at Etsy

Little Kitten Homemade at Etsy

PS. For true bunting worshippers, only true bunting worshippers you understand, my friend Jodie has found the perfect earrings.

Jodie Anna at Not on the High Street

Put your stamp on it

How to prettify a plain old envelope with zero artistic skill whatsoever? This personalised initials stamp from Skull and Cross Buns at Not on the High Street looks rather marvellous on the back of our sealed save the dates, even if I do say so myself. And stamping away in front of the telly is just so darn satisfying.

Oh my. The Liberty print tie

Classic but a tad eccentric. More English than marmite crumpets. A little bit whimsical. And just so God-darn pretty. Oh how we LOVE Liberty prints. And, since cravats aren’t really for us, we’re thinking Liberty print ties for my betrothed and the boys. The plan is to pick a print that won’t clash too madly with the (ok, already rather mismatched) colour scheme. That will make my Essex Boy look just the true English gent that he is. But which to choose? It might take a few lunch break trips to Liberty menswear to decide. Shame ;-)

A bit on the side

I am very much in lust with the hair to one side look. Whether it’s pinned loosely, swept up in a tousled pony or tied in a loose plait, it is most definitely on my W day hair shortlist. But can one pull it off without a Blake Lively-esque mane down to the shoulder-blades? And how fast does hair grow exactly…?

And not forgetting the bridesmaids… I still can’t quite get over the fact that you get to dictate how your best buds look for a whole day. But with great power comes great responsibility. So, in keeping with the whole wonky tresses theme, how about these for proper-gorgeous, aisle-worthy hair?

Popping the question

Before I was even officially engaged (shh, don’t tell anyone) I pondered how I should ask my bridesmaids to be, well, my bridesmaids. After a bit of Googling, I found these little cotton reels of lovely from Choosing You on Etsy. Just give one to your unsuspecting bridesmaid-to-be, and watch her unroll a pretty hand-printed message revealing your intentions. My girlies loved them (or so they tell me!), and they make a super-cute little keepsake.