Wonderful Winter Wedding Location

For those looking for a truly breath-taking winter wedding location, the Hotel de Glace in Canada should send shivers down your spine. The hotel, made completely of ice, provides its guests with a one-of-a-kind experience, utilising the magic of nature and the great outdoors.

The hotel is a wonderfully designed world where snow and ice are transformed into fabulous decors, with snow archways towering over 5 meters tall and crystal ice sculptures standing by the warmth of the fire. This gives guests an amazing incite into life in the far north and is inspirited by Inuit igloos and the snow forts of childhood dreams. This contemporary twist cleverly combines nature and sleek city living, providing a romantic and exotic backdrop to a truly unique wedding.

The Hotel boasts beautiful wedding chapel, giving the bride and groom the whitest of weddings. Even though the design is likely to change each year as it is re-built in the warmer season, the individual location will ensure that it is a wedding not to be forgotten. They offer 3 different types of wedding, romantic, exotic and magical, all which sound equally enticing. My personal choice is the magical wedding which includes, ambiance music with a professional violinist, VIP red carpet entrance and exclusive use of the Ice Café for a cocktail with your guests and one unforgettable night's stay in the Hôtel de Glace's deluxe theme suite, including a fireplace. You can also get other great extras such as handmade ice flutes and a professional photographer.

This location doesn’t come without its price tag, with the magical themed wedding starting at $5899, however it is money well spent for those that want to take the magic of Christmas to the extreme and have a location that neither you or your guests will ever forget.

Gemma

I Want: Photo Booth

They don't seem to do them anymore, but as a teenager I always loved finding the old school photobooths that let you take four different photos, all printed in a column you'd stick on the fridge or on your mirror of you and your friend mugging to the camera.

There is something about the informal nature of the photobooth that delights everyone. People aren't pretending to have fun for the camera, the camera is the fun! A company called Boothnation provides old style photobooths for events, with new school digital photography. It is fully kitted out with professional lighting, a high end digital camera and the ability to instantly view your images, as they are taken. The booth can also be completely customised to your event.

A photo booth at your wedding is a relaxed and entertaining way to get people together and having fun, whether it be 6 people crammed into the booth laughing or a special moment with the bride and groom, these are truely unique images other wedding photography options just can't capture.

I'm so having one.

Holly

For the love of Origami...

I am one for design and being unique and so I could not let this slip by without a mention. For those looking for exceptional decorative additions or even a highly imaginative wedding dress, look no further than the works of Zoe Bradley. Her paper fashions include stunning headpieces, dresses, sets and installations crafted from various papers, and boxes, and sometimes even plastic spoons. But her 'forte' is her signature use of various "luxury" papers in a sculptural way. They may be more suited as sculptural pieces and highly impractical for the bride to wear, however what an artistic way of making a wedding stand out. Paper flowers and decor could keep forever if looked after correctly, so no fear of them wilting away. Large unique statuettes could great guests, adorned with intricately designed flowers or patterns, and gifts could be given in the form of fun origami to challenge wowed guests.

I think this could make a simple wedding look highly imaginative and designed.

Gemma

Wedding Trivia: Phantom Bridesmaids

In medieval times, the bride and groom would supposedly be on guard for any evil spirits that might be trying to halt the marriage and stop the ceremony, perhaps ghosts of relatives that were against the union. So the bride would enlist the help of friends who would dress exactly like the bride as a decoy for those clearly short sighted spirits, so that they would not be interrupted during the wedding. The tradition of dressing like the bride obviously died out, but the idea that the bridesmaids should all dress the same continued.

Being asked to be a bridesmaid back then, I imagine, wasn't as flattering.

Holly

I Want: Vera Wang

I start work tonight at the Wedding Shop at Selfridges, W1, and I couldn't be happier that every day I'll be sitting at my desk doing my work with a daily view of the most luxurious Vera Wang wedding dresses in her collection. Yes, this is a shameless plug. Come to the Wedding Shop and peruse my wares...

Anyway, in preparation for starting work there I have been looking at some of her recent collection and drooling, so I will share it with you.

  

Vera Wang has been designing dresses since the 1980s, so I'm not showcasing anything new. But there is a reason her dresses have been so popular for over two decades. Hearing the name 'Vera Wang' brings to mind images of the perfect wedding. And her dresses really are all they are cracked up to be; traditional fused with modern, where only the best fabric is used to craft your perfect dress. And yes, that comes at quite a price, but you're only doing this once, right?

Holly

Diane von Furstenberg Head Dresses

After hearing about the new Diane von Furstenberg Spring collection from a close friend, I found myself loving the head pieces made to complement the new line. They are predominately made with flowers and feathers and have a very 'feminine hippy' vibe to them, and I think they would make a stunning addition to a simple cut wedding gown and a great alternative to those who wish to divert from the traditional veil or tiara that so many brides have. A plain dress could be accented beautifully with one of these pieces; a colourful band could incorporate colours, textures and shapes inspired by anything from the location and time of year to the flowers and the invitation, allowing a central theme to be replicated throughout in an simple and seamless way. I think I'll be having one of these!

Gemma

The Ultimate Dress

Chocolate Fashion is something of the future, with designers looking for new ways to shock people and use different and uniques materials for the wow factor. Here (right) we can see creations from Designer Anita Jakobson, who presents a creation by Eva Rachline and Chocolat Chapon at the 14th Salon du Chocolat (Paris Chocolate Show) in Paris.

So, when looking at this and applying it to weddings, we've seen the profiterole dress and the sugar dress, we've even seen a bride have a wedding cake made in her own likeness, but this dress (left) is surely the best of them all. The tasty knee length gown was designed by Ian Stuart and Rococo Chocolates and is a stunning start to a new wedding dress revolution. Come on ladies, beat the credit crunch with a disposable wedding dress that will not only look stunning but make you feel delicious!

Gemma

Design Idea - Black and Gold

Don't fear the dark side.

Black may not be a colour you would commonly associate with weddings, but hear us out. Teamed with something like gold, red or even an emerald green it can produce some very classy very elegant weddings. It seems to be both feminine and masculine at the same time, and may suit a couple trying to veer away from the pastel family. Its contemporary, but somehow also timeless in its elegance.

Instead of white tablecloths, try black, with gold floating candles as centrepieces. White can still make an appearance in the form of flowers, such as tulips or orchids. Gold and black balloons, or bare trees adorned with black and gold material and fairy lights could be beautiful centrepieces.

Sashes on dresses have become increasingly popular, so why not use a black sash on a white dress (not as Gothic as it might sound). Consider a long white dress with lace, adorned with a wide satin sash round the waist. Bridesmaids could wear black dresses with hints of gold in the form of a shawl or bolero, or even a gold sash like the bride's black one.

This theme would be best suited to somewhere like a hotel or a blank canvas of a space.

Might be a good colour scheme to consider if your husband-to-be always wanted to be James Bond for a day...

Think "Casino Royale-esque" black tie with gold accents, cocktails and an Aston Martin to take you to the the reception, personalised playing cards as favours, and tables named after all the Bond films. But that's another blog entry...

Holly

Dress: Maggie Sottero

Cake: Cake's by Ann

Hotel: Savoy

Trivia: Giving the Wedding Finger

Ancient Egyptians used to believe that there was a vena amoris that ran from the fourth finger of the left hand directly to the heart, so would always use this finger for wedding rings. No such vein exists, but this has not stopped people favouring this finger, though through the ages all digits (including the thumb in 17th century Europe) has been used for the wedding band...

More useless wedding trivia to come!

Holly

Funktastic Wedding Venues

While surfing the internet and getting my daily dose of wedding news, I stumbled upon a great little website. 'Funky Weddings' has a great collection of unique and often very cool wedding venues. Ever fancied a room with a view - how about getting hitched in the landmark building, 30 St Mary Axe, aka, “The Gherkin”, or maybe your own state-of-the-art cinema... all the venues make for very individual weddings. Obviously they still stock a nice list of Churches if a more traditional wedding is what you want, however many of these are still unusual ecclesiastical spaces with dramatic twists. Granted many of the venues are London based, such as the infamous Barbican, Kew Gardens and The Roof Gardens in High Street Kensington, however this little site is a must for those desperatley seeking an inspirational wedding.

Gemma

Design Idea - Cherry Blossom

Its always a good idea for a lot of couples planning their wedding to decide on a theme, whether it be colour schemes, an idea or a style. A theme can tie the whole look of the day together, and the details can make a wedding really stand out. Themes can run through from the invitations to the cake, from the dress to the reception decor. Simple ideas are best in case too broad a theme can make the day appear too messy.

For me, the cherry blossom idea denotes elegance and understated style. Its fresh and its interesting. Cherry blossom stands for virtue and new beginnings; perfect for your big day. The delicate Asian flair can vary from a very pale pink, to more of a fuschia colour, teamed with a chocolate brown or (if you're feeling bolder) elements of black.

Pink and white hydrangeas compliment tall stalks of cherry blossom and the bottom of a vase centrepiece, and cherry blossom lanterns with fairy lights can make the reception that little bit more magical.

Holly

In the beginning...

...there was a film called the wedding planner - staring none other than Jennifer Lopez. It's very sad but unfortunatley very true, but this film, despite its poor acting and cutesy-poo theme, enabled me to see myself as the planner, the person calmly delivering a client's nuptials from the jaws of chaos in the most beautiful way possible. I know for Holly, my partner in crime, it has been a longer obsession with weddings, from day one of meeting her she spoke of her want, or should I say need, to be doing this, her need to be involved in the wedding profession, however, for me, as a girl of romance, it grew on me over a number of years up to this point.

It is a sad world when those who work hard and dream hard cannot see their life going the way they wanted it to, therefore Holly and myself have decided to take the plunge and try to make it as wedding planners. Too much dreaming and not enough action can make for a very dull horizon. Holly's perfectionist nature and my love for the buzz that comes with planning and pulling off spectacular designs, will hopefully guide us through the hard graft, to the point where one day we will be dancing in so much confetti we wont know quite what to do with ourselves.

This blog will act as our diary; a reminder of what we are going through and for what reason. Proof of our knowledge of the industry and our desire to work in such a sort after and competitive industry. Please feel free to comment, give us work experience or just generally give us some advice as you are passing through.

Gemma