Welcome to Wedding Week! All this week I’m going to be sharing details from our winter wedding weekend which took place on the 21st and 22nd of November in Scotland. I’ll be showing you how we pulled our day together, relaying all the emotions from the occasion and hopefully providing you with some inspiration and tips.
Yesterday I told you all about my wedding seperates and wrote, probably far too many words, about what it was like designing those pieces. Today I wanted to go into more detail about the rest of my outfit, as for me my wedding look was about so much more than just the dress. As is so often the case, it was the accessories I got most excited about!
After all they do say ‘accessories are key!’.
I’m also going to share more about GB’s outfit in this post, and the rest of our wedding party too, as it’s not all about me now is it?
Let’s start from the top…
Getting ready
I was determined to have something fabulous to wear on the morning of my wedding. I know a lot of people say it doesn’t matter but personally I think you should feel like a bride from the second you wake up until the time you go to bed – you only get one day after all so why not make it count? I’ve spoken before about the lack of beautiful pyjamas for brides and I do really feel there’s a gap in the market here (any takers?) if you don’t want the cheesy diamanté encrusted satin dressing gown but you also don’t want your boring fleecy PJ’s. I wore a gorgeous original vintage Japanese kimono while I was getting ready in the morning along with a silver silk cami and shorts pyjama set from Asos underneath. My kimono was from Gossamer Vintage, a site I’d urge any vintage loving brides to sign up to as they have the most beautiful selection of vintage bridal items. It can be a little pricey to have things shipped over from the UK but for me it was absolutely worth it. The item was packaged beautifully and the day it arrived I was as giddy as I would have been opening a box with my wedding dress in. I dry cleaned the piece a couple of months before the day and thankfully it came out unscathed and I felt truly wonderful wearing it. It swished and floated around behind me and is an item I’m going to cherish from now on. It didn’t come with a belt but I tied a simple black ribbon around the waist. Those sleeves though!!
I also gave all of my Best Women a black silk dressing gown which I got from Jasper Conran at Debenhams. I was originally worried black might be a bit dark but decided that the contrast of them in black and me in a white print would work well, and I think it came out great in the photos.
Hair and beauty
The Hair
I mentioned Gillian from Pin Up Hair in my previous post about the morning of the wedding but I wanted to go into a little more detail here as she really did do a great job on all of our barnets. I originally wasn’t going to have a hairdresser, I had asked my Best Woman Lyndsey to help me on the day and thought I’d just keep it all quite simple. But a bit like Carrie in Sex and the City, the dress changed everything and as the details on that progressed I began to get a clearer idea of how I’d like my hair to be on the day and it wasn’t quite the simple look I’d initially planned. Thankfully Lyndsey understood and urged me to do what would be best for me. I think we’ve both agreed since it was a good decision as she ended up being super busy on the day just sorting herself and the other girls out so definitely wouldn’t have had time to fit in making the bride look good. By the time I’d decided this though it was quite late on and I wasn’t sure I’d find anyone, let alone have time for a trial.
I was recommended Gillian through a fellow Scottish Lovette on Love my Dress (I was writing about my wedding planning on that blog) and almost immediately got in touch and booked a trial for the last visit we were making to Scotland before the big day. We had so much fun on the trial and immediately Gillian got exactly what I was aiming for with my hair and wasn’t at all phased about coming to our remote venue so early.
My brief to Gillian was essentially to make me look like a slightly messy woodland princess – someone who had had a really glamorous up do at one point but had spent the last few days living in the woods, been dragged through a few trees and who was generally a bit dishevelled, but in a pretty way. I wanted my hair to be piled into a roll at the back which was then teased out to make it look undone and messy, with pieces falling out and tumbling down around my face and at the back. I think she achieved it perfectly! Initially we also planned to throw a braid into the mix for that boho look (and as such was why I’d asked all my Best Women to incorporate a braid into theirs somehow) but we decided on the day to forgo it as I’d then have more hair to achieve the volume at the back.
I absolutely love all the photos of the back of my head (I think they are my favourites from the day ha!) as I think my hair looks so great!
And she also did a lovely job on the girls too. They all looked gorgeous! I left them free to do their hair and make up as they wished but asked them all to have a boho style hair-do. They all did something different and it looked fab. Lyndsey who has the longest and thickest hair went for a fishtail braid worn to the side, Helen who has a short bob had hers naturally wavy with a waterfall braid around the back, Laura had hers set in large rollers for a big bouncy curl and then had a braid weaved in from the back, and finally Andrea went for a braided up do which I personally really loved on her! Our lovely florist Sophie gave us some hair flowers which matched the bouquets and Gillian weaved those in to each of the girls hair. I had also had my tiara designer make each of them an individual hair pin which used similar leaves and crystals to that which were used to make my tiara. Each one was made using a different type of leaf as I wanted them all to have something woodland inspired to remind them of the day!
The Make Up
My make up was done by a friend who, luckily for me, also happens to be a make up artist! You might remember me writing about my make up trial with Rosie back in my Wedding Wednesday series, but on the day she did an even better job than I could have imagined. I loved my winter look! I’ve told you all already about my worries with my skin and the allergic reaction I had to a face cream three days before the wedding (!!) so I’ll admit I didn’t have high hopes about my skin looking that great on the day, but somehow Rosie achieved that soft, dewy winter look I’d been aiming for.
We used a mixture of Nars, A La Carte, Dior and Charlotte Tilbury products on the day but Nars was probably the main player. I used their Primer, Sheer Glow Foundation, Sheer Glow concealer and Transluscent Crystal light reflecting setting powder on the day, with Rosie building the foundation up in the areas I needed it to give me more coverage. She then highlighted with the A La Carte bare cream blush, used a Charlotte Tilbury blusher and the Dior Universal Brow pencil on my eyebrows which honestly folks is my new wonder product (I keep meaning to do a full review). Then she created a soft natural eye using a light grey eyeshadow and Damson brown gel eyeliner both from A la Carte (again something new for me – I always use black but Rosie suggested it would have a warmer tone and look better in the photos and I think she was right!). The final touch with my make up was a bold berry lip colour for that winter feel. I’ve always loved bold lips and as soon as I knew our wedding would be in November I told Rosie we had to go for a dark red lip. I had a few options to choose from on the day as I couldn’t decide. I bought one of the Nars velvet matte pencils (as I love those) in Damned which I adore as it is a real dark gothic berry look. The problem with those pencils though is that they are very matte and dry and on a day like your wedding day when you’re no doubt nervous (and cold) they’re maybe not the best thing. So in the end I went for a Nars audacious lipstick which had a lot more moisture. The shade was Vera and I’ve been wearing it loads since as I love it!
I also have to give a shout out to Asma from Boudoir Lashes who did my lash extensions for me (she’s the best in the business in my opinion) – I’m sorry I cried a few of them off Asma! Sylvie from Nails and Brows who had me step away from the tweezers for six months so she could thread my brows into the perfect arch and of course Sassoon Salons where my colourist Ben worked on my brunette ombre look ahead of the big day.
I had my manicure and pedicure done a couple of days before the wedding at Elements of Life in Ayr and chose a dark berry shade for them too to tie in with the lips.
My Mum treated me to a new perfume as a gift ahead of the wedding and I chose to get a Chanel scent. I never ever buy myself expensive perfumes so this really was a special thing. I chose one of their blends (1932) which was a light scent with a hint of floral. I adore it and am now keeping it for special occasions so that it reminds me of the day.
My outfit details
The Tiara
As well as my actual wedding seperates, I had various accessories and extras to take my outfit to the next level. The first thing I simply have to talk about is my beautiful tiara. This was a bespoke design by the very talented Samantha Walden, who specialises in vintage headpieces. I think tiaras often get a bad rep in the wedding industry (and fashion industry for that matter) as everyone automatically thinks of those tacky diamante bling creations reminiscent of what Katie Price wore on her wedding to Peter Andre. This couldn’t have been further from what I wanted on my day but I knew I wanted something in my hair. When wedding dress shopping with a couple of my friends I was persuaded to try on a pink vintage style tiara as a bit of a joke, but the joke was most definitely on them as I LOVED it, and decided there and then that I had to have one. I waited until I knew how the dress was going to turn out, and had a better idea of the details and the colour, before I started looking, but it was obvious straight away that I wanted something bespoke (nothing new there!). I wanted it to be vintage, ethereal and kind of tarnished looking, and as time went on I decided it should also be truly woodland inspired and feature leaves and vines within the design. Once again matching in with my lovely engagement ring and of course the detail on my top.
I found Samantha and fell hard for her gorgeous, unique, handmade pieces (seriously go check her out – she’s a true talent) and asked her to create something for me. We went back and forward on the design a few times with her looking through my dress inspiration boards, seeing my shoes and discussing the colours. It was decided that my tiara would be silver with hints of pink weaved in through vintage pearls and opal crystals so as to match with the pink glitter of my shoes and the dusky shade of my dress. I’d mentioned to Samantha how much I loved opal stones and how I’d originally wanted an opal engagement ring, and then she surprised me by finding a vintage opal brooch and making this the centrepiece of the tiara!
I really do owe a very big thank you to Samantha, not just for creating such a beautiful piece for me to wear and keep forever, but also for putting up with me in those last few months. I worked with her at the latter part of our wedding planning journey and it’s safe to say she was often dealing with a pretty stressed out and worried bride-to-be at times. But she remained so calm every time I spoke with her, reassured me at all times and really went out of her way to make sure I was happy and had the tiara I’d imagined. She actually ended up making two for me to choose from as I’d panicked the first was going to be too big for me!! What a star!
I was a little nervous at receiving the finished tiara having not actually tried it on but the day it arrived was THE BEST DAY. I literally wore it around the house ALL afternoon and was so sad to take it off when GB was due home from work. I LOVED wearing my tiara on my wedding. Loved, loved, loved it. I’m now championing for tiaras to come back into mainstream fashion so that I can wear it every. single. day.
The shoes and jacket
My shoes were a pair of pink and silver glitter Rupert Sanderson court shoes, which were actually my very first wedding purchase. I found them in around November 2014 before I’d even thought about my dress and they were the first part of my outfit to be chosen, with everything else being shaped around them. Keeping them locked away in a box for a year, only sneaking them out to wear around the house on days when I was working from home, was the hardest thing! Of course you all know the story of how I sprained my ankle a few days before my wedding, and was devastated at the thought of possibly not being able to wear them after all that time. But luckily the crazed high heel wearer in me prevailed and I made it all the way up that uphill woodland path in these beauts!
I also bought the cutest silver leather biker jacket from Iro to wear after the ceremony – which matched my shoes and tiara perfectly. I toyed with wearing fur or feathers but felt that was too Hollywood glam for our venue and instead wanted something more casual that could toughen up my pretty dress. With the pink skirt I knew silver would look great, and of course you all know I’m a bit of a silver addict!
Both my shoes and jacket were purchased from Vestiaire Collective, a site I’m a little addicted to for finding designer bargains. People often ask me how I find (and afford) my designer pieces but I promise you I never ever pay very much for them. I have never in my life bought a designer item at full price and I’m a big believer that you can always find the pieces you want for less if you really look. Both the shoes and the jacket were brand new, in their boxes and with tags still on but I paid less than half the original price for both! I love both pieces so much and am so glad I found them.
I also got a pair of metallic silver boots from Boden which I wore to traipse through the woods for our photos and they were SO comfy! I ended up wearing them for most of the afternoon at the barn too!
The Jewellery
I wore very little jewellery on the day as I knew my dress and tiara were more than enough detail and didn’t want to overdo it. I wore my engagement ring of course which was beautifully made by Stephen Einhorn, and then worked with the lovely Ivy Nixon Jewellery, who made my rose gold engraved wedding ring for me. I knew earrings would be too much and with all the detail around my neckline a necklace wouldn’t have worked so instead I concentrated on rings and Charlotte from Ivy Nixon made me a set of rose gold and silver stacking and midi rings to pile up on my fingers. She then also very kindly created a gorgeous bespoke opal and diamond ring for me to wear on my middle finger after I’d told her I’d considered an opal engagement ring but was put off due to the stones not being suitable for every day wear. Lastly she strung my Mum’s wedding ring (which I’ve had since I was a little girl – she wears a different one now as it no longer fits her) onto a long chain which I wore as a back chain because of the low back my dress had. This was a lovely alternative to a necklace and nice to have something sentimental on the day. Lots of people commented on it too as apparently it twinkled in the sunlight during the ceremony. Again I loved working with Charlotte and my jewellery was all absolutely gorgeous.
The Final touches
When the party got in full swing, I switched up my outfit yet again, and swapped my tiara for a pair of fun lace bunny ears which I bought from H&M. I also changed into the silver trainers which GB had proposed to me in (read the full story here) so that I could dance the night away.
Lastly, I had a Mrs jumper made with my wedding date from Bow and Drape – one last little fun item to wear the day after the wedding so that I could feel like a bride for just a bit longer.
Onto the Groom
Whew! Right! Enough about me, that ended up being much longer than I planned. Let’s move onto my handsome groom shall we? GB decided that he too wanted something a little special for his wedding day, seeing as he’s someone who on a day-to-day basis cares very little about clothes or fashion and never really buys himself anything nice. He decided to get his suit made bespoke for him so that it would fit perfectly and be in the exact colours and fabric he wanted. I guess similar to me there is something quite nice about knowing that his suit is his alone. He kept the details of it a secret from me so that it would be a surprise on the day, and actually, despite my initial reservations, that was really lovely as I just thought he looked so handsome when I first clapped eyes on him. All I knew was that the suit was going to be navy and I obviously knew about the orange colour theme but other than that I was in the dark.
His suit was made by Gresham and Blake who have showrooms in both London and Brighton and offer a more affordable way to go bespoke. GB chose a very subtle Prince of Wales check in a bright navy blue colour and opted for a three piece (I’ve always loved him in a waistcoat). His favourite colour is orange and so that was his theme for the day with an orange bow tie, socks and pocket square (and the lining of his jacket was also orange). He visited Loake before the wedding to find his brogues and have them properly measured and fitted. You can read more about that service here.
The Best Men
We found the Best Men’s navy checked wool jackets from Hammond and Co at Debenhams (actually before GB had found his suit) and just thought they were perfect for the rustic location. They were in a subtle tweed wool and featured a blue check with an ever so faint orange stitch running through, so tied in perfectly. We were pretty lucky to get all the sizes we needed as they were a past season design and weren’t being re-made. The boys all then wore their own navy chinos and white shirt and we had both an orange bow tie and pocket square made for all of them, along with a pair of bright orange socks from Sockaholic, and a pair of grey and orange braces (GB’s Dad, brother, Grandad and Stepdad also all got the same pocket square and socks, while my Dad and brother co-ordinated with a dark berry tie and socks to match my side). I think they all looked really dapper on the day and fit the style of the wedding really well. As a gift we bought them each a hip flask engraved with their initials and a small bottle of the whisky which is distilled in my home town.
The Best Women
I just think my Best Women looked absolutely gorgeous on the day, and entirely befitting for a rustic winter wedding. Their pink full skirts were from Coast and one of the first wedding related items we bought. I’d actually spotted them while bridesmaid dress shopping with a friend before I was even engaged. As we were looking for her theme of dusky toned maxi dresses, I picked up the pink Carrie inspired skirt and joked with her saying that should I get married I’d have them all wearing these. Less than two weeks later GB proposed and knowing immediately I wanted them all in bright pink, I went straight back for those skirts. I LOVE them. The giant bow, the asymmetric hemline, the taffeta fabric, the full shape – they were like a medley of Carrie Bradshaw, Olivia Palermo and the girl from 10 Things I Hate about You (and now Taylor Swift at the Grammys!) – all inspirations I’m a very big fan of. They weren’t all convinced when I suggested teaming them with jumpers but I knew they’d need something warm for being outdoors and couldn’t think of anything better than an Olivia Palermo wedding look. I found their cream cashmere knits from Boden and then asked them all to wear metallic shoes.
As well as their robes and hair pins, I bought them all a statement necklace (two of them in silver and grey and two of them in gold and pink) from H&M and asked the lovely Megan Riera (a very talented calligrapher) to design me a ‘Best Woman’ calligraphy emblem which I then got printed onto canvas bags for them so they’d have something to carry all their essentials to the party. For some reason we didn’t get any photos of these (doh!) so I’ve stolen Megan’s snap above. I also made them all a personalised hanger with their name on to hang their outfit on on the day, but again we failed to get a snap of these so I can only show you my one. Tutorial for this coming to my new wedding website as soon as it’s live though, as they were SO easy to do.
Their main gift was a pair of sparkly glitter trainers from the limited edition Kate Spade for Keds range. I knew that I’d be changing into trainers for the party and wanted them to be comfortable too. I had to call upon their husbands to find out their shoe sizes and avoid all of their questions before hand on whether they should bring flats to change into for the barn, but I think they were all pretty chuffed with the surprise when they saw them. I’ve loved these trainers for quite some time (you’ll probably recognise them from my sidebar wishlist) and knew they’d be perfect for the party so I just hoped the girls would love them as much as I did. I got each of them a different colour of glitter – one silver, one rose gold, one gold and one black – and really did have to hunt high and low for some of their sizes. The rose gold pair came all the way from America and were the very last rose gold pair in existence. I know I checked!
And so those were our wedding looks from the day, I hope this post provided a few tips for those of you planning your weddings. I loved our pink and orange theme and thought all of our team looked really great on the day!
Tune in tomorrow to hear all about our secret wedding party and what happened once the drinks started flowing at our barn venue!
Key Players (full supplier list to follow at the end of the week)
Photography – Amy Shore Photography
Hair – Pin up Hair Glasgow
Make Up – Rosie Lewis (a friend)
Dress seperates – Charlotte Wilden
Tiara – Samantha Walden
Jewellery – Ivy Nixon
GB’s suit – Gresham and Blake and Shoes – Loake
Best Men – Hammond and Co at Debenhams
The post Wedding Week | The Hair, Beauty and Outfit Details appeared first on Jaclyn Ruth.