.yellow

source . sj kim photography via smitten
.I am a town hall bride and although I love the idea of a chic little white dress on my wedding day I have chosen to wear a long ivory gown. However if I was going to go against convention I would opt for a look similar to this 1940s inspired bride.

Everything about Kelly & Peter's wedding style is stunning and so well suited to their San Francisco City Hall venue. Even her little black purse resting on the registrars table is chic. There really isn't much else to say. I think these beautiful images from their wedding day speak for themselves.source . sj kim photography via smitten

source . sj kim photography via smitten

source . sj kim photography via smitten

source . sj kim photography via smitten

source . sj kim photography via smitten

source . sj kim photography via smitten

source . sj kim photography via smitten

source . sj kim photography via smitten

.accessorize

kate deco wow earrings £18.00
.British high-street favourite Accessorize have some fantastic vintage inspired pieces of jewellery in their new collection. There are art deco inspired pieces which I adore...

new york statement ring £12.00

noir chunky chain tear drop earrings £8.00

80s deco enamel stud earrings £7.00

vintage knot necklace £12.00
...some great faux pearl pieces which would suit a glamorous vintage wedding...

pearly edie bead chandelier earrings £9.00

statement layered pearl necklace £20.00

pearltastic charm bracelet £12.00

space age fan necklace £15.00

...and amazing brooches which would be the perfect way to jazz up a simple J Crew wedding gown or decorate a classic wedding cake.

vintage snowflake brooch £10.00

decadent sparkle flower brooch £10.00

.Best of all most of the jewellery is under £30.00! Hurrah!

.marie antoinette

.Jenny Packham's Spring 2010 collection is out now! Inspired by Marie Antoinette the collection is full of Packham's signature crystal embellishment and glamorous silhouettes.

Each gown is so beautiful that it is impossible to select a favourite. Oh well, I suppose I will just have to go to the Jenny Packham bridal boutique and try them all on...!

P.S. Sorry I have been away for so long - I am in the middle of a Masters dissertation and it is killing me!

.clips

.I know that East Side Bride blogged about these b.poetic vintage fabric shoe clips earlier in the week but I simply could not resist resist doing the same because a) I know, thanks to Google Analytics, that I have a lot of UK readers (thanks so much ladies!) who might not be reading an NYC wedding blog but will definitely love these clips and B) because these little gems are gorgeous!!! You can buy them here. And best of all they are only $26.00 (£16.00) a pair!

.skyline

source . dave robbins via new york magazine
.If these are not the cutest urban wedding photos ever I don't know what are! The couple eloped to New York and had what looks like a fun, chic yet totally affordable wedding day. The above photo is especially beautiful. Even though they are in NYC the dark night skyline, their karate moves and her kimono-esque shawl reminds me of Tokyo.

source . dave robbins via new york magazine
.The photos of the couple doing every day activities like taking the tube in their wedding outfits is brilliant! I think I will be asking our photographer to do the same thing with us. It is so cool. This couple's story of their wedding day is so lovely that rather than give you snippets of it I have copied their interview from the New York Magazine below. Enjoy!

source . dave robbins via new york magazine

Tina Lüdtke and Brian Kristjansen are not models. They’re a real, quirky Canadian couple in love, shown here karate-chopping through the drizzly mist in Brooklyn the night of their wedding. The couple got engaged a year after being set up on a blind date, and days after the proposal, they decided to come here to elope (all the way from Calgary). Four friends joined them as witnesses, and their New York–based wedding photographer, Dave Robbins, suggested they cruise around the city together, via limo and subway, to get interesting shots. On day two of their stay, they picked up their rings, which had been FedExed, and went to City Hall to get their marriage license. That night, for a rehearsal dinner of sorts, they went to Buddakan. “As we were leaving, Lou Reed walked in!” recalls Brian. The next day, they were married in Central Park, then traversed the city with friends and photographer in tow. “People were cheering for us in the streets, stopping their cars to honk,” says Brian. Their first dance was in the subway, and their wedding-night dinner (party of six) was at the River Café in Dumbo. “Our wedding cake was a chocolate dessert shaped like the Brooklyn Bridge, with a gold CONGRATULATIONS written on it. The whole thing was perfect.”

.love

.I have a new shoe obsession: the Christain Louboutain Love 100 shoes. They are the perfect wedding shoes - cute, quirky, fun and sexy. Unfortunately they are also £665. Oh well, who knows, perhaps the shoe fairy will miraculously deliver a pair to my door...

.girl with a pearl earring

.I came across this beautiful image via something old, something new a while ago and have had it in my inspiration file ever since. The overall styling of the shoot is to die for. So elegant and luxurious. Apparently the shawl is by a designer called Megan Park. I am certainly considering having some kind of shawl or wrap over my dress. Not least because it adds to the old hollywood glamour look I would like to achieve. But also because London can be chilly, even in the summer!

.ck

.This Calvin Klein dress is lovely. It is also only $238.00 which I think is such a bargain. Again it is from an American department store, this time Macy's.What I really need to do is take a trip to NYC before the wedding and go wild in all of their shops until I find that perfect dress for under $300.

.1950s vs 1930s

.This image perfectly embodies my dress dilemma.
Although I am in love with the 1930s artistic era, have an art deco ring and an art deco venue the dress is the sticking point. My body shape is far better suited to the 1950s silhouette as I am top heavy with tiny hips and so the full bodied skirt would help balance me out.

.My mother and sister (my main dress consultants) agree that a fuller skirt would suit my body best. Of course once I have tried on lots of dresses I will know for sure but I just can't imagine myself in a Grace Kelly type number, as gorgeous as she was on her wedding day.

.pleats (II)

.Another affordable American wedding gown I love, this time from Dillard's. The only problem is that I recently showed Dr. D. this lovely wedding and he said he didn't like the pleats of her gown at all - but that is why I love it. Ooops!

.the one?

.So much emphasis is placed in THE DRESS by the wedding industry and most brides that I think it can stop the whole process of finding a dress which one loves and feels comfortable in on her wedding day from being an enjoyable one. I work in fashion so obviously I care a lot about clothes and I want to look great on my wedding day. However if I had one thousand pound budget for one dress (which I most certainly do not) I would not spend it on something I can only wear for 12 hours. Therefore I have been busy hunting out alternatives to the standard wedding dress from the standard bridal store.

.As I wrote previously, I find that American department stores are particularly good at creating beautiful, elegant and affordable gowns. Today I fell in love with this beauty. Now I face a dilemma: our wedding is still over one year away (I know! It is just that I am so excited!) but this gorgeous dress is perfect and on sale. Do I buy it and risk the fact that I might find something I love more closer to the time? Or do I leave it and risk not finding anything I like more before our wedding day? Aaaah, so difficult!!!

NB. I am refusing to say exactly where it is from as I am scared one of my lovely readers might see it and buy it. There are only two sizes left. Sorry ladies, I have to be cut-throat!

.photobooth

source . smitten

.We are having a photobooth at our wedding reception. I don't think I need to explain why*. These photos say it all really.

source . our labor of love

source . our labor of love

source . our labor of love

source . our labor of love

source . our labor of love

*Ok, just a little bit of a back story. The first day of our holiday in Berlin (the week the boy proposed) we found this really cool old skool photobooth in Prenzlauerberg and took some great black and white photos. Then we crossed the road to have the yummiest breakfast ever. Little did I know that I we were capturing images from such a special holiday. So on the last day of our trip (by now he had popped the question) we went back to the same booth and took some romantic/comic photos with the ring on show and then grabbed some more of that yummy breakfast. Therefore the photobooth photos sort of tell the story of our engagement in a special and unique way. Now we have them framed in our apartment.

.intimate

source . jill thomas via green wedding shoes

.This morning I woke up to this message from one of my oldest friends in the world:

"Hi (m.v.b.), I'm so exited, S. and I are getting married on the 9th(one week from today)! We decided we're tired of waiting :-) We're just having our parents and a few of S's family there on the day as it's at 10:30am in Lowestoft (registry office) so auntie M. can come. We'll be arranging a party for all our friends at some point but there's a lot to do as it's so soon but I'm so happy :-) I'll let you know L. xx "

source . jill thomas via green wedding shoes
.So, I thought this was the perfect time to talk about the fact that we are having an intimate wedding. This means we have decided to have just our parents, siblings, and a handful of best friends at our wedding. Plus Dr.D's grandmother and 5 year old nephew.
.Controversially this means that none of my aunts, uncles and cousins will be there (Dr. D. has no aunts uncles or cousins).source . jill thomas via green wedding shoes
source . jill thomas via green wedding shoes
.Although initially this saddened me I eventually came to the conclusion that it is the only way we can have a nice wedding we can also afford. Adding my extended family would take our guest list from around 30 to around 80 - yes, there are 50+ members of my extended family. And that doesn't include all the second and third cousins whose weddings I have been to over the years. So rather than bankrupt ourselves trying to feed and water all those people we have decided to have a beautiful, elegant and stress free day with our absolute nearest and dearest.
source . jill thomas via green wedding shoes
.I am surprised that more couples do not opt for this style of wedding, especially with the current economic climate. Big weddings can be lovely but they are not for everyone and they are certainly not my style, plus they cost a fortune!
The couple featured in this post, Devon + Joe, seemed to have the same philosophy as my friend L. They just wanted to get married with their family and a few friends around and did not want all of the fuss that comes with a 'wedding'. I for one think their day looks more beautiful than most of the big dress, 10+ bridesmaid weddings out there.source . jill thomas via green wedding shoes
source . jill thomas via green wedding shoes
.Thankfully there seems to be an increasing trend for intimate wedding so we small wedding brides are not alone. Joanne Goddard started a great debate about it on Smitten and recently Brides featured an '(un)wedding' wedding reception.source . jill thomas via green wedding shoes
.Dr.D and I are confident that we have made the right decision for us in choosing to have an intimate wedding. I think without all of the fuss and hoopla of a traditional large wedding we will be able to focus on what is important to us (food!), while cutting out all of the stuff we don't care about (fancy favours, tossing the bouquet, flower girls) and truly celebrate our love for one another on one fabulous day. Now I just have to convince my mother that it is a good idea...